Dress
Maker
Isabel Arnold
Period1910 - 1915
Place MadeBrooklyn, New York, U.S.A.
MediumSilk georgette, silk, lace
SignedThe bodice includes a sewn-in waistband stay with "Mrs. Arnold / Brooklyn" woven in bright yellow.
ClassificationsCostume, Women's
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Thomas M. Dunn, 1984
Object number1984.7.11
DescriptionA woman's two piece day dress comprised of a bodice and skirt, of white spotted bright purple silk georgette over off white silk. The bodice is constructed with a high neck and yoke of off white lace and long ruched sleeves of off white silk georgette, with a hidden front hook and eye closure. The purple georgette forms an overblouse with short slashed sleeved edged in white lace and black silk. The attached waist sash of black silk ties in front and ends in large black silk tassels. The matching skirt includes three rows of wide tucks and a rear hook and eye closure.Curatorial RemarksAlthough the original owner and wearer of this striking purple gown is unknown, research into the maker's label "Mrs. Arnold / Brooklyn" has yielded fascinating information. Isabel Arnold had a career spanning more than a quarter century, designing gowns and garments for elite clientele in Brooklyn and in Saratoga. Her life includes a number of contradictions and mysteries. According to information in the 1910 Federal Census, Arnold (whose maiden name is currently unknown) was born in 1849 in Virginia. According to a later newspaper article, Arnold was "of foreign birth." Her husband's name appears as both George J. and John; Arnold was listed as a widow in several censuses. She had three daughters: eldest daughter Wanda (born 1874), namesake Isabella (born 1878) and youngest girl Elizabeth, nicknamed Bessie (born 1880). Arnold maintained her dressmaking establishment, where she employed twenty-five people, at 169 Clinton Street for what appears to be the majority of her career. She traveled to Europe once, sometimes twice a year, probably on buying trips for fabrics, trims, and accessories for her creations. Sketches of her gowns appeared in several issues of "Brooklyn Life," clearly indicating a dressmaker of sophistication and elegance. She ran a second shop in the Grand Union Hotel in Saratoga, New York. The Grand Union, in operation for more than a century, was at one time the largest hotel in the world, with approximately 1,000 rooms and a destination for wealthy travelers. A tragedy struck the family in 1903, when her daughter Wanda committed suicide. A spate of newspaper articles detailed the event, noting that Wanda had married and divorced, then remarried to a Wall Street banker. She and her husband lived in Montclair, New Jersey, and she was described as the most beautiful woman in the state. Wanda's suicide occurred during a dinner party, and family members and guests remained tight-lipped about the possible cause. One reporter speculated that serious health issues including neuralgic pain might have resulted in despair. Isabel Arnold continued her business until her death in 1916. She was cremated at Fresh Pond Crematory and Columbarium in New York.
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