The Historical Society of the Tonawandas is pleased to announce that a very special 19th century gown from its extensive collection of historic and vintage clothing has been chosen as part of an exhibition that opened on February 21, 2015 at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida. The gown joins other exhibit items from such notable institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Henry Ford Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, Detroit Institute of Arts, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, New York Historical Society, Western Reserve Historical Society, Brooklyn Museum, Peabody Essex Museum, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the University of Michigan Museum of Art. This classic gown, designed by the world-famous House of Worth and owned by the family of local physician Dr. Warren Britt is a highly-valued piece of clothing history and one of the centerpieces of the society’s collections. The Board of Trustees is proud of the society’s participation in this important national event and to provide a venue for others to see this valuable piece from the collections of the Historical Society of the Tonawandas. The photos below are from the Norton Museum display.

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The Worth is the green gown with the black front panel.