Belle of the Ball: the inauguration gown custom made for Ednah Clarke Procter Hayes of Hilo, Hawaii.
Image courtesy of Black Cat Vintage.
Image courtesy of Black Cat Vintage.
I am the lucky steward of an extraordinary gown that was worn to the Presidential inauguration of William Howard Taft in 1909. Custom made for its owner, whose brother attended Yale University with the then-incumbent President, the dress has been the solitary focus of my attention for the last two weeks as I prepare to loan it to the Rosson House Museum for their upcoming exhibit, Dressing Downtown.
My attention to the gown subsequently led me down a rabbit hole of research into the 1908 Presidential election, whose major issues bear an odd resemblance to those of the 2016 election. In observance of this week’s inauguration, our newest blog post takes a closer look.
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