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Costume, Furnishing Textiles & Needlework

The abundant textile collection includes over 3,000 examples of historic and modern clothing and furnishing textiles such as upholstery, window treatments, floor coverings, quilts, bed and table linens. Among its earliest items are 50 complete or fragmentary 18th-century pieces associated with the Washington family, including one of Martha Washington’s twelve shell-shaped, needlepoint cushions and two late 18th-century wool rose blankets. Another early piece is the ca. 1790 silk needlework picture embroidered by Elizabeth Peter Dunlop, the sister of Tudor Place builder Thomas Peter.

In household furnishings, the collection includes extensive holdings of 19th-century table linens; early printed, cotton bed hangings; several sets of early-to-mid 20th-century window treatment;, and finely woven cotton bed linens.

Floor coverings include two fragments of 19th-century English woven rugs, and more than 35 late 19th-century hand-knotted and -woven rugs from southwest Asia.

The costume collection includes 1,500 examples of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel that offer insights into public and private customs; the cost and availability of materials; the impact of technological innovations like the sewing machine; and the strictures of climate and geography on fashion in Washington, DC. Changes in style details, such as the fluctuation of waistlines and hemlines, yield insights into changing social roles, such as the migration of women from the domestic sphere.

The collection’s nearly 100 pairs of shoes showcase both luxury and labor in the history of six generations of wearers.

The costume collection’s strength lies in its variety. Some 19th-century highlights include hand-sewn garments dating to Tudor Place’s founding generation, such as Martha Peter’s ca. 1800 Empire-style silk gauze dress with matching rose-colored silk shawl. From the 1840s, there is Britannia Peter Kennon’s wedding dress, and from the two decades following, boldly patterned ladies’ bodices. Over 40 pieces of clothing worn as a child by Anna Williams Peter illustrate childhood and maternity in the 1870s and complement the moiré silk wedding dress she wore in 1894.

The 20th-century costume collection draws from the wardrobes of Caroline Ogden-Jones Peter and her husband, Armistead Peter 3rd, and features couture, accessories, and popular styles from the 1920s to ‘60s. Examples from the Parisian couturier House of Lanvin include a stunning fall 1920 robe de style and an early 1930s embroidered wool bathing suit. French accessories include a matching leather jacket and cloche hat by Hermès, and a silk scarf by Rodier. Caroline’s acquisition of these high quality tailored goods reflects the retail history of these labels as well as other brands acquired in department stores such as Washington, DC’s Julius Garfinckel’s & Company and Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.

Evening Dress (Robe de Style) Jeanne Lanvin, Paris, Fall 1920 Silk taffeta, tulle, beads, pearls and rhinestones 8839

Bathing Costume Lanvin Sport, Paris, ca. 1930 wool, cotton, bakelite 81044

Evening Dress Silk, Cotton, Iron Maker unknown, American Retailed by Hilton, Hughes & Co., NY, 1894 8892ab

Wedding Dress Unknown maker, ca. 1841-42 Silk, Cotton 8999

Quilt Made by Britannia W. Peter, Georgetown, D.C., ca. 1830 Block-printed Cotton, Cotton Batting 8066

Woman’s Hat Made by Milgrim, Retailed in New York City, ca. 1935-1950 Wool felt, silk, grosgrain ribbon, netting 8598

Needlework picture Attr. to Elizabeth Peter Dunlop, Georgetown, D.C,. ca. 1790 Silk threads on silk ground 2004.8001

Pair of Slippers Leather soles and uppers with plain-woven linen insole. Made in the United States or England, ca. 1790 – 1810. 8729.01-.02

U.S. Naval Uniform blouse. Unknown maker, ca. 1917 Wool, cotton 81018.01a

Baby Boots Probably made and retailed in America, ca. 1872 – 73. Leather soles and uppers, cotton lining, glass buttons TT661.

Mourning Ensemble (bodice and skirt) Moschocowitz Bros, NY, 1895-99 Silk, Tulle, Lace, Sequins, Glass Beads, Velvet 8118.01ab

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canal boat on C&O canal

Changing City: Tobacco, Transportation & Georgetown

February 10, 2021
March 3, 2021
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https://tudorplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Canal-Peter-Waddell-Oil-on-Canvas.jpg 1729 2373 Comms2018 https://tudorplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-01-23-300x155.png Comms20182021-02-10 10:20:302021-02-18 19:45:10Changing City: Tobacco, Transportation & Georgetown

Tudor Explorers: Be the Curator

December 17, 2020
March 18, 2021
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https://tudorplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/3003.08ab.jpg 692 710 Comms2018 https://tudorplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-01-23-300x155.png Comms20182020-12-17 13:42:272021-01-28 12:45:10Tudor Explorers: Be the Curator

Black Georgetown Community History Project: Family Heirlooms

February 10, 2021
March 19, 2021
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https://tudorplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/BGCHP-Website-Graphic.jpg 420 752 Comms2018 https://tudorplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-01-23-300x155.png Comms20182021-02-10 09:57:442021-02-17 13:57:35Black Georgetown Community History Project: Family Heirlooms
C&O Canal with stone walls and buildings alongsideGeorgetown Heritage

Free Landmark Lecture: The Past and Future of the C&O Canal in Georgetown

February 24, 2021
April 13, 2021
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https://tudorplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Nichols-Canal1.jpg 800 1400 Comms2018 https://tudorplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-01-23-300x155.png Comms20182021-02-24 13:22:112021-02-24 13:25:35Free Landmark Lecture: The Past and Future of the C&O Canal in Georgetown
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SLAVERY AT TUDOR PLACE

As an historic site that bears the scars of slavery, Tudor Place seeks to look this injustice in the eye.  Click here to learn more.

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1644 31st Street, NW | Washington, DC 20007
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SUGGESTED TOUR DONATION

Book online or call for tickets | Reservation with Timed Ticket Entry Required

1644 31st Street, NW | Washington, DC 20007
202-965-0400 | info@tudorplace.org

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