Images(6)

Habit, Nun's

Object number2010.75.32 a-h

Mediumcotton; polyesters ; various metals; plastic; elastic; paper

Credit LineGift of Slippery Rock University Foundation and the Sisters of Mercy of Dallas

DescriptionNun's habit consisting of white habit dress, cincture, coif, veil, guimpe, veil board, domino, and ribbon.Dimensions(a) Measured on form. H: 48.5 ; W (shoulders): 16.5 ; L (sleeve): 21.5
(b) (measured flat) W: 2 ; L: 32.25
(c) (measured flat) W: 39 ; L: 17.25
(d) (measured flat) H: 55 ; W: 23.5
(e) (measured flat) H: 24.25 ; W: 16.375
(f) (measured flat) H: 3.375 ; W: 12 ; L: 5.375
(g) (measured flat) L: 33.5 ; W: 24
(h) W: .25 ; L: ~75.25

Historical NotesSisters of Mercy of Allegheny County nun's habit. Part of a collection that documents the contributions of Catholic orders to healthcare in Western Pennsylvania. The collection was originally on display at Slippery Rock University as an exhibition titled, "Sisters in Healthcare: Sixteen Communities of Religious Sisters in Western PA, 1847-1969." With this collection, the History Center has the largest collection of Pre-Vatican II habits in the United States. Many of the long-standing healthcare facilities in the region were started by the Sisters including Mercy Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, and many others. Label TextThe Sisters of Mercy started the first hospital in Pittsburgh in 1847. The Pittsburgh Daily Post declared on December 2, 1846, that Pittsburgh at last would have a hospital and it would be “free from sectarianism, and economical in its arrangement.” The sisters wore the white habit when involved in healthcare-related tasks. More streamlined than the everyday black habit; it traditionally featured tighter sleeves and a slimmer skirt. The Sisters also used white habits when serving in tropical locations.

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