i63551 |
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Object Description
| Basic ID | Evening dress, Infanta, 1952. Jet bugle beads, black, rust, yellow, beige, and brown silk tulle. Worn by donor Mrs. Julius Epstein, née Nancy Franklin. 1968.229 |
| Artists/Makers | James, Charles, 1906-1978 (designer) |
| Title | Infanta |
| Other Title | Dress |
| Place of Origin | United States |
| Date | circa 1952 |
| Description | Dress, cocktail-style, of net and beading. Hip-length bodice completely embroidered in iridescent black glass bugle beads. Large, conical skirt of black silk net over layers of colored silk net; colored net peeks out at the bottom. Calf-length. |
| Materials/Techniques |
silk (fiber) net (textile) glass (material) beads (pierced objects) beading (process) |
| Object History | This dress is called Infanta, or sometimes Williamsburg, referring to skirts worn at two different times in history. Infanta was a title used by royal women in the seventeenth century Spanish court, whose wide skirts are captured in paintings by Velazquez. Williamsburg refers to the eighteenth century in the United States, when women wore garments called panniers under their skirts to widen their hips. |
| Curatorial Statement | James covered this dress with tiny jet bugle beads from its strapped sweetheart neckline to the low hip. He create the voluminous skirt with numerous layers of fine tulle, ranging from layers of black on the outside to interior layers of bright orange, pink, and yellow. The interior layers were barely visible when the wearer stood still, but flashed brightly when she moved. The design was intentionally flirtatious: these layers were technically petticoats, or underclothes, and not often visible during the 1950s. |
| Subjects | Epstein, Julius, Mrs., 1920- |
| Object Types |
dresses (garments) evening dresses (garments) |
| Classification | costume (mode of fashion) |
| Categories |
clothing main garments evening dress (concept) |
| Credit Line | Gift of Mrs. Julius Epstein |
| Owner | Chicago Historical Society |
| Exhibition History | Chic Chicago : Couture Treasures from the Chicago History Museum. Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. (2007/10/12 - 2008/01/05); Chic Chicago : Couture Treasures from the Chicago History Museum. Chicago History Museum. (2008/09/27 - 2009/07/26); Charles James : Genius Deconstructed. Chicago History Museum (2011/10/22 - 2012/04/16) |
| Object Number | 1968.229 |
| Image File Name | i63551.jpg; index.cpd |
| Rights | All rights reserved. Contact Chicago History Museum, Rights & Reproductions (rightsrepro@chicagohistory.org) for use. |
| Collection Name | Costume and Textile Collection |
| Repository | Chicago History Museum. 1601 North Clark Street Chicago, Illinois 60614-6038 |
Additional Information
| Basic ID | Evening dress, Infanta, 1952. Jet bugle beads, black, rust, yellow, beige, and brown silk tulle. Worn by donor Mrs. Julius Epstein, née Nancy Franklin. 1968.229 |
| Title | i63551 |
| Rights | All rights reserved. Contact Chicago History Museum, Rights & Reproductions (rightsrepro@chicagohistory.org) for use. |
| Collection Name | Costume and Textile Collection |
| Repository | Chicago History Museum. 1601 North Clark Street Chicago, Illinois 60614-6038 |
