Tea gown

Unknown

1875 · wool, silk, cotton · Costume Institute

This teagown belonged to Amelia Beard Hollenback (1844-1918), wife of the prominent financier and philanthropist John Welles Hollenback (1835-1927). In 1874, the Hollenback family settled in the modestly affluent neighborhood of Clinton Hill in Brooklyn. The first teagowns, which were worn as at-home attire when entertaining guests, made their first appearance in the late 1870s. Worn in the months immediately after the Hollenback's first daughter was born, this early example illustrates Amelia Hollenback's keen awareness of fashion.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1875

Medium

wool, silk, cotton

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Amelia Beard Hollenback, 1966