Post’s flourishing independence, very much like that of American women in the early 20th century, is reflected in the range of wedding gown gowns on view in the exhibition. Post’s wedding dress selections begin with a 1905 Edwardian gown, incorporating the traditional use of orange blossoms made popular by Queen Victoria, for the young bride’s marriage to Edward Bennett Close.
The 1920 Lucile-designed dress for her marriage to E. F. Hutton, with its romantic tea-length hemline, reflected the high fashion of early 1920’s New York society. When she entered her third marriage, to American lawyer and diplomat, Joseph E. Davies, in 1935, the event exhibited the typical grace and elegance that suited an heiress and social, business, and philanthropic leader of the day, with the intimate affair at her stately New York apartment lent a touch of glamour by her Hollywood-inspired velvet dress from Bergdorf Goodman.
Finally, the classic ballerina-length dress for her 1958 wedding to Herbert May befitted her status as Washington socialite and matriarch. A new acquisition given to Hillwood by the actress Dina Merrill, Post’s youngest daughter, join two dresses
already in the collection to complete Merrill’s evolution from flower girl, to bridesmaid, to bride. This vignette includes the flower girl dress worn by Merrill,
when she was just three years old, for her older sister Adelaide’s 1927 wedding; the bridesmaid dress for her mother’s wedding to Joseph Davies; and her own wedding gown for her 1946 marriage to Stanley M. Rumbough, Jr.
Other exhibition highlights include the sophisticated and finely-detailed flapperstyle dress worn by Post’s oldest daughter Adelaide for her 1927 wedding; her second daughter, Eleanor’s glamorous Callot Soeurs-designed gown for her 1933 wedding; two of Post’s mother-of-the-bride dresses; and other wedding accessories, including hats, veils, and Merrill’s Cartier wedding purse. Archival imagery, invitations, and ephemera will further personalize this look at American brides and wedding customs from 1874 to the mid 20th -century as told through Post-family weddings.
“Weddings of notable families like the Posts received wide press coverage with very detailed reporting. As mother-of-the bride, Post’s hostess skills, as well as the grace and traditions of the extended family, are evident in these celebrations,” explained Estella Chung, historian and curator of American material culture at Hillwood and collaborating curator of the exhibition. “This exhibition allows visitors to be first-hand witnesses to the beauty and textures presented in these joyful gatherings.”
The Twentieth-Century Costume Collection at Hillwood
Wedding attire reflects one facet of Marjorie Merriweather Post’s lifelong love of fashion. Throughout her life, she acquired and preserved many dresses, ensembles, gowns, and accessories. Today, the collection at Hillwood houses over 175 dresses and over 300 accessories, including shoes, hats, jewelry, gloves, and purses, and one of the most significant collections of 20th-century apparel in Washington, DC.
Hillwood Background
When Post cereal heiress, art collector, social figure, and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post left to the public her northwest Washington, DC estate, she endowed the country with the most comprehensive collection of Russian Imperial art outside of Russia, a notable 18th -century French decorative art collection,
and 25 acres of serene landscaped gardens and natural woodlands. Opened as a public institution in 1977, today Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens offers a gracious and immersive experience unlike any other.
Highlights of the collection include Fabergé eggs, Russian porcelain, Russian orthodox icons, Beauvais tapestries, and Sèvres porcelain, and Post’s personal collection of apparel, accessories, and exquisite jewelry. Thirteen acres of formal gardens include the Japanese-style Garden, Rose Garden, French Parterre, and a greenhouse full of orchids.
Curently, Hillwood is hosting: Prêt-à-Papier: The Exquisite Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave until December 30, 2012. SeniorWomen.com has featured de Borchgrave's extraordinary creations in the exhibit, Pulp Fashion: The Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave.
Photographs courtesy of Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens
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