Perth County Fashions 1860's (pt. 2)

In the previous blog I posed the question of whether the dresses of woman in pioneer Perth County in the 1860's were a reflection of current fashions in Europe and the large centres of North America, or were they completed removed from the influences of the outside world. The early 1860's was a period in which hoops or multiple petticoats held the skirts out into a dome shaped floating circle. As the 1860's progressed the fashion designs began to show skirts that featured a slight movement towards the back. Then, as the decade progressed, sleeves narrow, and the circular hoops decreased in size at the front and sides and increased at the back. This shift in emphasis can be seen in the top picture taken in 1868 of Princess Louise, the daughter of Queeen Victoria. The next picture of an unknown woman, taken in the Cooper studio in London Ontario sometime after 1867, clearly shows the highthened emphasis on the train. In order to show off this new silouette, photographs begin to use a sideview photo of the subject. How quickly the fashions moved from London, England, to the big Canadian centres such as Montreal and then into the rural communities of Perth County is an interesting question. One website suggests that it was not uncommon for fashion plates to appear in North American periodicals a year or more after they first appeared in Paris or London. While the pace at which fashion trends moved through the different layers of society may be unclear, it is evident that young women in Perth County followed the fashion dictates of the time. The final two pictures show Gordon's grandmother Harriotte Hemsley and her younger sister Carrie in photos taken in the Owen studio in Stratford. Harriotte was born in 1850 and was married in 1872 and therefore it is reasonable to suggest that these pictures were taken in the 1860's. Based on the evidence of these pictures it would seem logical to conclude that young women in Perth County in the 1860's were aware of current fashions in the major centres of Canada and of Europe. While the material and the detail in the dresses worn by the women in Perth County might be less sophisticated than the comparable dresses worn in Europe, the differences were the result of social class and wealth rather than in geography.

Perth County Fashions 1860's (pt. 1)

While women living in Perth county in the 1860's may have felt themselves to be isolated from the fashion influences of the bigger world, the evidence suggests that the style in which our ancestors dressed was a reflection of what was happening elsewhere: a somewhat muted and conservative reflection of high fashion, but a reflection nonetheless. The differences which existed in the dresses were more likely to be a result of wealth and social class rather than a lack of awareness. The coloured engraving at the top of this blog first appeared in Godfey's Lady's Book in 1861. This periodical, which was published in Philadelphia acted as a fashion guide for its many subscribers. The early 1860s, was a period in which the crinoline-supported dome-like skirt was at its widest, and in fashion plates during 1860 and 1861 the skirt seems to project as much in front as in back. The photo of an unknown young woman in a striped dress above, was taken in London Ontario in the years before Confederation when this area was still known as Canada West. The next photo is Lois' great grandmother Eliza Fulcher taken after 1867. While Eliza's dress may be made of less expensive materials, and the workmanship and the detail of the sewing may be less complex, the full skirt, the wide tightly cinched belt, the puffed sleeves and the high neckline show that the two women are following similar fashion lines. The next picture is of Robert Ballantyne the brother of Gordon's great grandmother Agnes McEwan, and his wife Helen Smith. This is likely their wedding picture taken in 1860 when he was 39 and she was 23. The dress of the new Mrs. Ballantyne has many of the features of the dresses above but with an added feature in the formal jacket. A hoop (or possibly many petticoats) create the dome shape of the skirt, and the white collar is used to create a dramatic contrast to the black satin dress.
Finally, in case we think that hooped skirts were worn only for formal occasions. here is a detail from a well know picture of the old frame town hall in St. Marys. The woman on the right appears to be a passerby who has stopped to watch the excitement of the ongoing photo session. Not only is a large hoop creating the desired silhouette, but the skirt is short enough to allow her to walk through the mucky streets without the danger of dirtying the hem of her dress. A very wise precaution in St. Marys in 1865!

Wally Hern (pt. 3)

In previous blogs we have seen that Wally Hern, the first cousin of Lois' father was an excellent amateur athlete, a not-so-enthusiastic scholar, and a popular young man in Stratford. The picture on the left taken of Wally when he was on a road trip with his hockey colleagues to Humber Bay in 1908 shows that he was also a fashionable dresser. His overcoat is almost identical to the coat worn by the model on the right, and taken from an advertisement appearing in the Stratford Beacon in the same period. In the years leading up to the First War, Wally continued to play senior hockey with the Stratford Indians in the O.H.A , but by 1912 he was playing less and in 1913 he was no longer playing competitive hockey. In an emergency he filled in as a referee for the Indians' hockey games. Even though his name no longer appeared regularly on the sports page his name, continued to appear in the Beacon on a daily basis. In 1912 he was advertising a dyeing, cleaning, pressing and suit repair service but by 1913 he had moved two doors down on Downie Street and expanded his merchandise to include suits to order and trousers guaranteed to hold their shape and fit. This was likely a good time for Wally Hern and his career, long before the troubles that led to his losing his business. But that was in the future.

Visiting the Country Cousins

While the title of this piece may be accurate, its implication is misleading. Lois, on the left and Kelly on the right were not -- as it may appear -- rich kids from the city visiting their poorer country relatives. In fact, all three were country kids, and there was no way that Lois and Kelly Hearn were richer than Jack McMaster. The difference was that Lois and Kelly were dressed in their Sunday best because they were the visitors, while their cousin Jack McMaster was dressed as he normally would be on any regular day at home. The families were related through Mae Hearn's mother whose sister married a McMaster. The McMasters had a large family, most of whom were already adults by the time this picture was taken. It was only their youngest a boy named Jack who was close to Kelly in age. This picture with Wellburn as a backdrop was likely taken about 1926 when Lois was 12 and Kelly was 8. Their father Bob Hearn had a cream route which took him through the Wellburn area. It was arranged that he would drop Lois and Kelly off and the McMasters would pick them up and take them to their farm for some holidays. Lois remembers having lots of fun with the McMaster girls, who were obviously older, but who tried hard to entertain their younger cousins. On one occasion they played hide-and-seek and Lois can remember that one of the cousins -- likely Mary, but possibly Alice -- climbed up onto the roof of the house and hide behind a window shutter. No matter how diligently the rest searched, she was not to be found. The picture at the top was taken as Lois and Kelly waited in Wellburn for their father to pick them up. One can't help but wonder whose feet were more comfortable: Kelly's, in his too-big shoes or Jack's, in his Huck Finn barefootedness? Furthermore, in Kelly's expression there is the hint of a young boy who feels slightly silly in his wide-brimmed straw hat, and his woollen suit.