Summary

Alternative Name(s): Wedding Dress

Wedding ensemble comprising a bodice, skirt, under-skirt, belt, veil, pair of gloves, five fragments of floral decoration (probably headpiece) and a posy. The ensemble was worn by Sarah Jackson nee Nairn at her marriage to Arthur Jackson in Victoria in 1911 (depicted in MM 140438) - register no. 6967. The pieces of floral decoration are likely to have been worn in her veil; Arthur may have worn the posy.

Arthur and Sarah were to have three children - Mary, Henry and Arthur - before Arthur died tragically in a farm accident. Sarah also lost her beloved brother William Nairn in World War I - he was killed in the trenches of France in July 1918. Then in 1920 her mother Mary died. Her two oldest children were removed by authorities as she struggled to support her family by playing violin, but she regained them when she married again - for convenience - to a widower with his own family.

Physical Description

Wedding ensemble comprising cream bodice, skirt, under-skirt, belt, veil, pair of gloves, five fragments of floral decoration (probably headpiece) and a posy. 1: Bodice: cream with applied embroidery; scooped front infilled with lace featuring high collar secured with hooks and eyes; long sleeves. Patches of discolouration. 2: Skirt: Long, cream, with two strips of applied embroidery down front, with two v-shaped connecting strips about knee level. significant patches of staining. 3: Belt: cream belt with applied tape embroidery in centre; same tape woven to form edges. Belt has two small dips at one end and one larger, squared dip at centre. 4: Under-skirt: cream, gathered slightly to small waistband; visible hem stitching. 5: Veil: Cream, fine net with triple line pattern at edges. Fragile. 6 & 7: Gloves: pair of cream kid gloves, wrist length, external seams. Extensive foxing. Originally three buttons on each to fasten; one button has been lost from left glove. 8: Fragments of floral decoration: five pieces, each comprising a cream cloth flower, wax (?) flower buds and green cloth leaves, secured with wire onto a wire steam. Stems are of various lengths. 9: Posy: larger group of cream petals and cream wax (?) buds gathered onto a single, heavy stem. Significant patches of deep brown foxing.

More Information