1912 Wedding dress
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1912 Ivory silk satin wedding dress and train
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The back of the dress
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One of the sleeves
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The train
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The decoration on the train
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One of the top sections of the train
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A corner of the back of the train showing the lining
Description
Dress
The upper part of the bodice is made of ivory cotton chemical lace, which runs over the shoulders and crosses the lower bodice diagonally, front and back; the sleeves are extensions of this. There are satin strips, ⅝" wide, under the inner edges of the lace on the bodice, ⅝" wide, and the ends of the sleeves have ½" of satin under them. The satin on the left half of the bodice has pearls, ⅜" apart, along its top edge, and pearls are also on the edges of the pointed extensions of the satin skirt onto the bodice on the right side.
The dress is lined with soft white cotton, and the fastenings are quite complicated, as is typical of this period. There are eight hooks and eyes in alternate pairs, down the lining at the centre back bodice opening, and three hooks on the diagonal overlay with worked bars on the satin of the back.
The neck is filled in with ivory net, and has seven hooks and worked bars at the back; a row of pearls go down centre front and the right centre back edge, and there are pearls on a ¼" wide satin strip round the neck edge. The lining, overlaid with silk muslin, is visible through the net for 3" above the top of the satin in front, which has 1½" of machine-made lace edging on its top edge.
The skirt extends up to a point over the right side of bodice in front, and is gathered in with pleats and tucks to a point on the left side waist, from where it drapes down diagonally across the front, the edge hanging loose. A hook at the point secures it to a worked bar on the bodice, and seven hooks over 11" down the opening attach to worked bars on the back skirt. At the base of the opening the back skirt is sewn to the front for 3" with five pleats gathering it into a drape round the side, and then the two edges fall loose, with a 1½" hem all round sewn up by a silk thread holding pearls, about ⅝" apart. The draping is further controlled by a pleat at the waist on the right, and a pleat held by one stitch half way down the skirt at the back..
The skirt curves down to the ground each side of the opening, showing the satin panel sewn on to the cotton lining; this is 16" deep rising to a point 26" above the hem under the opening. It has a 2" deep hem with a line of stem stitch embroidered in cream silk along where it is stitched to the satin panel.
The undersleeves are of silk muslin with silk tulle gathered over the top, 3¼" showing at the elbow; the ends are gathered into ¼" satin strips with pearls on them, leaving a ¼" frill below. At each elbow there is a bunch of four loops of ¼" wide satin; the right sleeve is rather torn.
Train
The train is in the silk satin; it is divided from the shoulders and open in a V shape down to the waist. The left side measures 14" and the right side 12½". Each side has a 3" deep pleat at the shoulders narrowing to 2" at the waist, where it is held with a stitch.
The shoulders are 3½" wide, and have a trim of satin covered cord with three loops each end, along the top. There is no sign of any fastening on the train or on the dress. The end of the train has rounded corners.
It is lined with ruched silk organza with transverse rows of stitches, about 2½" apart; the 2¼" wide hem is padded and has a double edged frill of the organza, 2" wide, along the edge of the lining.
The decoration on the right-hand end corner is a basket shape of ivory satin ribbons, 1⅛" wide, laid across each other about 1⅛" apart, forming a lattice, with pearls sewn on where they cross; the shape is outlined by the ribbon, tightly ruched, which also arches to form a handle. The motif is 17" high altogether. A double thickness of ivory silk chiffon is bunched up to form the outline of a large bow going 15" further up the train and looping round the handle shape of the basket; another piece is placed as if inside the top of the basket.
The train is 31" wide and 91½" long from the waist to the end.
The veil is very fragile and is not shown. It is a plain square of ivory silk tulle, 49" by 47"; with a strand of silk floss along the top of the hem,1½" in from edge.
Contemporary illustrations
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Drawing from the feature Fashionable Marriages in The Queen, 1912
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Drawing from the feature Fashionable Marriages in The Queen, 1912
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Fashion drawing in Weldon's Illustrated Dressmaker, February 1913
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Fashion drawing in a wedding supplement in Woman at Home, April, 1913
History
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Jane Lesser, née Lustig
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The Lesser family
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Henry Lesser
The dress was worn by Jane Lustig to marry Henry Lesser in 1912.
From Jessica Thurtell, granddaughter of Jane and Henry Lesser:
"The story of my grandparents’ meeting is a real romance. Henry was born into a poor, East End, Jewish family, the eldest of eight children. But he was highly intelligent and understood that the way out of poverty was through education, working by day and studying at night. In 1910 he and his brother Jack managed a day out at the seaside together in Eastbourne, and were standing opposite the Grand Hotel when they saw a car draw up and a couple get out, accompanied by a girl with beautiful blonde hair. Admiring her, they took stock of their resources and found that they didn’t have enough money for both to go into the hotel for even a cup of tea. There was just enough for one – so they tossed for it. Henry won the toss and followed the couple into the tearoom, where he found a way to introduce himself. They talked of music and he told them of the community concerts he and his family organised. The blonde girl, Jane, played the piano and he invited her to come along and play. She was charmed by him and agreed. The rest is history… they married in October 1912. He became a barrister, eventually awarded a CBE, justifying Jane’s early faith in him. They remained devoted to each other for 54 years, until his death in 1966. And it all turned on the toss of a coin!"
The dress was given by Sheila Mayer, Jane Lesser's daughter.