Area History: A  Lady's Traveling Wardrobe: Philadelphia Co

Contributed to the USGenWeb Archives by EVC.


ANNALS OF PHILADELPHIA and PENNSYLVANIA
  in the olden time, being a collection of
MEMOIRS, ANECDOTE, and INCIDENTS
  from the days of the founders

By JOHN F. WATSON

                   Vol 2...page 630....Appendix

                  A  LADY'S  TRAVELING  WARDROBE

    A few months since, a lady from a neighboring city passed through
Baltimore en route to Washington, expecting to be absent from her home for
two days.  In the rush of travel about that time, two trunks, containing her
wardrobe, were missed;  and as she held the checks of one of our railroads
for them, the company, of course, were liable for the contents.  She was
requested to give, as far as she could remember, a list of the articles and
their value;  when the following list was forwarded, and is now among the
archives of the office:

   One diamond bracelet and pin, 459 dollars; one hair bracelet, 60 dollars;
one ditto, 20 dollars; two heavy gold rings, 20 dollars; one coral bracelet
and pin, 35 dollars; one pearl fan, 15 dollars; one gold chain, 20 dollars;
one brilliant pin, 10 dollars; two small coral bracelets, 7 dollars; two
pearl card cases 15 dollars.  Artificial flowers, 30 dollars.  One set
honiton laces, 20 dollars;  one set valenciennes laces, 20 dollars; one set
applique laces, 20 dollars; other collars and sleeves, 40 dollars; one
handkerchief, 12 dollars; one ditto, 5 dollars; one ditto, 8 dollars; one
ditto, 7 dollars; one ditto, 5 dollars; one ditto, 3 dollars; others amount
to 30 dollars.  Bouquet holder; 10 dollars; Opera cloak, 30 dollars; Ermine
furs, 30 dollars.  One velvet mantilla, 30 dollars; one parasol, 5 dollars;
two embroidered skirts, 40 dollars; one black flounced dress, 45 dollars;
one pink flounced dress, 55 dollars; one buff flounced dress, 45 dollars;
one buff plain silk, 10 dollars; one blue brocade, 25 dollars; one ditto, 20
dollars; one white muslin flounced, 35 dollars; one ditto 30 dollars; one
brown merino, 30 dollars.  One black basque, 18 dollars; one black satin
basque, 12 dollars; one plain ashes of rose basque, 12 dollars.  Two lace
skirts, 25 dollars.  One morning dress, raw silk, 25 dollars.  One drab
woolen skirt, 8 dollars; one white embroidered skirt, 10 dollars.  Two long
night-dresses, 10 dollars; one pair of drawers, 2 dollars; two chemises, 5
dollars; one pair corsets, 3 dollars; two pair white silk hose, 6 dollars;
one pair black silk hose, 3 dollars; three pair lisle thread hose, 3
dollars; five pair cotton hose, 6 dollars.  One pair white kid gaiters, 4
dollars; one pair brown and bronze gaiters, 6 dollars; one pair walking
boots, 7 dollars; one pair red kid slippers, 2 dollars; one pair bronze kid
slippers, 2 dollars; one pair black prunell slippers, 2 dollars.  Two ivory
stick fans, 7 dollars; one white paper fan, 1 dollar; one shell comb, 4
dollars; one dressing comb, 4 dollars; one brush, 3 dollars; one braid hair,
4 dollars; one set curls, 7 dollars; one head dress, 10 dollars; two ditto,
10 dollars; three night caps, 2 dollars; one book, 1 dollar; one
opera-glass, 18 dollars; two hand mirrors, 2 dollars; one glove box, 3
dollars; seven pair gloves, 7 dollars; two pair mitts, 6 dollars; one ditto,
5 dollars; five plain skirts, 10 dollars; two flannel skirts, 4 dollars; one
black silk basque, 12 dollars; one all wool delaine dress, 7 dollars; one
brown poplein dress, 7 dollars; one night dress, 2 dollars. Plain skirt, 1
dollar.  Trunk, 30 dollars; ditto, 15 dollars. Portfolio, 4 dollars.
Flounced skirts, 5 dollars.  Letter paper, pens, water-colors, drawings,
letter, bills, &c.,  Total, 1765 dollars.

   The forgoing catalogue was given as all that could be remembered at the
time, but the next day another list was received, enumerating articles to
the value of 300 dollars, making the grand total of the value of a young
lady's wardrobe over 2000 dollars independent of the dresses, jewelry, &c.,
which she was wearing at the time the trunks were lost.  Fortunately,
however, for the company, the missing trunks were found, having been
miscarried, and their contents all safe.---"Baltimore American" ---May 1857.

The reader should observe, how little there is, of real necessary
clothing---Say, only one pair drawers, and two Chemisettes.

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