Most popular of all were historical characters and costumes. Victorians attached great importance to achieving historical accuracy with their costumes; nevertheless, most fancy dress costumes followed contemporary fashion far more than the styles of the past.
This dress, worn by Mrs. R.A. Lindsay (née Charlotte Vernon) as a Lady of the Time of Marie Antoinette, has a full pleated back, which vaguely resembles an eighteenth-century style, but the rest of the costume is very unlike anything worn at that time. The white princess-style front of the dress is most definitely a reflection of the 1870s, revealing that Mrs. Lindsay probably adapted the gown from a contemporary dress. The back is crudely constructed and is probably an addition for fancy dress. She wore this dress to a ball given by Mrs. D. Lorn McDougall in Montreal in 1881.
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as a Lady of the Time of Marie Antoinette Montreal, 1881 W. Notman Canadian Museum of Civilization, 85-6890 |
as a Lady of the Time of Marie Antoinette Montreal, 1881 Silk satin front and sleeves; dark blue cotton velveteen upper sleeves; black cotton velveteen back; silk lace trim Canadian Museum of Civilization, D-9891.1-3 |
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