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Wedding Dress

1822

1822
Silk
Worn by Harriet Ann Schuyler
Gift of Mrs. Douglas Clark

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Audio Guide

Harriet Ann Schuyler (1803 – 1885) married Smith W. Anderson in 1822. The Schuyler family, a prominent New York and New Jersey Dutch family during the 18th and 19th centuries, played a critical role in the formation of the United States. Notable family members include Elizabeth “Eliza” Schuyler, who married Alexander Hamilton in 1780. Louise Frelinghuysen Henry (1908 – 1998), who in 1934 married Harriet’s great-grandson, F. Douglas Clark, donated this dress. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Clark lived on Wahackme Road in New Canaan and sent their children to New Canaan Country School.

This style illustrates a perfect example of the transitional period between the “neoclassical” silhouette of the 1820s and the romanticism-inspired trends of the 1830s. By 1822, the empire waist dominated women’s fashion and puffed sleeves at the shoulder were popular. Wedding dresses were a variety of colors, depending on the bride’s preference.

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