Mrs. Derby Sets Her Goals

Greetings!

My name is Emily, and I will be dressing the occasional living history character I play for my job as a professional historian in Salem.  Mrs Derby, the former Elizabeth Crowninshield, was the wife of a rising young merchant named Elias Hasket Derby.  Hasket was the son of the wealthiest merchant in 1760s Salem, and in the 1770s was a junior partner in the firm, and gaining his own wealth through trade and privateering. Therefore, Mrs. Derby had easy access to, and could afford a wide range of fabrics on the higher end of the scale.

Mrs. Derby has a formal gown for assemblies and other evening gatherings, and a nice wool damask gown that is very suitable for morning household management and perhaps meeting with those of a lower class, but she needs a silk gown for her afternoon calls, a more informal meal, and serving tea.  I have a great desire for a pink silk english gown, a la Mrs. Hancock:

So, here are my goals: to find the perfect pink silk satin for my dress, although I may end up settling for taffety, and to learn tambour sufficiently to make one of those amazing aprons!

A Letter: August 15, 1772

My Dear Mrs. Skinner, 

 

I hope this finds you well and not suffering too much from the summer heat.  It has been quite humid here in Salem and at times quite unbearable with unhealthy vapors from the sea air.  It is my understanding that you will be attending the garden party in Concord next summer.  My dear cousin, Mr. Northbridge was visiting and told me the news.  So much to prepare, he is so lucky to have Mrs. S. Glasse as cook, she is a marvel and economical in her use as well.  We will have much to do making sure the young ladies are properly attired and I will of course be shopping for fabric soon.  A year sounds like a long time, but we know how quickly time passes.  

Kind Regards,

Mrs. Peabody

Muster Day!

The Muster Field & the Gardens of the North Bridge Visitor Center at Minute Man National Historical Park will come alive as the local residents assemble for a Muster Day.  Planned for the summer of 2012, this event will allow us to portray several levels of society in pre-war New England as they don their best to attend an important public gathering.

We've created this blog to show how we are preparing for this event, the clothing, the food, the entertainments, etc.  Follow along as we select the elements of the clothing we intend to wear, our research, the shopping for fabrics and trims, sewing our garments, styling our hair, assembling our accessories and accouterments, as well as a look into the selection other items of 18th century material culture that we will require for this event.

Click on any of our characters to see how each of us is progressing (or not).  We've selected the names of prominent Bostonians as inspiration, though as we pursue our research, we'll likely be adopting specific Concordians to portray.

We welcome you to join in the conversation, share your thoughts, ideas, ask questions, and, of course, tell how you are getting your kit together for this event!