Mary's Reputation

[Donna McCreary]

(06-02-2013 11:14 PM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Ah, let me see-it's the one where she is seated and has the white flowers in her bonnet.

While I can not get 'in Mary's head' and know exactly why she had this photo taken, there are many reasons why she should have had one taken. First, let's remember that we do not know for certain Mary is wearing mourning - but there are clues in this dress that she was. In 1862 - 1863, day dresses became plainer in style. One fashion magazine stated that “The morning dress is more than ever simple and in the street a lady ought to appear, as it were,
incognito."
Mary's dress follows this style. She appears not as a First Lady, but as an everyday woman.
Following the fashionable style for '62-'63, it is probable that Mary is wearing mourning and her dress is black. The veil on the bonnet was worn to keep the dust out of her face. Other clues are the white spray of flowers - indicate mourning for a child. Her bonnet ribbons are trimmed in white; the collar is white; the undersleeves are white, all soften the mourning and can be indicators of mourning a child.

Another fashionable style during these years was to have large, Greek key designs, or other large trims at the bottom of the skirt. Mary's skirt is plain - again indicating mourning.

So why a photo? Perhaps this was her way of letting the public know that she was beginning to receive guests again. Entertainments would return to the White House, and the social calendar would resume.

You will also find this photo on card stock dated 1865, 1866, and perhaps even later. This is because the photographer owned the negative and reprinted them whenever his supply ran out. CDV's were collected in the same manner that baseball cards are collected now.