Seed Pearl Necklace and Bracelets

[Donna]

The seed pearl ensemble that is indeed documented in photos is always associated with a white dress. The countless websites that include photos of Mary wearing a white dress and adorned with the seed pearl jewelry, and who state quite convincingly that this was her March 4th 1861 Inaugural Ball attire, are mistaken and continuing to perpetuate this myth. The Inaugural Ball dress was blue. It was ‘watered silk’. She wore a white, deeply bordered point lace cape. This is documented time and again in contemporaneous accounts of the Inaugural proceedings.
With the passage of time, biographers latched onto one of the photos of Mary in the white dress and pearl jewelry and erroneously captioned the pic(s) as described until it is now generally accepted as fact. One would hope that for the sake of historical accuracy, this myth will be debunked at some point.
Below is an excerpt from the March 6th, 1861 edition of the New York Times by a reporter who witnessed and wrote about the events surrounding Lincoln’s Inauguration. The article was submitted on the 5th and published the 6th.

At 5 o'clock in the morning, after a hard day's work and an evening of telegraphing, I do not propose at any extended length to enter upon the details of the affair; but as the chief interest of theoccasion centered upon Mr. and Mrs. LINCOLN, and a few of their friends, I will give a short account of them and their appearance.

The hall was well filled by 11 o'clock with dancers impatient for the signal to commence "the mazy," but as Mr. LINCOLN had not yet arrived, it was not considered etiquette to begin A little while longer and the youngsters impatient for the past-time, started the band and at it they went. Soon, however, it was noised about that the party had arrived. Dancing was for a moment suspended, and all eyes turned in the direction of the door. Presently the President appeared, leaning on the arms of Vice-President HAMLIN and Senator ANTHONY, of Rhode Island. His entrance was, of course, the signal for applause, and the band struck up "Hail Columbia." Behind the President came a couple, the sight of whom was singular and yet eminently gratifying; singular, because so wholly unexpected, and gratifying, because it was an indication of the beginning of an era of good feeling.

The parties were Mrs. LINCOLN and Senator DOUGLAS. Mrs. LINCOLN appeared remarkably well; she wore a very tasteful and becoming head-dress, and a low-necked lavender silk, (I think,) of exquisite shade, perfect fit, and evident richness. Her lace wan point, her jewelry was the simple diamond, and her attire such as commended itself to the good taste, the sense of propriety and the love of the beautiful of every person in the room. It was a general remark that LINCOLN was an infinitely better-looking man than he was represented, and that Mrs. LINCOLN was evidently a lady of refinement, of tact and of taste.

[Irish Liz]

I read that Sally Fields wore copies of the seed pearl necklace and bracelets in the Film Lincoln. I always thought it would be cool to wear these replica pieces at a Wedding. Okay, I admit it you have to be a history buff to think like that.

[Donna McCreary]

Mary also wore the seed pearl jewelry with her purple velvet dress. She wore the ear rings and the brooch with several other dresses varying in color.

Irish Liz, I know a lady who makes copies of these jewelry pieces. I agree, they would be lovely for a wedding, or an anniversary, or birthday. Well, pearls are perfect anytime.

[Susan Higginbotham]

How does "lavender silk" become blue watered silk? Are they synonymous? I find contemporary references to "blue watered silk," "lavender watered silk," and "pink watered silk," among others.

[Donna]

The point of my initial post on this subject is very simple..........the photographs plastered across internet websites and in numerous biographies dating back decades that depict Mary in one of two white dresses and adorned with the seed pearl jewelry purchased from Tiffany & Co. are not historically accurate and not a true representation of her 1861 Inaugural Ball attire. Whether she wore the aforementioned jewelry with other dresses - or with a tank top and cut-off jeans while running around barefoot - is of no consequence. With all the looming threats and upheaval facing Lincoln in the weeks leading up to his inauguration, I doubt that shelling out bookoo clams for seed pearls would have been high on his list of priorities, even if he did have access to a time machine that would have been necessary to pull off such a transaction.
That’s all I’m saying. I’m tired of banging my head off this brick wall.

[Donna McCreary]

(03-04-2018 09:56 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  How does "lavender silk" become blue watered silk? Are they synonymous? I find contemporary references to "blue watered silk," "lavender watered silk," and "pink watered silk," among others.

A color blinded reporter perhaps?
My son is partially color blind and can not tell blues from purples.

[L Verge]

(03-05-2018 04:33 PM)Donna McCreary Wrote:  

(03-04-2018 09:56 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  How does "lavender silk" become blue watered silk? Are they synonymous? I find contemporary references to "blue watered silk," "lavender watered silk," and "pink watered silk," among others.

A color blinded reporter perhaps?
My son is partially color blind and can not tell blues from purples.

Anyone remember the old ditty "Lavender blue, dilly, dilly?" Men may not notice such things, but fashion conscious ladies do -- sometimes the shade of a garment depends on the amount of light one is standing in. What might look lavender or a funny shade of pink inside a house might become a shade of blue outside. Imagine that happening in a room with gaslight.

[Susan Higginbotham]

So is there a source stating that Mary was actually in blue, not lavender? That is what is confusing me--the only source posted here said lavender. Is the actual dress extant?

[kerry]

Several newspaper reports from the time refer to it as blue.

[Susan Higginbotham]

OK--I'll look around some more.

Frank Leslie's has the immensely unhelpful description of Mary as wearing "rich watered silk." It has Mrs. Grimsley in "blue watered silk."

[RJNorton]

Please excuse me for entering a conversation in which I have zero expertise. But am I correct in saying the lady pictured here does NOT have Mary's 1861 inaugural ball dress?

http://railsplitter.com/where-is-mary-to...all-dress/

[L Verge]

(03-06-2018 05:21 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Please excuse me for entering a conversation in which I have zero expertise. But am I correct in saying the lady pictured here does NOT have Mary's 1861 inaugural ball dress?

http://railsplitter.com/where-is-mary-to...all-dress/

I saw that same photo on a site that features images of Mrs. Lincoln in the inaugural gown, and my first instinct was, "Yeah, right!" The First Lady would be none too pleased at the large size of that bodice, and by the time her corset cinched her in, it would have laid in folds.

I always get a little perturbed at authors who take jabs at Mary Lincoln about her weight. In her era, women were considered more attractive with a little meat on their bones.

My grandmother was born in 1874, and grew to be 5' 10" in height, 130 pounds, had a 20-inch waist and did not have to wear a corset. She was the third daughter in the family and was considered an ugly duckling when she reached maturity because she did not have the hour-glass figure that was prized in those days.

I wonder what the authors who think Mrs. Lincoln was chunky think about some of our modern First Ladies - Mamie, Bess, Hillary, and Michelle for example?

[Donna McCreary]

(03-06-2018 09:36 AM)L Verge Wrote:  

(03-06-2018 05:21 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Please excuse me for entering a conversation in which I have zero expertise. But am I correct in saying the lady pictured here does NOT have Mary's 1861 inaugural ball dress?

http://railsplitter.com/where-is-mary-to...all-dress/

I saw that same photo on a site that features images of Mrs. Lincoln in the inaugural gown, and my first instinct was, "Yeah, right!" The First Lady would be none too pleased at the large size of that bodice, and by the time her corset cinched her in, it would have laid in folds.

I always get a little perturbed at authors who take jabs at Mary Lincoln about her weight. In her era, women were considered more attractive with a little meat on their bones.

My grandmother was born in 1874, and grew to be 5' 10" in height, 130 pounds, had a 20-inch waist and did not have to wear a corset. She was the third daughter in the family and was considered an ugly duckling when she reached maturity because she did not have the hour-glass figure that was prized in those days.

I wonder what the authors who think Mrs. Lincoln was chunky think about some of our modern First Ladies - Mamie, Bess, Hillary, and Michelle for example?

Allow me to throw a few more facts and theories into the story of the inaugural gown.
The dress is the 1930 photo is a highly altered dress. The original bodice has been removed and the waist has been let out. What remains is part of the skirt. This is not the only one of Mary's ball gowns to have been greatly altered. The one that is located in the Smithsonian also has had the original bodice removed, and the skirt has been altered. It was common practice for women to cut up an out of date to gown to create something more fashionable. In the case of ML's gowns, wearing the exquisite fabric was more important than maintaining the historical integrity of the gown.
Having said that --- yes, the fabric of the skirt in the 1930 photo is from a gown that Mary wore in an 1861 photo. Several historians have guessed that this gown was an alternative inaugural ball gown. Personally, I have never seen any primary source material which indicates it was an alternative dress, but it is likely that Mary did have a back up gown. The gown chosen for the inaugural ball was the blue watered silk.
Now, here is a tidbit about the jewelry. Take a closer look at the necklace worn in photo of ML in the dress with ruffles at the bodice and hemline, and the photo of ML wearing the gown with the large floral print. The necklaces are close - but not the same.
Check FASHIONABLE FIRST LADY for details and a theory.

I would love to hear others' theories about the two necklaces.

[Gene C]

(03-06-2018 09:36 AM)L Verge Wrote:  I wonder what the authors who think Mrs. Lincoln was chunky think about some of our modern First Ladies - Mamie, Bess, Hillary, and Michelle for example?

I don't know, but it does remind me of a song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk

[kerry]

Interestingly, nearly every mention of Mary in 1861 includes that she is "plump," and quite a few add "not handsome." It was certainly something they noted, but I think in a modern context we take it to be more insulting than it was meant - in the absence of widespread photography, they matter-of-factly reported on people's physical characteristics. Even in an age of coddling women's reputations, they were quite open in their judgments. What confuses me is that in the picture of Mary with the visiting Native Americans, Nicolay, and Kate Chase, and in the one of her on the log flume, she seems quite thin. I figured she stopped eating after Willie died. The photo of her seated from her widowhood shows more weight on her, but not to the point of being plump. Yet it seems that the press never commented on her losing weight, maybe because she wasn't giving entertainments in 1862, and then she regained most of it in 1863. When were her 1861 photos taken? When they go to Washington or later on?

Another thing that makes me wonder are the reports that surfaced in late 1861 that she was pregnant. I was surprised that it would be discussed so openly at the time. It seems to have originated with the Boston Transcript, which was a credible paper, and it claimed to have an unimpeachable source. I wonder if she could have had a miscarriage that led to weight loss and compounded the trauma of Willie's death.

Here are my references re: the dress color

“Senator Douglas, faithful among the faithless, gallantly gave his arm to Mrs. Lincoln. A few hours and a good dressmaker had transformed that simple little woman into quite a belle. She was tastefully attired in a very becoming blue gown, and she carried a large fan and an immense bouquet"[1]


[1] https://archive.org/stream/whenlincolnwa...k_djvu.txt

"Mrs. L. shows us, in her choice of blue on this occasion, as the color which suits her fair complexion best, that she is no stranger to the beautiful science of the toilet."[1]


[1] Friday, March 8, 1861  Paper: Cincinnati daily press (Cincinnati, Ohio)

"All I can say is that she was tastefully and richly arrayed in blue and white, with a beautiful wreath, rising infant like a crown, upon her head." (March 29 Evansville Journal's Washington correspondent)