History & Notes: Kate Sanderson Nicholson, a skilled seamstress who worked at White Sewing Machine Store, made this dress for her wedding. While machine sewing was customary, many of the intricate details included in her wedding gown required hand sewing as well. Tight pleats, like those along the yoke cascading across the bodice top, would have required a fluting iron to set them permanently. The cast iron ridged press would have been painstakingly used along the length of cloth to add a diaphanous quality to the gown. She married Charles Nicholson in Boise on January 16, 1905. Kate and Charles homesteaded near Eight Mile Creek fol-lowing their wedding. After the required five years on the property, they traded their homestead for a house on West Jefferson Street in Boise. Kate lived there until her death in at the age of 97.
Description: Five piece, white gown of fine lightweight fabric, lace, and organdy. Detachable collar of embroidered lace backed in fine white cloth is finished with bundles of ribbon at the top and bottom of closure. Neckline and yoke of bodice features the same embroidered lace and fine cloth, and is embellished with a tightly pleated drape of organdy fabric bordered at the top and bottom with a ruched organdy ribbon. Front is bloused above a fitted point at the bottom of the bodice which features a line of twists in the middle of a band of ruching. Sleeves are very voluminous and are gathered above the elbow and at wrist. The wrists and cuffs feature a layer of embroidered lace over fine white fabric. The cuff flares slightly over the back of the hand, ending in a point. Back closure of the bodice is embellished with bundles of ribbon. Skirt of fine lightweight white fabric is gathered tightly at the waist and in 5 additional rows of smocking. Rear closure is trimmed with another bundle of ribbon. Hemline ends in three short tiers with a very slight train. Ensemble includes undergarments including a cotton corselet with steel busking at front and lacing at back, as well as a cot-ton underskirt, tightly ruffled at the hemline. Off-white 5 piece wedding dress. /1 - collar - 12.5" x 2.5" - off-white lace with cloth backing, lace has floral pattern. /2 - blouse - 17" x 14" at shoulder, top quarter is lace with floral pattern, middle has ruffled flounce over off-white fabric, fitted bodice, long sleeved puff with fitted lace lower arms. /3 - corset - 11" wide x 10.5" long, off-white, front has 5 silver closures, back is laced closed with white lacing. /4 - petticoat - 36" x 22" at waist, off-white fabric, 3 rows of ruffles at bottom. /5 - 51" from waist to train, 22" at waist, off-white fabric, 3 rows of seaming at bottom.
Object Number: 2008.013.0001
Object: dress, wedding
Category: Women's Garments
Circa: 1900
Materials: fabric
Donor: Gamble, Kristin and Nicholson, Joan