Satin gown worn by Marian Anderson and Denyce Graves: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This pale bronze gown was designed by Barbara Karinska and worn by Marian Anderson, then later altered and worn by Denyce Graves. The gown is made from slubbed silk satin and has a fitted sleeveless bodice with a natural waistline and a full skirt with a slight train. Portions of a cream and metallic gold floral lace are cut and sewn to the bodice around the scoop neckline, along the shoulder straps, and around the waist side seams. The gown closes at the center back with a metal zipper that extends below the waist and one (1) metal hook-and-eye at the top of the zipper.

The bodice of the dress is lined with an undyed cotton. The interior neckline and shoulder straps are lined with a light brown synthetic fabric, likely an alteration for Graves. The skirt is fully lined in a cream silk faille. A cream fabric label with black woven and handwritten text is sewn at the interior center front waist that reads "KARINSKA / 112 WEST 44TH ST. NEW YORK / Name_______ / Act [handwritten] ANDERSON / Scene_________".

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: mid 20th century; altered 2009
• Designed by: Barbara Karinska, Ukrainian, 1886 - 1983
• Worn by: Marian Anderson, American, 1897 - 1993
• Worn by: Denyce Graves, American, born 1964
• Type: gowns
• Medium: silk satin, silk faille, cotton, synthetic fiber, synthetic and metallic lace, and metal fasteners
• Dimensions: H x W: 69 x 31 in. (175.3 x 78.7 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Costume design
• Topic: Design
• Topic: Opera (Music)
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2012.49.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Denyce Graves
• 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 displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.