Fanny Seward's dress

[Linda Anderson]

Fanny died 16 months after her mother. How long does the mourning period last for, Laurie?

Fanny wrote that she and Anna went shopping in October 1862 for Fanny's "first winter 'out' in Washington. Among other things I purchased a sack cloak of beaver cloth, a white embroidered muslin dress, and a plain silk of an indescribable color - not Magenta, nor yet purple - but red at night, & in the day-time inclining to purple - a new shade."

Fanny's coming out reception was on Jan. 1, 1863. She went to Mrs. Lincoln's New Year's Day reception and then went home. "Had very little time to dress for our own reception, and, as visitors were admitted sooner than we expected, neither Anna nor I were ready to see the first comers. She was down before me - It took me so long to fix my hair. I wore the red (?) purple (?) dress to receive in."

Could that be the dress in the Leutze portrait? Would it look red at night?