Worn by Mamie Buffenstein on occasion of her marriage to William Nathan (born in Germany, 1882, died in Chicago October 1954) on June 3, 1924 in her parent's home at 1310 S. Lawndale Avenue, Chicago.
Hanchen Strauss and Gardner H. Stern (b. ca. 1904), both native Chicagoans, were married on February 12, 1927. The dress was purchased from Blum's Vogue in Chicago.
Florence Hooker Cheney (died circa 1905) wore this dress when she married William Cheney Jr. on September 11, 1901. Worn with bright pink satin corset (1984.503.17) and possibly also bright pink garters (1984.503.18).
Designed initially in black silk chiffon and tulle, this gown became James's most executed custom order. Vogue featured the garment in 1951. James's wife, Nancy, wore it in the mid 1950s and he created at least one version with a cocktail-length...
James, Charles, 1906-1978 (designer); Marshall Field & Company (distributor)
1954
Charles James originally designed the Butterfly ball gown for Mrs. William Randolph Hearst Jr., for the price of $1,250. The sculptural design lives up to a comment once made by Spanish couturier Cristbal Balenciaga, "Charles James is not only the...
Court presentation dress worn by donor Mrs. Charles S. Dewey when presented at the Court of St. James in 1927 while her husband was Assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury Department. This kind of dress, with its dropped waistline and...