Mirror of Culture the Study of a Nineteenthcentury

Mirror of Culture: the Study of a Nineteenth-century Sewing Diary By: Elizabeth Della. Badia Faculty Sponsor: Linda Welters, Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design

Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design URI Historic Textile and Costume Collection Directors: Margaret Ordoñez and Susan Jerome

The Commercial Pattern Archive & The Betty Williams Collection Part of the Special Collections Department at the University of Rhode Island Library Joy Emery, Project Director & Professor Emeritus

American Textile History Museum The Osborne Library Curator: Karen Herbaugh 491 Dutton Street Lowell, MA 01854 -4221

Ann Eliza Lane Cunningham September 6, 1835 - ? (sometime into the Twentieth Century) Image courtesy of Nelson, Christina H. Directly From China: Export Goods for the American Market, 1784 -1930. Salem, MA: Peabody Museum of Salem, 1985.

Map courtesy of ma. gov

Rockport

Charlotte Pippin == Oliver Griffin Lane | _____________________________ | | | | Married December 22, 1822 Oliver Griffin, Jr Charles Augustus Frederick Foome Clifford Charlotte Augusta James A. Cunningham = Ann Eliza Married June 12, 1856 Francis Gamaliel _____________ | | | Charles Edward Frederick Lane Ann Grafton The Diary spans 1845 - 1890 Taken from: Fitts, James Hill. Lane Genealogies, Exeter: The Newsletter Press, 1901.

Diary Specifications 144 Pages 9 x 11 inches 2 ½ inches thick

Similar Diaries Include: v Natalie Rothstein’s A Lady of Fashion: Barbara Johnson’s Album of Styles and Fabrics v. Charlotte Augusta Lane’s diary, held in a private collection (Ann Eliza’s sister) v. Kate S. Harris fabric scrapbooks held in the Joseph Downs Collection in Winterthur, Delaware

Fabrics Used Wool Cotton Silk

Influential Ladies’ Magazines of Ann Eliza’s Time Images courtesy of library. otis. edu & uvm. edu

June 12, 1856 – Ann Eliza’s Wedding Day “Mother bought at Mr. Calefs 1856 one of my wedding dresses. Rhoda Saville cut it. ” ~ p. 42 “one of my wedding dresses in 1856” ~ p. 48

Ideally… Peterson’s Magazine, April 1856 p. 211 In Reality… Peterson’s Magazine, April 1856 p. 335 Courtesy of the URI Historic Textile and Costume Collection

“Made 1890 wore at White Mountains in September” ~ p. 38 “Mother bought at Mr. Calef’s in Glouster 1853. Rhoda cut it wore it to church in Spring when just made. Went to New York for the first time. The Spring it was made Father gave a large party the week before we left for New York. Annie Walker Present. ” ~ p. 82

Victorian Touring Godey’s Lady’s Book, October 1850 “Mountain Airs and City Graces” Courtesy of the URI Historic Textile and Costume Collection

“Father brought home in 1841 Mother had one like it. She wore it in Crossing the isthmus of Panama in 1851. Her mule sunk in the mud. ” ~ p. 42

Map Courtesy of Wikipedia “All of us, whether Americans or English, united in a hearty cheer to that [British steamer] flag, which was a token to us that we had at last escaped the countries of ignorance, bigotry, and vice, and were passing from the annoyances of South American life to the solid comforts of an English home. ” ~ p. 324, “A Trip Across the Isthmus of Panama, ” Godey’s Lady’s Book, 1849.

“Bought at Uncle Gideon’s Store in May 1849 Rhoda cut it wore to school the first morning I made my appearance at the Lunenburg Academy. June 7 th, 1849. ” ~ p. 82

Godey’s Lady’s Book, 1849 Courtesy of the URI Historic Textile and Costume Collection

“Mother bought in Boston in 1851 Rhoda Saville cut it made low neck, and drapery sleeves. Nancy made the undersleeves to wear with it. ” ~ p. 90

Courtesy of the URI Historic Textile and Costume Collection

“Cloak Father bought in Boston in 1848. Rhoda Saville cut it a long cloak with large circular cape. While she was at work on it the news came that Uncle Davis Lane had committed suicide at the Pearl Street House in Boston. ” ~ p. 12 in diary “The Pearl Street House stood on the north-west corner of Milk and Pearl streets, and was built in 1816, and was the mansion of William Pratt. It was first occupied as a hotel in 1836. Colonel Shepherd was its first landlord. The Scots' Charitable Society frequently held its meetings there. It was obliterated in the great fire of November 8, ~ "Taverns of Boston in Ye Olden Time" 1872. ” The cause of death was ignored in the family genealogies, published in 1901 by James Hill Fitts. Map courtesy of Google. Maps

Thank You v Professor Linda Welters, TMD Chair v Joy Emery, Professor Emeritus, Theatre, & Project Director of the Commercial Pattern Archive at URI v Susan Jerome, Collections Manager, URI Historic Textile and Costume Collection v Karen Herbaugh, Curator v The American Textile History Museum v The Office of the Provost v URI Honors Department