Fanny Seward's dress

[L Verge]

(02-16-2015 01:44 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  

(02-16-2015 11:05 AM)L Verge Wrote:  There is something in me that says this dress is too "frivolous" and fancy to be part of a mourning ensemble... I suspect that Fanny liked lavender and needed a party dress sometime before the horrors of April 1865.

Thanks, Laurie, my intuition. This is too playful with the delicate gathers and the white lace cuffs.
Re: "That is a gorgeous dress that belies the image we tend to have of the shy and retiring Miss Fanny Seward" - from what Ms. Krisher writes, Fanny increasingly loved society events, dressing up etc., and became a self-confident host herself.

Fanny's father's outgoing personality and fondness for the social scene had to have some effect on her. Getting away from the more sober environment of her mother probably helped tremendously. Even in the height of war, Washington, D.C. was still an interesting place to be.

[LincolnToddFan]

(02-15-2015 07:16 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  

(02-15-2015 05:49 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Linda, I cannot find what you have posted, nor the dress which, if I understand correctly, is somewhere hidden on that site - I'd love to see it. Where is it?

Eva, I had to google to find the posting about Fanny's dress since the link I posted above has been updated. Thanks for pointing that out. The post is by Natalie from the Seward House Museum.

https://www.facebook.com/SewardHouseMuse...4961365224

Here is the portrait of Fanny by Leutze.

http://sewardhouse.org/gallery/fanny-seward-by-leutze/

Wow...I had expected the color to be faded, but it's beautiful and vivid. How have they kept it so well preserved?

Thanks Linda!

[Eva Elisabeth]

Sorry if I overread this somewhere - was the dress to be worn with a hoop skirt?

[BettyO]

Oh yes. This dress was definitely intended to be worn with a hoop.