Brocade evening dress belonging to Etta Moten Barnett: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is a brocade evening gown worn by Etta Moten Barnett. It is a long sleeveless gown with a high round neckline. It is slightly A-line with a knee high slit up the proper left side. The brocade pattern has a black background with large gold leaves. There are smaller silver and white leaves around them. Sewn on crystals are scattered throughout the dress. There is a black fabric tag sewn into the interior seam with white text that reads “STANLEY KORSHAK / CHICAGO.” There is a second, smaller white tag sewn into the interior seam with blue text that reads “865947 / INT. LADIES GARMENT / WORKERS UNION / UNION MADE / ILGWU / AFL / CIO.” This latter text is within a blue circle.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1960
• Designed by: Stanley Korshak, American, founded 1909
• Manufactured by: The International Ladies Garment Workers Union, American, founded 1900
• Owned by: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004
• Type: dresses by function
• Medium: brocade with crystal (material by form)
• Dimensions: H x W: 56 15/16 × 20 1/4 in. (144.7 × 51.5 cm)
• Place purchased: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
• Place used: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Broadway Theatre
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Women
• Object number: A2022.13.1.20
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• 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: Unknown – Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.