Dress

Object number2008.118.1
Datec. 1931
Mediumsilk; crepe; lace; metal
Credit LineGift of William Collins King
DescriptionBeige (discolored) crepe child's dress with brown silk lace overlay full skirt. Capped pulled sleeves with braiding and rosettes. Back net opening with two metal snaps and top hook. Skirt has same braiding and rosettes as sleeves.Dimensions25.5 x 15 in. (64.8 x 38.1 cm)
Historical NotesChild's dress worn by Phoebe Anne Thorne during a "Tom Thumb wedding" fundraiser held at the Edgewood Community Center by the Edgewood Cot Club. The Groom of that "wedding" was Skippy Earl, who was around five years old. Phoebe Anne Thorne was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1928. She grew up in Edgewood, Pennsylvania and eventually graduated from Chatham College. She married William G. Birmingham in 1951 during a double wedding ceremony with her sister Carolyn Ottilie Thorne, who married William C. King of Pittsburgh. Phoebe's maternal grandmother was Ottilie Sorg, daughter-in-law of John Philip Reinecke, founder of Towne Gas, which featured a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen from treating burned coal with water under controlled conditions; it was used for lighting Coleman lanterns in houses but became obsolete when natural gas was discovered in the area.
Previous owner (born 1928)
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