A rare opportunity to see a dress worn by Mary Lincoln is happening now at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.
Known as the "strawberry dress" for its pattern of berries and leaves, it's on display in a special exhibit "Lincoln: A Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation."
The dress is one of few Mary wore that has survived. Even fewer remain that Mrs. Lincoln wore in photographs. But the strawberry dress was preserved by Mrs. Lincoln’s relatives for generations until they donated it to the state of Illinois in 1963.
The dress is extremely fragile, so the ALPLM rarely puts it on public display. This is the first time since 2011. The last time before that was in 1985. Museum officials decided it was time for people to see this treasured object again.
“Clothing is so personal. It connects us to people of the past in a way few other objects can, and it reveals so much about the wearer’s taste and personality,” said Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “Mary Lincoln was a fascinating and complex person, and I hope seeing this dress helps people take a few minutes to learn more about her.”
Historian Ian Hunt, the ALPLM’s head of acquisitions, said Mrs. Lincoln knew that she and her husband would face intense scrutiny from the nation’s elite when they arrived in Washington from what was then considered the rough, rural state of Illinois. She tried to counter that by dressing impeccably, including being photographed in the strawberry dress. “It is a remarkable item that really connects us to a woman who helped to see our nation through its darkest hour, who saw a lot of tragedy both for the country and her own family and never really recovered from those tragedies,” Hunt said.
The dress will be displayed through April 26, when the exhibit closes.
