Friday 16 March 2007

Wedding Dresses

There seem to be so many Wedding Exhibitions in this area lately which prompted me to do this blog. I am lucky enough to have inherited my maternal Great Grandmother's wedding dress. She was Lucy Ann Barnes who married Walter Crabtree in April 1885. This is her dress made of blue and white madras cotton. It had a bustle at the back.

She must have been really tiny as the bust measures 32 inches and the waist 26 inches. This next picture is of my maternal Grandmother, Betsy, and her twin sister,Emily, who is wearing the dress (Lucy's daughters). They were born in 1888 so this photo must have been taken around 1905.

This next photo is of my mother wearing the same dress at a concert in 1949. I do regret not having a photograph taken of me when I could have squeezed into it! No chance of that now!

This is my very plain 1970's wedding dress - I suppose it would be classed as vintage now!


Does anyone else have a relative's wedding dress?

9 comments:

  1. Your antique wedding dress is stunning. How lovely for you to own such a treasure. The photographs are adorable too.
    I was married in the 80's and when I retrived my dress from the attic recently, my daughters fell about in hysterics!

    I have a collection of 1950's prom gowns. It is amazing how the female body has changed shape in just two generations.

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  2. Sadly not though i have some clothes of my mother's from when she was young. That blue dress is just so pretty! How about getting Rosie to model it for your blog? lol.

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  3. Oh how absolutely wonderful to own such a family treasure! The only things I have from my great grandmother (from PEI) are a quilt and a teapot. I suppose I can drape the quilt around me (and I wouldn't need to worry over my waist measurements)! =)
    Thank you so much for stopping by my blog ~ I love the quote about "living in God's pocket!" I'd love to see Cornwall someday as I've heard so much about it; I've been to England many times but never that area. I will be back to visit your blog often!

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  4. Hi Ruth

    Oh how wonderful! The dress is beautiful and to have all the photos of your different relatives wearing it is quite amazing!

    When I was very young I would delight in getting my great grandmother's dress out (under the supervision of my mum!) and trying it on. This was a rich emerald green taffeta and lace party dress (or maybe a ball gown?) and had a 22 inch waist! Quite astonishing!

    Clare x

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  5. Nope unfortunately I haven't but I love to see yours, they are so beautiful!

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  6. No I don't have any antique wedding dresses but I do have the pattern for the one I wore at mine 12 years ago. I do love yours though, they are so feminine and pretty :-)

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  7. That is such a treasure, you are a lucky girl to own it!!

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  8. Hi Ruth

    What a fabulous dress. I recently sold a wedding dress of similar design for someone who had to 'declutter'. Isn't it sad when that happens. I still have mine from my first marriage in 1971 - complete with leg o'mutton sleeves. Mum kept it all this time and gave it back to me a while ago! Needless to say Hannah won't be wearing it on 5 May!!

    Thanks for your lovely comment - I wasn't actually planning on taking any enamelware to Shepton (no room in the car for awkward shaped items), but if you 'need' some we can always work something out!! Did Clare tell you where I'm sited? Sue

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  9. You write very well.

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