Reception Dress
Maker
O'Hara Dressmakers
Maker
Mary C. Seaton
Periodcirca 1900 - 1907
MediumCotton lace, silk, steel boning
Dimensions61 in. (154.9 cm)
SignedAn ivory and pale blue woven silk satin waist stay tape sewn to the inside of the gown's bodice reads "O'Hara New York 11 E 48th St."
ClassificationsCostume, Women's
Credit LineMuseum Collection
Object number1988.729
DescriptionA woman's formal or afternoon reception dress in one piece, constructed of a black lace overdress with and open V front bodice, loose three-quarter sleeves, and a gored skirt with a train over an oyster white silk underdress. The gown's bodice front is fashioned with a gathered oyster white georgette bib front with four black lace diamond appliques. The gown features an oyster white georgette and lace yoke and high collar, supported with thin covered wire and full sleeves of georgette and lace gathered to lace wristbands. The gown's bodice interior is fully lined and includes silk-covered boning strips placed at front, back, and along the sides of the bodice. A woven waist tape of oyster white silk includes the maker's name in pale blue "O'Hara New York 11 E 48th St."Curatorial RemarksThis elegant and beautifully made gown was the creatio of Mary "Mollie" O'Hara Seaton Morrison (1874 - 1941). Mary O'Hara Seaton Morrison, once highly regarded as one of the finest New York City-based dressmakers, is virtally unknown today. O'Hara was born in Ireland to an English father and Scottish mother and emigrated at the age of thirteen to the United States. Nothing is known of her training or early experience in dressmaking, but by 1897 she ran her own establishment at 359 Lexington Avenue in New York City. Her first husband, David M. Seaton, was also a dressmaker. The couple had two children but were apparently separated by 1898. O'Hara used her maiden name as her firm's title and by 1899 was providing garments for New York's elite. She designed the going away suit for Virginia Fair at her marriage to "Bonanza King" William K. Vanderbuilt Jr., in April of 1899. In 1900, Mary Seaton purchased the store property at 11 East 48th Street, remaining at that address for ten years. In the 1900 federal census, Seaton was listed as living at 418 Madison Avenue with 39-year-old dry goods merchant John Morrison, described as a "boarder," and two Japanese servants, husband and wife Kannvande and Tuki Kawanaka. Seaton made twice-yearly trips to Paris and London to purchase fabrics, trims, and ready-made garments from some of the top fashion houses in France, including Callot. Mary Seaton and John Morrison married in 1914 and apparently moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, while Mary maintained her business in New York City. She continued her business and appears to have opened additional branches in Palm Beach, Florida and Newport, Rhode Island. Seaton's success allowed her to travel extensively; newspaper articles detail her trips with her daughters and granddaughters. She also bought property in Newport where she stayed seasonally. At her death in 1941, Mary O'Hara Seaton Morrison's estate was valued at more than $500,000. In a Times article in 1909, which posed the question "Does the Parisian Dressmaker Devote Especial Thought to the American Woman?," O'Hara was described as "one of the leading dressmakers in New York City, whose clientele includes some of its admittedly best gowned women." In the article, O'Hara stated that "...the American woman has excellent taste and...she understands perfectly the style of gown that suits her." Mary O'Hara Seaton Morrison not only had a design and fashion sense that made her one of the most sought-after dressmakers in New York City at the turn of the century, she was able to successfully navigate the radical changes in fashion during the first two decades of the twentieth century.NotesThis gown's owner and wearer is currently unidentified. Judging from the mature style of the gown, it is most likely that the wearer was an older woman of means, who would have need of an elegant costume for an afternoon reception or other formal daytime affair. The gown's interior finishing, including the boned stays in the bodice, is of unusually high quality and detail.
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