Clothing & Accessories

Work, play, fashion, economic class, religious faith, even politics—all these aspects of American life and more are woven into clothing. The Museum cares for one of the nation's foremost collections of men's, women's, and children's garments and accessories—from wedding gowns and military uniforms to Halloween costumes and bathing suits.

The collections include work uniforms, academic gowns, clothing of presidents and first ladies, T-shirts bearing protest slogans, and a clean-room "bunny suit" from a manufacturer of computer microchips. Beyond garments, the collections encompass jewelry, handbags, hair dryers, dress forms, hatboxes, suitcases, salesmen's samples, and thousands of fashion prints, photographs, and original illustrations. The more than 30,000 artifacts here represent the changing appearance of Americans from the 1700s to the present day.

General HistoryThe uniform of the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry (Duryée's Zouaves), 1861, consisted of a distinctive jacket, vest, sash, baggy trousers, and fez.
Description
General History
The uniform of the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry (Duryée's Zouaves), 1861, consisted of a distinctive jacket, vest, sash, baggy trousers, and fez. The Zouave uniform adopted on both sides by many volunteer units during the first year of the Civil War was based on that of the elite Zouave battalion of the French Army, whose dashing appearance matched its fighting abilities. In their turn, the French Zouaves modeled their uniform and drill after the native dress and fearless tactics of their former Algerian opponents, encountered in the course of the colonial war of the 1830s.
ID Number
AF.24954.01
accession number
64127
catalog number
24954.01
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1860
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.176
catalog number
033675.176
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.175
catalog number
033675.175
accession number
70138
Mary Lincoln's gold evening purse, 1863. Her name and the year were engraved inside the ring.Gift of Lincoln Isham, great-grandson of Abraham Lincoln, 1958
Description
Mary Lincoln's gold evening purse, 1863. Her name and the year were engraved inside the ring.
Gift of Lincoln Isham, great-grandson of Abraham Lincoln, 1958
date made
1863
associated date
1863
associated person
Lincoln, Mary Todd
ID Number
PL.278039.02
catalog number
278039.02
accession number
278039
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.027
catalog number
033675.027
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1860
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.014
catalog number
033675.014
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1860
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.022
catalog number
033675.022
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.043
catalog number
033675.043
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.040
catalog number
033675.040
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1860
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.009
catalog number
033675.009
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1860
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.006
catalog number
033675.006
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1860
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.177
catalog number
033675.177
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.033
catalog number
033675.033
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.183
catalog number
033675.183
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.032
catalog number
033675.032
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1860
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.023
catalog number
033675.023
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.037
catalog number
033675.037
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1860
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.004
catalog number
033675.004
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.174
catalog number
033675.174
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.029
catalog number
033675.029
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.039
catalog number
033675.039
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.035
catalog number
033675.035
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.045
catalog number
033675.045
accession number
70138
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
bequest of
James, Catalina Juliana Mason Myers
ID Number
CS.033675.030
catalog number
033675.030
accession number
70138

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