Mary Lincoln Extra Credit Questions

[Donna McCreary]

(10-19-2015 03:22 PM)L Verge Wrote:  

(10-19-2015 08:45 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  I wonder why Mary would have carried a fan in April??? Even in our well-heated theaters and times, in mid-April I would rather wear all-I-can, so rather take and wear a scarf and jacket, and evidently Mr. Lincoln froze, too.

I have another related question to the fashion experts out there.

Kathy writes that Helen Truman noticed that "the First Lady was not wearing an evening gown to match her husband's formal attire. Instead she wore a grey and black spring dress in silk with a bonnet to match."

Now what is the difference between an evening gown and a spring dress, and why can't a spring dress serve as an evening gown? And - silky or not - how/why can a grey and black dress be considered a spring dress? (Grey and black to me represent all the opposite of spring - death, decay, depression, mourning, tristesse, ...)

Thanks for any further fashionable education!

I am not an expert on the Language of Fans, but they were not strictly utilitarian. It is possible that the crowd of people in the theater and the heat from gaslights that it could get rather stuffy in Ford's during April. However, the fan could be used to hide large grins at the play's funny lines, to point out something when pointing with an index finger would be uncouth, even to play a little coy with (but surely not Mary!).

An evening gown would display upper chest, shoulders, and a portion of the bosom and would be complimented with a garland headband or fresh flowers in the hair. I'm not sure that an evening gown would be proper attire in a theater such as Ford's. Her gown seems much more appropriate.

As for the fabric and color, they were very appropriate for a matron -- especially for one who had undergone a great deal of criticism for her outfits over the past four years. If the small piece of fabric at the Chicago Historical Society is truly from Mrs. Lincoln's dress, I wonder if Helen Western actually wrote "sprigged" instead of "spring?" That is/was a sewing term to indicate fabric that incorporated little bouquets of flowers -- I think, where's Donna McCreary when I need her?

I'm back after an extended absence. I am hopeful things settle down a bit, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.
So . . Laurie I agree. I believe the original probably said "sprigged" instead of "spring." It just makes more sense. An evening gown would have been inappropriate for theatre attire. Her dress would have been more modest for such an occasion. I have read a couple of different accounts of the color of Mary's dress: one said it was dark blue, most others claim her attire was black and white. If the pieces at the Chicago Historical Society are indeed Mary's pieces, then her ensemble was black and white. One of the reasons I believe that these pieces are what Mary wore to Ford's Theatre is because Mary was still in mourning on April 14th. Her elder brother, Levi, had passed away in late October 1864, and her paternal uncle, Dr. John Todd, passed away in early January 1865. Mary would have worn mourning attire to honor both of these men. She was very close to her Uncle John as he became a father figure to her when she moved to Springfield. Custom required a woman wear mourning for an uncle for six months. (think I have that one right)

Regarding Mary's choice to carry a fan, I also agree that Mary would have needed it for reasons other than creating a breeze. I also believe that Mary would have used it to play coy. She could have used a fan to hid her mouth if she wished to whisper sweet nothings into her husband's ear.

While different accounts exists as to whether or not Mary wore a bonnet that evening, she must have. It would have been the only head wear appropriate for a carriage ride. She would have removed it upon entering the theatre. She then would have worn a simple head dress of some sort. I have a period memorial print depicting the assassination and burial of Lincoln. I am not sure how accurate it is suppose to be, but it does show Mary wearing a bonnet inside the theatre. I have always wondered why the artist chose a bonnet if there had not been one worn that evening.