Wearing Family History 2

Here as promised are some pictures of my grandmother, Esther Wagner Schuler’s, wedding dress. We were reluctant to remove it from the cleaner’s bag and this is the best we could do under the circumstances. A bit of glare and other issues but not too bad. You can click on any of these images for a larger picture.

Update

A regular reader suggests that the dress is made of cotton or, possibly, linen batiste. After a bit of research I think that’s probably correct. Also, one of my sisters, a contemporary size 4, says with some confidence that the dress is probably a two or even a zero. Esther very likely wore a corset when she wore this dress. Modern girls, of course, would never resort to such a thing (they’d call it something else).

Full length

Upper bodice

Below waist

Lower skirt detail

Bottom hem

Left sleeve

Neckline

Right sleeve

Another full length

The feet are those of my lovely wife who stood on the island in the kitchen taking these pictures.

7 comments… add one
  • Your description didn’t do it justice at all. How lovely.

    Not a comment on your wife’s feet, but was gram small? I saw turn of the century wedding dresses in Steamboat Springs that were too small for me at 14 years old, and I’m not a large person.

  • We estimate the size of the dress in modern terms to be about a 4. I honestly don’t know how tall she was. My dad was tall for his generation so I suspect she was 5’4″, maybe 5’5″, which would have been slightly above average for her generation.

    One of my sisters was actually able to wear this dress at one point. I suspect should could now–she’s quite slender.

  • Claire Link

    Wow, absolutely beautiful. Especially the lace bodice. What a treasure to have in our family.

  • Yes, it is.

  • Kathe Link

    Gorgeous, what a lovely thing to have kept for so long. I agree that your description didn’t do it justice.

  • Bethie Link

    Do you have a photo of Esther wearing the dress? Would she have worn long gloves? What was her wedding date again? I can’t remember what was worn under the dress – besides the corset – must have been a coordinating slip?

  • We’ve looked and don’t seem to have a picture of Esther wearning the dress. I doubt she’d have worn gloves. Fred X. and Esther were married on Nov. 15. And, yes, I assume she wore a slip as well as a corset under the dress.

Leave a Comment