Clara Barton ’s Dress: A Piece of Red Cross History Restored

Watch how Conservator Newbold ‘Newbie’ Richardson dresses the mannequin and learn more about Clara Barton’s dress. Historical garments are artifacts that can tell us a great deal about the person who wore them. In Fall 2021, Clara Barton’s great, great, great niece, Sue Stafford, donated a dress worn by our founder to the American Red Cross. After examining the dress, we learned it was made of an expensive, imported silk brocade woven in the 1850s. With its 120” round hoop crinoline petticoat, Clara was considered fashionable for her time. She most likely wore this dress while she was meeting with members of the U.S. Congress, military generals or giving speeches. For several months, Conservator Newbold ‘Newbie’ Richardson worked meticulously to restore Clara’s dress, using tools like hair silk, fine needles, etymology pins, wax paper and more to stitch the torn fabric, repair the frayed hem and stabilize the bodice. “I had to customize the form to Clara Barton’s narrower stature and add batting to create the bust, waist and hips,” shared Newbie. According to family history, Clara wore this dress on a trip to Europe with her niece, Mary “Mamie” Stafford, in the 1870s. The women often shared clothes due to their similar small stature. May Olney White, Mamie’s granddaughter (and Sue’s first cousin once removed) was born and died in her grandmother’s house, and that is where the dress resided after Mamie’s grandmother died. May...
Source: Red Cross Chat - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: History 19th Century Fashion american red cross clara barton Clara Barton's Dress Red Cross history Source Type: news