Here's link to the Smithsonian's guide for antique textile storage. Imagine you could incorporate some of their suggestions for transport as well as later.

Would love to see pics when you get them!

Thanks - I'll see if I have big tube (from track lighting? maybe in basement) and bring an old flannel sheet. I hope they'll let me remove it from the house. Just packing up old photographs now, waiting for 2nd cousin and DW to call, let me know when they're coming.

Oh how wonderful you're finally going to get to see it in person!

Ok here's the "honest" answer from a textile collector. If the thing is so fragile that you can't fold it, it's toast anyhoo and even the Smithstonian can't save it (ok wait, Won't save it is the better phrase). If it's silk (which you and I have discussed and it probably isn't given their financial situation) than there is the possiblity it is going to be found falling apart, or it will have holes near the base of the gown and in the arm pit areas (salt from the dirt walked on and the perspirant will ruin old silk). But that's recoverable actually. If it's cotton, the same could be true, but it's more likely to have yellow stains in those areas than to have holes.

In either case, you can fold it in a sheet (cotton is best) and just throw it in the back seat. Don't be horrified....it's fabric, which is so much stronger than paper and other antiques. And again, if it's so far gone that touching it destorys it...it's gone anyhoo. And that is VERY unlikely (fabric from the 1800's does not do that..you'd see that on a thin 1700's night gown maybe).

Just in case there is any damage take a picture of it hanging before you do anything else to it. Just to have that if nothing else, then carefully remove the pins and TAKE IT OFF THE HANGER!!! then fold and move...and lay out on a clean bed to photograph for us :)

Don't throw out the oatmeal sacks. They might be worth more than the dress :oP

100 year old dresses aren't incredibly fragile normally, and unfortunately not terribly valuable either, except to those who loved the woman who wore it and those like me who are fascinated with textiles. After you post pics and we talk about condition I'll be happy to help you restore as well if necessary. (There is an easy fix for the cotton if it's cotton...and rust issue).

I think it's toast - the shoulders are shredded and so is most of the seam attaching the lace (?) to the hem. It seems to be silk with an overskirt (but the whole dress) of tissue or chiffon with if not lace, then some kind of cream-colored decorative needlework (in floss not thread).

It was covered with a cotton or muslin nightgown, then with flour sacks sewn together. We laid a clean flannel sheet on a bed and laid it down on the sheet, then carried it by the corners out to my SUV. Carried it home, laid it out on the floor, and took pics of each step. Right now it's in the bottom of locked wardrobe, with sheet and nightgown then another sheet then dress (laid as neatly as possible w/o tearing - figured better to wrinkle than to tear by trying to straighten).

Hanger may have been original - says "Compliments of C.R. Hart, representing WANAMAKER & BROWN, of Philadelphia, Largest Manufacturers of Tailor-Made Clothing in America. AGENCY AT 244 MAIN ST., DERBY."

There are long slit-like tears in the fabric along the sides, the shoulders are shot - look like feathers. Shreds were falling off as we first folded the sheet to roll dress onto back (the front of nightgown was covering back of dress) and as we eased the hanger out. 2nd cousin thinks Smithsonian might want it but I told him they probably have plenty of dresses from this ea, and in better shape. Too delicate to take to Historical Society. My dad says don't spend a lot of $$ to restore it then give it away (not my intent - whoever we give it to would have to restore it). But really, is it only good for handkerchiefs at this point?

How precious is that? If you do nothing else, then please take many pictures of it and you can pass them on as "keepsakes" with a swatch/handkerchief sized piece mounted with the picture. You might also want to see if parts or pieces of it can be mounted in a "keepsake" box frame.

All I have of my grandmother's wedding dress is pictures of her taken on her wedding day ~~ and I guard them like gold. Not many pictures survived from back then and I'm thrilled that at least I have them.

Thanks for sharing them.

How sad :( It's actually more valuable (or was) than I would have expected for a farmers wife. And it's a very desirable style to collect, but, it would be amazingly expensive to restore unfortunately...if that could even be done given how bad it is now.

If it were mine, I'd carefully place it on a manequin and take pictures, then go with the hanky route.

Are you sure it's 100 years old (do you know the marriage date?) The style appears to be older...

The other option would be a careful shadow box mounting of the dress as it is. There would be value to it still, and it would be preserved. I'd consider that as well, museaum mount with museaum glass. A picture of the bride in it would be fabulous in the display as well...

Believe it or not, my first job out of college was working at the Smithsonian, in the Castle, and I returned things. Or rather, I coordinated "minor gifts and donations" and their respective curators and then, usually, to shipping and receiving. Fun in a way, but it wasn't often that anything I saw ever made it into a permanent collection. (Major gifts and important donations went through other, more experienced and skilled staff members.)

This dress is lovely, but unless it was worn by a significant historical personage or at a significant event, it's not likely that SI's costume collection would take it.

I think it looks about 1909, give or take. That surplice bodice was popular then. I think it's lovely, and personally, I wouldn't cut it up into bits. I think shadowboxing it would be great.

And not to argue with anyone, but there's many, many photos from the early days of photography--these things were surprisingly long lasting. If you have early photos, scan them, and preserve the originals.

If it really was my great-grandmother's as my great-aunt said, then yes it is from around 1910-1912 (I'd have to check family records for date). That is, if it was bought new - it could have been used or even a handmedown. The oldest child just turned 96. He said they moved here when he was 2 weeks old. His great-grandparents in Germany had been merchants, we have some old letters, great-great-great-grandma was always crying about them moving to America and leaving her alone and wouldn't Arthur (my great-grandfather) want a pony...so perhaps there was a little money when Arthur got married, or maybe Mary's family had a little money (haven't researched them).

It looks like the bride hung a nightgown (maybe even from her wedding night - looks fancy) over it and put the flour sacks on trying to preserve it, but it would have been better off folded in a drawer :-(

I would like to try to shadow box if if I had an idea how to do it correctly - not something I want to take to Michaels! How would I find someone to do a museum mount?

I do have a photo of my great-grandma (not wearing this dress, though if there is one in the box of stuff my 2nd cousin took then I'm sure he'd take a pic and send me a copy - he doesn't believe in scanning old photos). I will try to take it out of the frame and get it scanned before I mail it to great-aunt (no room in truck today), if we can't find a wedding pic then I can put a copy of the other portrait in the shadow box with the dress.

It was much nicer than my wedding dress (a plain off-white wool dress - we eloped). So many of these things were hidden away (as my cousin said, the old farmers never threw anything out - she's trying to get rid of old broken down equipment, etc. now - except my dad said back when he was a boy the scrap man came and ended up taking his grandfather's car by mistake!). It would have been nice if my godmother who lived in that house all her life (she turned 90 in Sept - her mom died when she was 21) had told my dad and uncles about the wedding dress and who knows what else, and if they had actually bothered to see how to properly save them, since she wanted to save them, instead of having it turn out like this. At least this didn't get thrown out like other things may have, but maybe at this point that's all that can be done with it. I hope not.

Oh, does anybody have an idea of the material? I think the "slip" part of the dress might be silk, but have no idea about the delicate tissue-like chiffon (?) embroidered overlay. Satin sash and ribbon "corsage", lace in bodice. Thanks

I just found an app. 24"x24" deep shadow box at TJ Maxx, and asked at Michael's (yes) about mounting it. They recommended foam board backer with fabric covering it (nylon netting OK?) and then sew the folded dress through it using cotton thread? I'm not sure what the fabric (canvas) in the shadow box is, but it's made in China so didn't want to trust that it was acid-free (doesn't say).

You could get acid-free paper and cover the parts of the shadow box with that. I'd wonder if there's another way to secure it besides sewing, but I supposed the thread wouldn't damage it more than it would have been.

Look at costume books, or even online, to date the style. I don't think older dresses would have had that type of bodice. In fact it could be 10 years younger--maybe from 1919?

Also--search in Google Books for Victorian and Edwardian Fashions from "La Mode Illustrée"
By JoAnne Olian

Here is a link that might be useful: Vintage Wedding dresses blog

What a great dress! It looks so tiny in the photos. Is the size very small?

For shadowboxing it, hop over to Home Dec forum here and post, specifically ask for member Allison0704. She has done some shadowboxing of family mementos in fabrics (smaller items, like baby). They turned out beautifully!

It can't be from 1919 - my great-uncle was born in 1913. I asked about paper (what I went into Michael's asking for), but she said fabric would be better? And that sewing would be better than pins or glue.

I don't know what size it is - but I'd guess it's about 14" -15" across the front, at the sash. That would have been tied high, not down at the waist, so say 28" - 30" around just under the bust. What size would that be? As far as length, maybe 4ft, but don't know if that was floor-length or ankle-length. I thought I got my build (5' 2.5" - I swear I used to be almost 5'4"!) from my mom's side, but maybe my dad's grandma was small. His father was small (maybe 5'6"?).

Oh, and the back is all hooks and eyes - no buttons. Surprisingly, it has short sleeves - can't find any sign that the "undersleeves" might have been longer, though the dress is definitely at least ankle-length, not shorter as 1919 or 20's might have been.

It does have lace insert at the V- neck, and in the back of the bodice. That has held up much better than the rest of the gown - even the satin sash is cracking and crumbling.

If it were mine, I would have it shadowboxed. I discovered a whole trunk full of bustled dresses and gowns in my great grandmother's home. No one wanted them and I ended up throwing them out. I kept the satin headpiece from her veil. The gown was lace and I had a handkerchief made of it. Take pictures. That's about all you can do. Beautiful dress though.

I have pictures of my grandmother in very similar dresses taken in 1910 or earlier...Think Titanic and the styles of that time....the dress is right on.
Stitching a fragile fabric to a backing is the accepted way to support it in a frame. I have 2 samplers dating 100 years earlier than that dress which are preserved that way.
Wood and cardboard and paper contain an acid that causes fabrics and paper to darken and to disintigrate. Don't let any part of the dress touch any of the wood touch any part of thed ress.
Your dress is undoubtedly silk. I don't know why but some silk goes to pieces while other much older silk stays for hundreds of years....thinking of Japanese kimonos I have seen My wedding veil went to powder after about 25 years....but the dress, also silk is fine....my daughter wore it and perhaps my grand daughter will.
Don't cut it up....somehow keep the "Look" of the dress...even if it's in shreds.
Linda C

Michaels recommended foam board - seems to be cardboard with foam core. Is that acid free? What if I cover it with nylon netting? Or does it have to be cotton or muslin?

The dress shouldn't touch anything but the backing and the glass - I can even sandwich it between glass if that's better but they said it was better to sew it to the backer and not just have pressure fighting gravity if I'm hanging it on the wall (displaying it horizontally in my house with 5 yr old DD is not an option).

Wow, what a pretty dress.

That high waist line makes it almost certainly from the 1910-1912 era that you thought.

As others have said, the bottom doesn't look fixable. I've sewn in some smaller fabric items in shadow boxes and they turned out well so I'd imagine that this would be really nice like that.

Canvas shouldn't have any acid in it. Its wood and paper that has the harmful acids. You could even ask that the foam board they use be acid free as they make and sell that at Michaels.

One other suggestion, if you haven't had it framed yet, you might want to pay extra for UV glass. When you hang it up, be sure not to hang it in direct sunlight. Sunlight is very harmful to fabric. Otherwise, you should have a wonderful family heirloom that last for years.

Michaels said not to bring it in if it was as delicate as I described - they'd be afraid to handle it. So I've got to do this myself. It would take 2-3 people to get it in and out of the car like we did yesterday, since I can't fold it (can barely move it - can't even touch it) without it disintegrating.

I have no idea of the materials in the "made in China" shadow box I got at TJ Maxx today. Where should I look for one with UV glass? Would I buy just artist's stretched canvas to fit?

Take the glass out of the cheap frame and have it replaced....will likely cost about $50 for the glass. But museums don't use UV glass in frames, they just keep the art out of direct sunlight and forbid flash pictures.Are you planning on covering the whole dress with nylon mesh or just the backing? If just the backing, I would use a cotton fabric....or linen....more for the looks than anything else.
Or you could get a padded piece...like a quilt or a bed pad...well washed and well rinsed ( use orvis soap and distilled water to insure the backing is chemically neutral) and arrange the dress on the padding, place the netting over it and sew through everything. I would just tie it on the back if you can without shaking up the dress too much.
Also I believe there is a spray on "glue" used in mounting prints that is safe. You could get that dress to hang together with a bit of glue here and a few stitches there.....then get it into the frame, and seal the frame well to keep bugs out....silverfish can get into amazing places!
I think foam core is your best bet....artists' canvas can't be neutral. Go to a frame shop and ask to see museum board, or foam core, so you know what it looks and feels like.
And you can easily get acid free mat board.
Good luck!
Linda C

How about using part of the flour sack as a backing? It looks sturdy, I could wash it and staple it to the foam board? Never heard of orvis soap? What do you mean about "tie it on the back"? I could put netting stretched tightly over the dress and stapled to the back of the foam board if that's better than sewing, and if it allows the dress to show through (I was just thinking of putting netting behind the dress)?

Flour sacking as a back would be great...orvis soap is a non ionic soap...neutral...you can find it in quilt shops and in places like feed stores or farm and homes tores....as it's used to bathe show animals as well as to waash antgique or fragile fabrics.
I meant to put the dress on a padded backing then tie it on....put a needle with thread through the back to the front and back to the back.....then either tie the thread or do it again....running the thread across the back.
I think if you put netting over the dress to hold it in place, you will also have to fasten the dress to the backing.
Oh....and besure you do this on a dry day....or crank the air to remove humidity....don't want to seal "humid" into the frame.

foam board from michael's is a big red flag for me...
if it doesn't specifically say something like "acid free" or "archival" it ISN'T.
don't trust the people at michael's to give you info on this. i was in the other day and they couldn't even tell me if they sold staples (i guess that would be that other store...).

acid free foam board is available. do a google search. good luck, you're dress is beautiful.

I think the trim on the dress may be rayon,could be silk but it looks like the trim on my baby bonnet from 1942. Rayon was used a lot, I have some rayon bias tape that is from 1930's.It is a kind of twisted stuff, you can untwist the cord on the dress I think so made up of several strands & then sewn on with small stitches over the cord going in direction of the twist so they can't even be seen. The chiffon type fabric is used in doll clothes in late 1800's & early 1900's. Might talk to someone who collects old dolls & show them pics. They could probably identify all the materials used. Better check on those flour sacks before you wash them & find out value try "textiles", 'kitchen" "ADVERTISING"try that 1 1st. Different books
& different sites call things by different names. Lovely gown. One idea would be to get photo of the wedding couple & add a piece of gown(taken from back so won't show) & put under glass around 1 side of photo along with another item if you have it,(piece of jewelry she wore- wedding announcement in paper, maybe bit of flour sack from 1 not in such great shape) use an acidfree piece of heavy stock to mount all this in a nice way to enjoy & put in frame fronted with glass. Hang near the gown. A letter would be nice with her handwriting. That way you would have a little bit of her still with you!! Jan

In 1910, rayon would have been rarely used in such an application. Yes rayon was used a lot in 1942, mainly because the war prevented silk from being imported and what silk that did come into this country, was used for parachutes. When the war ended it was very special to have a headscarf made from a parachute.
I believe the embroidery floss is silk.
Linda C

Thanks - haven't been checking this board. Returned the frame and will return the foam board, was thinking the same thing, can't tell if it's acid-free. I'll keep looking for frame - maybe make one. I've decided to hang in my DR away from light, have digital photo of her I need a frame for and will hang that too. Asked my great-aunt if she could find a picture of the bride and groom with would be nice to shadowbox with the dress. She said she has copy of marriage certificate somewhere,

They were married in June 1912 - she couldn't remember date. No announcement, invitation, or jewelry - thught she is wearing a banle in the photo. My great-aunt says her mom only owned 3 dresses. Poor farmers, though her family in Germany made have had some $ to afford the wedding dress (and maybe thos photo was taken before marriage?).

Love it!!! I wonder what she was thinking.....