personal artifacts – James Monroe 3D

Wedding Shoe

Weddingshoe
by James Monroe 3D
on Sketchfab

Object File Information:

Accession Number: JM76.087

Collection: Laurence Gouverneur Hoes Collection

Category: Personal Artifacts

Subcategory: Clothing – Footwear

Description: One of a pair of slippers covered in a patterned cream-colored silk brocade, embroidered with cream silk treads in arepeating wreath medallion design, with a paste buckle. [C. G. Sloan, “Appraisal of the Collections at the James Monroe Museum,” (unpublished, 1989), 18]. The slipper sports a French heel and two cloth straps that cross over a peaked instep, which is then held in place by an oval-shaped rhinestone buckle [Ibid.].

The shoes were originally worn by Elizabeth Kortright on her wedding day in February of 1786. They were made in the same fabric as Elizabeth’s wedding gown. This material was originally purchased for Elizabeth’s mother, Hannah Kortright. Mrs. Kortright died in 1774 and the fabric was stored until Elizabeth had it made into her wedding outfit. Surplus fabric was probably used to make these shoes.

Elizabeth married James Monroe in a small ceremony in New York and the couple honeymooned on Long Island. Shortly after the wedding, the newlyweds moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia where Monroe established a law practice.

Date: 1785

Condition: Fair

Height: 4.500 in

Width: 3.000 in

Dimension Notes: Buckle measures 1 inch

Provenance: James Monroe – Maria Hester (Monroe) Gouverneur- Samuel L. Gouverneur, Sr. – Mary Digges (Lee) Gouverneur -Samuel L. Gouverneur, Jr. – Marian Campbell Gouverneur – Rose Gouverneur Hoes – Laurence Gouverneur Hoes – James Monroe Memorial Foundation – Commonwealth of Virginia.

Collector: James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library

Originally Owned By: Elizabeth Kortright Monroe

Place of Origin: England

Material: silk/paste

Citation:“Wedding Shoe.”JM76.087. James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library.

Object Bibliography: Sloan, C. G. “Appraisal of the Collections at the James Monroe Museum.” 1989.

Image Gallery:

Elizabeth Monroe Wedding Shoe Detail. Photo by Lila Spitz.

Elizabeth Monroe Wedding Shoe Side. Photo by Lila Spitz.

Elizabeth Monroe Wedding Shoe Front. Photo by Lila Spitz.

Waistcoat and Breeches

Vest
by jamesmonroe3d
on Sketchfab

Museum Object File Information:

Accession Number: JM76.456

Collection: Laurence Gouverneur Hoes Collection

Category: Personal Artifacts

Subcategory: Clothing — Outerwear

Description: Waistcoat is made of a cream-colored wool flannel, but is decorated with a fine stylized flower design of silver beaded chain and sequins. The waistcoat is double-breasted and each side of the front contains eight buttons and eight button holes. The vest is lined in linen, with four linen ties in the back to adjust the fit to Monroe’s changing size.

Monroe was considered old-fashioned by many of his contemporaries because he never wore the more “au current” fashions coming from Europe after the turn of the century. He preferred knee breeches to long pants and the longer “frock” coat to the shorter, waist length jackets. [As late as 1825, Monroe continued to wear breeches and long or frock coat, as depicted in his three quarter length image painted by Rembrandt Peale. Lee Langston-Harrison, Images of a President: Portraits of James Monroe (Fredericksburg, VA: James Monroe Museum, 1992), 29.]

Date: Circa 1790s

Condition: Fair

Length: 25.500 in

Width: 18.000 in

Collector: James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library

Originally Owned By: James Monroe

Place of Origin: United States

Material: Wood/Flannel/Tin/Silver

Citation:“Waistcoat.” JM76.456. James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library.

Breeches

Accession Number: JM76.456

Collection: Laurence Gouverneur Hoes Collection

Category: Personal Artifacts

Subcategory: Clothing — Outerwear

Description: James Monroe’s knee breeches are made of cream-colored wool flannel. The front of the pants are fitted with two large pockets and one of a smaller scale to hold a pocket watch. A four-button fly is covered by a flap with three button holes. Seven buttons decorate the waist band and two more are in the back. The waist can be adjusted by two ties. Each knee has a flap which can be closed via a tin button. One button remains on each leg.

Monroe was considered old-fashioned by many of his contemporaries because he never wore the more “au current” fashions coming from Europe after the turn of the century. He preferred knee breeches to long pants and the longer “frock” coat to the shorter, waist length jackets. [As late as 1825, Monroe continued to wear breeches and long or frock coats, as depicted in his three quarter length image painted by Rembrandt Peale. Lee Langston-Harrison, Images of a President: Portraits of James Monroe (Fredericksburg, VA: James Monroe Museum, 1992), 29.]

Date: Circa 1800

Condition: Fair

Length: 33.000 in

Width: 18.000 in

Collector: James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library

Originally Owned By: James Monroe

Place of Origin: United States

Material: Wood/Flannel/Tin/Silver

Object Citation:“Breeches.” JM76.456. James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library.

Object Bibliography:

Langston-Harrison, Lee. Images of a President: Portraits of James Monroe. Fredericksburg, VA: James Monroe Museum, 1992.

Image Gallery:

James Monroe Waistcoat. Photo by Mary Fesak.

James Monroe Waistcoat and Breeches 1 — James Monroe Waistcoat and Breeches. Photo by Mary Fesak.

Bicorne Hat

Bicorne Hat
by jamesmonroe3d
on Sketchfab

Museum Object File Information:

Accession Number: JM76.075

Collection: Laurence Gouverneur Hoes Collection

Category: Personal Artifacts

Subcategory: Clothing — Headwear

Description: Made of black felt covered with beaver fur, trimmed with woven silk ribbon and a wide, flat double bow of silk-like material on the front. The crown of the hat was at one time decorated with a plume of ostrich feathers, as noted by their remnants.

Monroe purchased his bicorne in Paris, possibly at one of the exclusive millinery shops in the city. “Au Temple du Gout,” “Despaux,” or “Toulet” were among the many boutiques in the St. Honore and Verdome areas in Paris that catered to the Directoire elite.

The bicorne design, a style first made popular by General Napoleon, was a fashion “must” after 1801 when the top hat of the 18th century gave way to the bicorne of the Directoire and Empire regimes. Napoleon’s “little hat” was his official headgear and has become part of the legend surrounding the French leader. He was rarely portrayed without his hat, either worn on his head or carried in his right arm, held tightly to his side. The General’s headgear differed somewhat from the high-ranking officers in his army in that his bicornes were simply adorned, no plume of trim, only a plain cockade held by a black braid. Napoleon wore his famous hat with the corners parallel to his shoulders, while others wore theirs front to back. Like Napoleon’s famous headgear, most bicornes were sized to the individual’s head, though some may have been made a bit larger to allow for a removable winter lining of wool or fur.

Date: 1804-1807

Condition: Poor

Provenance: Laurence G. Hoes-JMMF-State of Virginia

Collector: James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library

Originally Owned By: James Monroe

Place of Origin: France

Material: Beaver/Silk/Ostrich feathers

Citation: “Bicorne Hat.” JM76.075. James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library.

Image Gallery: