Grayscale Postcard of Dress of Martha Washington

ID: SIA2013-07793 (front) and SIA2013-07794 (back)

Creator: Albertype Company, The

Form/Genre: Postcard

Date: 1933

Citation: Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 65, Box 16, Folder: Postcards

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Summary

Grayscale postcard of a dress worn by Martha Washington at the United States National Museum, now known as the Arts and Industries Building. A mannequin is sitting in a chair wearing the dress, wrapped in a shawl. It was part of the Collection of Period Costumes exhibit in the Arts and Industries Building and is now part of the First Ladies collection at the National Museum of American History. The postcard is unused, but the message side has a printed note: "Dress of Martha Washington. Dress worn by Martha Washington during the administration of George Washington as President of the United States."

Subject

  • Washington, Martha 1731-1802
  • United States National Museum
  • Arts and Industries Building
  • First Ladies Hall
  • National Collections
  • First Ladies Exhibit
  • Collections of Period Costumes c. 1900: United States National Musuem (Arts and Industries Building)

Category

Historic Images of the Smithsonian

Notes

  • Martha Custis Washington was the wife of the United States' first President George Washington.
  • The Arts and Industries Building (A&I) was designed by two Philadelphia architects: Adolph Cluss and Rudolph Schulze. It first opened in 1881 as the United States National Museum, the Smithsonian's first building dedicated solely to the research, care, and display of collections. After the natural history collection moved into its own building in 1910, the Arts and Industries Building exhibited primarily historical and technological collections.
  • For postcards with the image in color, produced by Curt Teich & Co., see Negatives SIA2013-07223 and SIA2013-07224; and SIA2013-06655 and SIA2013-06656.

Contained within

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 65, Box 16, Folder: Postcards

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

1933

Restrictions & Rights

No restrictions

Topic

  • Postcard
  • Mannequins (figures)
  • Clothing and dress
  • Exhibitions
  • Presidents' spouses
  • Museums
  • First ladies
  • First Ladies Gowns
  • Presidents
  • Museum exhibits

Place

United States

Form/Genre

  • Postcard
  • Paper

ID Number

SIA2013-07793 (front) and SIA2013-07794 (back)

Physical description

Number of Images: 2; Color: Black and White; Size: 3.4w x 5.4h; Type of Image: Postcard; Medium: Paper

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