Object

Cloak

Date: 1785 - 1795
Dimensions: length 41" width 123"
About this artifact

This red wool cloak was owned by Mrs. Fila Field Dickinson (1761-1837) of Deerfield, Massachusetts. Cloaks like this one were very common outer wear for women in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Red was a particularly favorite color. Woolen fabric called broadcloth was pieced together to form a half-circle which made up the body of the cloak. The hood has gathers at the center back which form the rounded shape. The edges of this cloak are left just as they were cut, because the cloth is so tightly woven, it does not ravel.


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Courtesy Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield, MA