A Comparison of Charles Frederick Worth Gowns and Crazy Quilts In
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Gilded Women: A Comparison of Charles Frederick Worth Gowns and Crazy Quilts in Cincinnati from 1876-1890 A thesis presented to the faculty of The Patton College of Education of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science Sierra B. Holt December 2018 © 2018 Sierra B. Holt. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled Gilded Women: A Comparison of Charles Frederick Worth Gowns and Crazy Quilts in Cincinnati from 1876-1890 by SIERRA B. HOLT has been approved for the Department of Human and Consumer Sciences and The Patton College of Education by V. Ann Paulins Professor of Human and Consumer Sciences Renée A. Middleton Dean, The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education 3 Abstract HOLT, SIERRA B., M.S., December 2018, Human and Consumer Sciences Gilded Women: A Comparison of Charles Frederick Worth Gowns and Crazy Quilts in Cincinnati from 1876-1890 Director of Thesis: V. Ann Paulins In this study, the similarities and/or differences between Charles Frederick Worth gowns and Crazy Quilts created from 1876 to 1890 in Cincinnati, and their historic contributions to understandings of culture with respect to the socio-economic standards of their consumers, were addressed. These items were paired with prior research on life and economics during the American Gilded Age, the Arts and Crafts Movement, and La Belle Époque to expand the aesthetic meaning of these trends. For context concerning the historical, cultural, and artistic aspects of the items being analyzed, the E. McClung Fleming’s Model for artifact study (1974), the elements of art, and the principles of design were utilized as methodologies in the study. The data were collected and compared through content analysis to answer three questions leading the research (similarities, differences, and historic contributions). A variety of specific aesthetic and cultural similarities and differences held between the owners and the objects were identified. The Charles Frederick Worth gowns and the Crazy Quilts examined were determined to be cultural artifacts of female consumerism and trend consciousness reflective of the documented Cincinnati, Ohio region during the 1876 to 1890 time period. 4 Acknowledgments I would like to thank Dr. V. Ann Paulins for all of her guidance during my graduate career. I want to also extend my thanks to the other members of my thesis committee: Dr. Katherine Jellison, Helene Siebrits, and Trina Gannon. 5 Table of Contents Page Abstract ...........................................................................................................................3 Acknowledgments ...........................................................................................................4 List of Tables...................................................................................................................8 List of Figures .................................................................................................................9 Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................. 10 Dates……………………………………………………………………..………13 Limitations……………………………………………………………………….14 Delimitations……………………………………………...……………………...14 Glossary of Terms……………………………………...………………………...16 Chapter 2: Review of Literature ..................................................................................... 18 Societal Dress During the Gilded Age…………………………………………...18 Leisure Class….………………………………………………………………….18 Charles Frederick Worth………………………………………………..…..……21 Aesthetic…………………………………………………………………………22 Fashion of the Gilded Age From 1876-1890…………………………………….23 The Arts and Crafts Movement………………………………………………….25 Crazy Quilts…………...…………………………………………………………27 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………………..33 Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................ 36 Chapter 4: Results ………….……………………………………………………………43 6 What are the similarities between Charles Frederick Worth gowns and Crazy Quilts during the American Gilded Age?..............................................................43 Gowns……………………………...…………………………………………….43 Crazy Quilts……………………………………………………………………...48 What are the differences between Charles Frederick Worth gowns and Crazy Quilts during the American Gilded Age?..............................................................54 Chapter 5: Analysis and Conclusions……………………………………………………73 What are the historic contributions that are documented as a result of comparing Charles Frederick Worth gowns and Crazy Quilts with respect to the socio- economic standards of their consumers?...............................................................73 References ..................................................................................................................... 77 Appendix A: Elements of Art and Principles of Design of Charles Frederick Worth gown (Dress 1)………….............................................................................................................84 Appendix B: Elements of Art and Principles of Design of Charles Frederick Worth gown (Dress 2).…...…….............................................................................................................87 Appendix C: Elements of Art and Principles of Design of Charles Frederick Worth gown (Dress 3)………….............................................................................................................90 Appendix D: Elements of Art and Principles of Design of Crazy Quilts (Quilt 1)…………........................................................................................................................93 Appendix E: Elements of Art and Principles of Design of Crazy Quilts (Quilt 2)…………........................................................................................................................97 Appendix F: Elements of Art and Principles of Design of Crazy Quilts (Quilt 3)…………......................................................................................................................100 7 Appendix G: Elements of Art and Principles of Design Definitions...............................105 8 List of Tables Page Table 1. Summary of Data from Three Charles Frederick Worth Gowns Data Presented Using Elements of Art.......................................................................................................55 Table 2. Summary of Data from Three Charles Frederick Worth Gowns Data Presented Using Principles of Design................................................................................................57 Table 3. Summary of Data from Three Crazy Quilts Presented Using Elements of Art…………………..........................................................................................................59 Table 4. Summary of Data from Three Crazy Quilts Data Presented Using Principles of Design…………………....................................................................................................62 Table 5. Summary of Data from Three Charles Frederick Worth Gowns Using the Fleming Model for Artifact Study…………….................................................................64 Table 6. Summary of Data from Three Crazy Quilts Data Presented Using the Fleming Model for Artifact Study…………………………..…......…...………………….………68 9 List of Figures Page Figure 1. Bodice of Dress 1...............................................................................................38 Figure 2. Skirt of Dress 1...................................................................................................38 Figure 3. Bodice of Dress 2...............................................................................................39 Figure 4. Skirt of Dress 2...................................................................................................39 Figure 5. Bodice of Dress 3...............................................................................................40 Figure 6. Skirt of Dress 3...................................................................................................40 Figure 7. Quilt 1.................................................................................................................41 Figure 8. Quilt 2.................................................................................................................41 Figure 9. Quilt 3.................................................................................................................41 10 Chapter 1: Introduction Textile artifacts offer important insights into the fashions and cultures of the times. Historically, humans enjoy surrounding themselves with aesthetically pleasing textiles by acquiring garments and home furnishings. Affluence supports the ability of acquisition and also enables consumption of items that reflect economic status. Thorstein Veblen (1899) described a “leisure class” who endeavored to communicate their socio- economic standing through conspicuously exhibiting their acquisitions. Before Industrialization, participation in the American leisure class was restricted to upper-class society. However, by 1876 the increase in communication, mail, and transportation aided in a rising consumer society that allowed middle-class Americans to begin to participate in leisure activities. This democratization of access to fine goods and “non-productive activities” occurred during a time when upper-class society, particularly women, embraced expensive global trends to secure and