UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 7
October 17, 1996
Family wedding gown worn by eight brides

     In 1893, Elva Markley Shaw remodeled a white silk bridesmaid
dress she had worn the year before and transformed it into her
own bridal gown, adding a second sleeve puff and restyling the
skirt to form a train.
     The gown became a treasured family heirloom. Over the years,
the well-preserved family treasure has been worn by her six
granddaughters and a cousin on their wedding days.
     Charlotte Tatnall Halloran, one of its wearers, donated the
gown to the Department of Textiles, Design and Consumer
Economics.
     The gown and wedding photographs of all eight brides form an
exhibition, "The Bride Wore Her Grandmother's Gown," on display
through the end of the month on the second floor vestibule in the
Alison Hall Annex.
     During a September reception, several of the brides were in
attendance.