Circa 1930 Women's Gown (cheong sam)
Circa 1930 Women's Gown (cheong sam)
- Description
- The donor, Virginia Lee, posed in a similar cheong sam for a US World War II poster and for the "Miss China" contest in New York. Also known as a qu pao, the Chinese traditional loose dress shape was modified by Western designers in the 1920's to be more close-fitting to accentuate a woman's figure. The altered dress form became broadly popular in the United States as evening wear in the late 1950's and 1960's.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1930
- user
- Mead, Virginia Lee
- maker
- unknown
- place made
- China
- worn
- United States: New York, Manhattan, Chinatown
- Physical Description
- satin (overall material)
- silk (overall material)
- embroidered (overall production method/technique)
- Measurements
- overall: 51 cm x 116 cm; 20 3/32 in x 45 21/32 in
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.16
- catalog number
- 1992.0620.16
- accession number
- 1992.0620
- Credit Line
- Gift of James Edgar Mead and Virginia Lee Mead
- subject
- Chinese American
- Immigration
- Immigrants
- See more items in
- Cultural and Community Life: Costume
- Cultures & Communities
- Clothing & Accessories
- Family & Social Life
- Chinese American
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
