Cocktail apron worn by Dinah Washington: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This black cocktail apron was worn by Dinah Washington. The apron is made from a half-circle of black velvet trimmed in a wide border of ruffled black netting. The netting is doubled over so that both raw edges are attached to the velvet edge. A length of wide black satin ribbon is sewn along the top with tails extending from either side to be wrapped and tied in the back. A white and gold sequin martini glass is appliquéd at the proper right bottom corner of the velvet. A cluster of red seed beads are sewn inside the cup of the glass as a cherry. Music notes are embroidered in black metallic thread around the glass appliqué. The velvet portion is lined in red rayon fabric.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1940s
• Created by: Unidentified
• Worn by: Dinah Washington, American, 1924 - 1963
• Type: aprons (protective wear)
• Medium: velvet, net, synthetic fiber, satin ribbon, plastic sequins, and glass beads
• Dimensions: H x W: 22 1/2 x 30 1/2 in. (57.2 x 77.5 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Musicians
• Object number: 2011.87.3
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dinah Washington's Family
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: No known copyright restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.