Something Old, Something New case
Intro: While a wedding itself is a tradition, often brides
and grooms wear pieces of clothing or accessories that
are heavily laden with tradition—be it family, cultural,
or religious. Items are often handed down through
families for generation after generation.
Mrs. John Conzelman wore this embroidered net veil,
ca. 1865.
Gift of Mr. Christian Peper
26861
Elise Morrison purchased this fan with mother-of-pearl guards and appliquéd lace monogram in
1868 at A. Rodien, a Paris firm, with money sent by her groom, William Pettus. Mother-of-pearl
and lace were typical for wedding fans.
Gift of Mr. J. Harold Pettus
26863
This white cotton sateen and mesh corset belonged to Ida Rose Uhri of St. Louis, Missouri ca.
1885.
Gift of Jean Maritz Hobler
2686
Mrs. Louisa Wilhelmina Humm Frenz wore this woven wire bustle made by Taylor’s, Paris,
France in her wedding ca. 1903.
Gift of Dr. Richard E. and Nell Pinckert
26873
This brown velvet wedding bonnet, from about 1875, of Mrs. James F. Graham of Carrolton,
Missouri, has faille ribbon, glass bead, and feather ornamentation.
Gift of Mrs. H. Wade Choate
26866
Carried by bride Mary Loire in 1963, this white cotton and lace handkerchief was passed down
through several generations of women in her family, starting in 1925.
Gift of Mrs. John T. Loire
26897
This jewelry set made by Harrington Co., Columbus, Ohio, including necklace, bracelet, and
brooch, was presented to Virginia Lafayette Royall by James Alexander Henderson for their
marriage on April 21, 1859. Virginia later gave it to her daughter Evelyn when the latter married
Herbert W. Snow on December 2, 1896. Upon Evelyn’s death it was returned to Virginia and
kept in trust for her grandson Royall Henderson Snow. Royall Snow and Dorothy Carter were
married November 9, 1935.
Gift of Mrs. Royall Henderson Snow
26857, 26858, 26859
These kid leather gloves were worn by Maude Rozier for her 1870s wedding.
Gift of Mrs. Charles L. Harrison
26865
Traditionally, brides carried bouquets of flowers and herbs chosen for good luck, fertility, or
vitality. This bridal bouquet dates to 1874 and was carried by Sophia Tuholske. The bouquet
contains wax orange blossoms, a trend that was started by Queen Victoria when she wore orange
blossoms at her wedding in 1840.
Gift of Mrs. Arthur A. Scharff Jr.
26864
This silver bouquet holder was used by Marcia Smith (later Mrs. Edwin E. Willis) when she was
a bridesmaid for Julia Hull in St. Louis in 1855. Theophile Papin, her groomsman, gave her the
holder.
Gift of Mrs. Newell S. Knight
27021
This green hand-painted silk crepe garter and sachet with lace trim was used in the 1933 wedding
of Marie and Julius Boyanchek.
Gift of Ms. Martha Goetz
26898, 28196
Zoe Sallie Valle Rozier wore these knit stockings with a blue embroidered floral pattern for her
1839 wedding in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.
Gift of Mrs. Charles L. Harrison
26854
Pearle Pierce wore these silk stockings and satin shoes at her marriage to Eben Richards on April
15, 1896, at Christ Church Cathedral.
Gift of Mrs. Eben Richards
26872, 26891
This porcelain wedding cake ornament decorated the wedding cake of Molly Jean Wilson and
Stuart Norman Senniger at their December 17, 1942, marriage.
Gift of Ms. Elsi Dodge
27029
This basket was made in Germany for use by flower girls, 1935.
Made by Ray Williams
Gift of Ms. Shirley H. Harris
27026
Gertrude Edna Richardson used this accessory set, including mitts and purse, during her April
30, 1903, wedding to William Clyde Wood in Webb City, Missouri.
Gift of Mrs. Dorothea Wood Elliot
26895, 28195
When James H. Davis Jr. married Deborah Maynard on June 17, 1995, he used this set of
accessories, including a hat, cummerbund, and lapel pin, in an Afrocentric ceremony at Pilgrim
Rest Baptist Church in Alorton, Illinois.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James and Deborah Davis
27017, 27018 ,27019
This linen handkerchief, ca. 1850, used by Louis Britt, was passed to him by his mother with a
note stating, “My Dear Lou—This handkerchief was used by your father forty-seven years ago
on his wedding day. I think you will take much pleasure in using it now on yours.”
Gift of Mrs. Louise Price Britt
27009
Henry Martyn Noel used this pair of boots at his November 12, 1867, wedding to Julia Edwards
Graves in Springfield, Missouri.
Gift of Mrs. James M. Carpenter
27012
This stock was worn by Meriwether Lewis Clark at his January 1834 wedding to Abigail
Churchill.
Made by J. Tennant, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Gift of Mrs. Harry Seeley
27004
M. B. Greensfelder wore this ribbed cotton pique bowtie during his September 7, 1870, wedding.
Gift of Mrs. Carl S. Ebert
27014
This white satin yarmulke was worn by Paul Gastwirth as part of the Jewish ceremony at his
wedding on September 2, 1962.
Gift of Ms. Darlene Sugerman
27016
Men who could afford it might order a fancy waistcoat, such as this one worn by William C.
Tyler, 1853.
Gift of Miss Emily Partridge Eaton
27010
Trousseau case
The definition of trousseau is “clothes and linen
collected by the bride before her wedding.” The act of
collecting these personal items was usually started years
before the nuptials and included everything from bath
towels and table linens to stationary, wedding accessories, lingerie, and dresses.
Luggage was also considered a part of the trousseau, and a 19th-century bride could pack up
most of her trousseau items into a trunk such as this one. This particular trunk, ca. 1885, contains
decorative compartments for storing everything from hats to bed linens.
MHS Museum Collections
26862
In the trunk:
Green cotton knit stockings, ca. 1878, that were part of Mrs. Philip North Moore’s trousseau.
Gift of Mrs. Elizabeth Moore
26885
Off-white cotton and lace chemise and open drawers with pink satin ribbon banding, ca. 1869
Gift of Mrs. Nelson H. Howe
26886, 26887
This monogrammed handmade corset cover and petticoat were part of the trousseau of Gertrude
Edna Robinson, who married William Clyde Wood on
April 30, 1903.
Gift of Mrs. Dorothea Wood Elliott
26888, 26889
These cami-knickers with lace insets and pink ribbon shoulder straps were part of the trousseau
of Elizabeth Estes, who married Richard Gentry Jr. in 1924.
Gift of Mrs. Elizabeth Gentry Sayad
26893
This nightdress and drawers were made at St. Philomena’s Technical School, a domestic-skills
training facility for poor and orphaned girls that was known in the early 20th century as a maker
of fine clothing for the Catholic community. These pieces were part of the trousseau of Julia
Walsh, who married Charles Sheehan Lamy in December 1935.
Gift of Julia Maffitt Lamy, Mary Lamy Phillips, and Isabel Lamy Lee
26894, 26899
This pair of boots, ca. 1910, made by the Swope Shoe Company of St. Louis was part of Mrs.
Henry Lodge’s trousseau.
Gift of Mrs. Landon Lodge
26879
This pillowcase is part of a set of linens that was brought to the United States from Hungary in
1949, when Elizabeth Medgyszay, who married Stephen Von Matyas in 1929, immigrated to
Kansas. She later settled in St. Louis.
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Chapo
27008
This monogrammed Italian table runner was purchased at Greenwald’s, a
St. Louis–based firm known for dominating the top-quality linen trade in the United States. This
piece was part of the trousseau of Mary Greenwald, who married Sam Brown in 1965.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Stuart Brown
27011
This dark green wool tweed two-piece dress was part of the trousseau of Kate Margaret Halfer,
who married Hugh Stewart Murray of Boonville, Missouri, on September 22, 1896.
Gift of Mrs. Mary Murray Hilliker
26878
Mary Rose wore this homemade blue polyester dress with jacket and pillbox hat as a going away
dress after her marriage to John Loire on February 2, 1963.
Gift of Mrs. John T. Loire
26883, 26884
This pair of black satin shoes trimmed in black lace and velvet ribbon was part of the trousseau
of Anne Rocheford, who married Bernard Protte of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, in 1847.
Gift of Mrs. J. Bruce Stewart
26871
This white linen damask monogrammed bath towel was spun and woven by Mary Wentzel for
her daughter Cecilia’s trousseau in the 1820s.
Gift of Miss Gladys Sellers
27001
This silk taffeta bonnet decorated with purple flowers and blue ribbon was part of the trousseau
of Lucy Ann Fricke, who married James P. Young on January 30, 1868, in Philadelphia and later
moved to St. Louis.
Gift of Mr. Edward H. Young
26875
In some families, quilts were made for or given to the bride and groom to begin their new life
together. The double wedding ring pattern shown on this orange and purple quilt made about
1935 has been a popular choice since the 1920s.
Gift of Mr. Michael Tooley
27005
Gifts case
Most people go to a wedding with the sincere
hope that the bride and groom will live a long
and happy life together. They give gifts to show
their support and good wishes. Traditionally
gifts are given to help the couple set up their new
household. Today, most couples register for gifts
in advance, taking the mystery out of finding the
perfect gift.
Mr. and Mrs. George Repetti Sr. received this
gold metallic crocheted table cover with cotton
petit-point medallions at their 1921 wedding.
Gift of Mrs. George Repetti Sr.
26845
Esther Bribach Gowenlock, director of St. Agnes Guild of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of
Carondelet, made this table runner as a wedding gift for
Mr. and Mrs. P. A. Dates in 1915.
Gift of Mrs. P. A. Dates
26844
When Beth and Julie Gellman held their commitment ceremony in 2004, Beth’s father made this
copper plate etching of lilies for the occasion. A print of the design, titled “Love,” was framed
and given to the couple as a gift, along with the copper plate. Stan Gellman also hand printed a
short run of the artwork for the invitations.
Made by Stan Gellman
Courtesy of Beth and Julie Gellman
26164, 28166
Estelle Crone and Dr. Albert Koetter received this mantel clock at their 1902 wedding. The clock
was made in France and sold by Mermod & Jaccard Jewelry Co. of St. Louis.
Gift of Mrs. Stella Darrow
26841
This green glass vase with chased silver overlay was a gift to Mr. and Mrs. Benoist Carton on the
occasion of their marriage in 1901.
Gift of Mrs. A. C. Hiemenz Jr.
26840
Judge Carl Kuhlman was given this leaded glass bowl and plate at his 1829 wedding.
Gift of Mrs. Edgar R. Rombauer
26832
This cut glass pitcher was given to Rose Clary and Benjamin Soulard at their 1832 wedding.
Gift of Mrs. W. Palmer Clarkson
26833
These French china pieces are part of a larger set given to Daniel M. Frost, later a Civil War
general, and his bride, Eliza Brown Graham, who wed on April 5, 1851.
Gift of Mrs. S. W. Fordyce
26834, 26835
Hulda E. Roeder Gephardt received this cameo brooch from her groom on the occasion of their
marriage in 1906.
Gift of Mrs. Hulda E. Gephardt
27038
Bride’s boxes were traditionally given as a gift from the groom to the bride for her to store items
such as her bouquet and headpiece. This box is an oval wood-band box with a painting of a bride
and groom on the lid, ca. 1800.
MHS Museum Collections
26830
These rings were exchanged between Anthony Boyanchek and his bride Antoinette at their
marriage in 1893. The groom received a gold band and the bride received a gold band with a
solitaire diamond.
Gift of Ms. Elizabeth Goetz
26852, 26853
This silver flatware set made by Mermod Jaccard & Co. of St. Louis was given as a wedding gift
in 1881 to Charles Hopkins Houston and Mollie White from Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Cupples and
their daughter Amelia.
Gift of Mrs. George R. Dobler
26839
Jack McDowell received this steel two-slice toaster made by McGraw Electric Co. of Sioux City,
Iowa, at his 1946 wedding.
Gift of Jack McDowell
26846
This cigarette box was given to Mr. and Mrs. Mocabee at their 1947 wedding.
Made by Hal Burress
Gift of Ms. Patricia Mocabee
26849
George Varable gave his daughter Lucinda this cream Staffordshire plate, ca. 1830, for her
marriage.
MHS Museum Collections
26850
These avacado green salt and pepper shakers and sauceboat are part of the “American Modern”
dinnerware set designed by Russel Wright, ca. 1950. Reva Freund received these as part of her
wedding china as well as a casserole and vegetable dish.
Gift of Ms. Reva M. Freund
26847, 26848
Charles Rudolph Roesslein and Pauline Boher received this metal egg poaching pan set on the
occasion of their marriage in 1904.
Gift of Mrs. Karen Schaffer Meldrum
26842
The practice of the bride and groom giving gifts, or favors, to wedding guests is not a new
tradition, but it is becoming more commonplace. Centuries ago, favors were called bomboniere
and included items such as sugared almonds. Today, gifts given in gratitude from the bride and
groom often include such things as picture frames, bottles of wine, candy, and decorative gift
boxes.
This miniature broom was given as a party favor during the Afrocentric June 17, 1995, wedding
of James H. Davis Jr. to Deborah Maynard at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Alorton, Illinois.
“Jumping the broom” is an African American wedding tradition symbolized by this small
decorative broom.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James and Deborah Davis
27027