Ball gown

Designer Mrs. Osborn Company American

Not on view

The over-the-top expression of opulence seen in this ball gown worn by a prominent member of the Astor family is a testament to the degree of ostentation required at certain events in order to stand out from the crowd. The dense sequin and bead embroidery on the gown would have created a beautiful shimmering effect.

The donors Orme Wilson (1885-1966) and R. Thornton Wilson (1923-1995) were great-great grandsons of fur trader and entrepreneur John Jacob Astor (1763-1848). The ball gown may have been worn by their mother, Caroline Schermerhorn Astor Wilson (1861-1948), daughter of William Backhouse Astor, Jr. (1830-1892) and Caroline Webster Schermerhorn (1830-1908), who was popularly known at "the" Mrs. Astor.

Ball gown, Mrs. Osborn Company (American), silk, American

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Ball gown, Mrs. Osborn Company (American), silk, American
Ball gown, Mrs. Osborn Company (American), silk, American

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.