Thursday, February 2, 2012

Treasures in the Trunk: Red Dress

Whilst I was rummaging around in the trunk I found some things that our daughters will have no idea where they came from, or why they were saved..they could guess of course..or they could read the blog.

First day of Third Grade 1959

My Mom marked the photo.  First Day School 1959 Stuart, Iowa. We spent the entire summer and fall in Iowa while my Dad was working on Road Construction in the area.  I started Third Grade there and after two months we went back to the farm.  I loved Stuart Iowa. There was a library, and I had my own library card..for a reader like me it was pure heaven.  There was also a city park and a bandstand.

My Mom sent the dress out to me one day when she was cleaning out some of her old boxes.

My red dress from 1959

I suppose I should have ironed it..but it is old..and ironing it now may damage the fibers..besides that I just put it back in the trunk after the photos anyway.

Connie 1959 Stuart Iowa

This dress now has provenance .. yes this is a historical dress..a 53 year old historical dress.  Provenance means “to come from”  usually it is reserved for great works of art.  In my case it works for the red dress.  I know it was a store bought dress, and I wore it many times.  Not my favorite dress..but it was my second favorite dress. I only wore it one season..cause then I got breasts and nothing fit right ever again:)

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28 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a great story to go along with the dress!

Anonymous said...

p.s. I love your Valentine header!

DJan said...

I also love your header, and of course there's my sweet Chance right in the middle. The dress story is wonderful, I know what you mean, though, about things never fitting right again. :-)

Gail said...

What wonderful history! Shadow box time...red dress, photo, a history card...

LindaG said...

Very pretty dress and a wonderful story. :)

MTWaggin said...

Good thing I watch Antiques Roadshow and know what Provenance means! LOL What a wonderful dress and very well preserved (as is the young lady wearing it in the photo)!

Marti said...

What a great memento to have the dress and the picture!

Karen said...

It's great that you have one of your 'old' dresses. I've kept one or two of my daughter's.
What are you holding in that photo? I enlarged it but couldn't tell. Well it looked sort of like big slabs of butter to me:)

Rita said...

Those darn breasts! LOL!
It's wonderful to see what color the dress actually was. You never really know with the black and white pictures. ;)

Nancy said...

It is wonderful to see the photo and the dress.

Obviously, the red dress was special to your Mother. Have you asked her why she saved this particular dress?

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Well, little 'Lady in Red', weren't you the fashion diva. Your cute in your special dress. Your Mama must of had some fond memories of you in this dress. Dang those stinkin' breasts anyway!!! heeeehehehe!

Great memories and pic to go with 'em!

God bless and have a glorious day!!!

Far Side of Fifty said...

I think it is a folder and paper..perhaps a pencil box:)

L. D. said...

Well I now know your on Iowa connection. I wondered what highway he would have been working on as I35 now runs along Stuart, Iowa. I never knew if there was a highway originally there or if they blazed a new trail. I guess the north south highways required repair at that time in 57. I will be looking that up on the net.

L. D. said...

I met I-80 didn't I instead of 35.

Country Gal said...

Oh how awesome ! What a greats story. Love the dress and photo !
Love your header , spring is in there air here ! Have a wonderful day !

Rae said...

Well look at you. You were so cute. I can just picture you in red. It is the perfect color for your blonde hair and stand out personality:)

Karmyn R said...

I dont know if you read The Bloggess at all - (she's kind of got a dirty mouth) - but she has started a movement where she sends a Red Dress to someone to wear - to empower them as a woman. To make them feel beautiful and proud of themselves. That's what I thought of when I saw your red dress.

Laura said...

I love Provenance! I even love the word, let alone what it means. :-) What a great thing to have. My mother was not a saver and I was not either. I only saved a baby outfit and Baptism outfit for each of my kids. I wish I would have saved something from their childhood - a favorite shirt perhaps. Oh well, can't dwell on the I wishes...

Just Stuff From a Boomer said...

What a fun memoriy to hold in your hands. You know your Mom spent many hours ironing that dress for you to look so pretty in. It's a wonder it survived all these years. It's a treasure. And you look adorable.

Sam I Am...... said...

What a sweet picture of you! You were so cute and I love that dress....of course I never saw your favorite but I really like that one. I never got much new if anything. I had a cousin a year older and I always got her stuff but she was more "girly-girl" than I was. I wanted to wear pants but you could only wear them under your dress when it was cold out to walk to school. I was a real Tomboy and I'm still not much of a clothes horse. But I got tired of wearing her stuff except she had some skirts so I wore my Buster Brown vertical striped t-shirts with the skirts which were flowered or plaid. I asked my Mom years ago how she could let me go to school looking like that and she just rolled her eyes at me! LOL! I guess I was a little stubborn. I might still be...I should check.

Anonymous said...

You were ahead of your time with the red dress. Tomorrow is wear red day for breast cancer. Ann

lisa said...

That is so wonderful! Such great memories you have!

NCmountainwoman said...

I love this post! How sweet of your mother to save it. My own mother was not very sentimental and thus we have few pictures and even fewer items from our childhoods. You are lucky indeed.

Leenie said...

A good reason to save it. You should print out a copy of this post and stash it with the dress and photo.

Anonymous said...

So cute. Nice post. gw

Mary Aalgaard said...

Cute photo and dress. It holds special memories.

Pauline Persing said...

Cute picture. I like that happy and pleased look on your face.

Pamela said...

jealous (in a good way) that she saved this for you. priceless for you!