Circa 1860
America
Silk, satin and cotton
Campbell House Museum
Descriptive Detail
Made of heavy silk satin, featuring undulating black and red stripes, this dress follows traditional Victorian requirements of a narrow waist, tight bodice, and full skirt. Hand-sewn, this three-piece ensemble is composed of a skirt and two tops. At first glance, the fabric appears to be tie-dyed. But the unusual striping is in the weaving and most likely a version of technique called ombrá. Exemplifying nineteenth century practicality, the two different bodices allow the gown to be worn to affairs with different levels of formality—named a robe à transformation. The evening or ball top, basque, has short sleeves embellished with rows of small jet beading, a wide V-neckline and a pointed or V- waist, typical of the period. The day bodice is fitted and slightly flared with three-quarter pagoda sleeves edged with black lace and jet beading. Jet beading also decorates the bottom and neck opening. Although the pagoda sleeves would allow for engageantes, detachable false under sleeves made from fine lace or linen, this particular gown did not. The engageantes, like the detachable collar from the Eugene Field House collection,would be easy to remove, launder, and re-stitch into position. The full skirt is pleated, beginning from a center point and turned toward the back of the gown. Alterations in the back consist of an insertion of black material to create a better fit over bell shaped hoops that were flatter in front and fuller in the rear.
Local and National Historical Connections
The labels on Virginia Campbell’s clothing tell us that much of her wardrobe came from New York, Philadelphia, or Paris. If she had patronized a St. Louis seamstress, such as Elizabeth Keckley, more than likely the seamstress would have come to the house to design and sew the new apparel for her and the children. When there were important occasions to prepare for, such as a wedding, the seamstress might stay for several months until all was completed. Robert Campbell and his older sons would have ordered and purchased their clothes at a tailor’s shop.
As a wealthy wife and an exemplar of the Cult of Domesticity (sometimes termed the Cult of True Womanhood), Virginia Campbell was supposed to spend her time reading, sewing, receiving guests, going visiting, writing letters, seeing to the servants, and dressing for the part as her husband's social representative. Her day was governed by etiquette rules that could encumber her with up to six wardrobe changes a day, and the needs varied over three seasons a year. Nineteenth-century fashion plates and photographic records clearly illustrate there was morning and mourning dress, walking dress, town dress, visiting dress, receiving visitors dress, traveling dress, golf dress, seaside dress, concert dress, opera dress, dinner and ball dress. The well-to-do woman was expected to dress to show off her husband’s wealth. And while Virginia Campbell was definitely woman of the nineteenth century, she was also more than that. She had been educated at a women's finishing school (more than likely a Quaker school, which meant that her educations had been more rigorous), she taught her sons in their early years, traveled with her children unaccompanied by a man, and ran the household in the absence of her husband. She also independently supported many philanthropic causes, including Fr. DeSmet's Indian missions in the West.
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