Author Topic: dress description 1908 newspaper  (Read 567 times)

Offline chempat

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dress description 1908 newspaper
« on: Sunday 07 January 24 15:07 GMT (UK) »
The 2 bridesmaids in a wedding in 1908 are described as wearing Empire dresses of monseaurn directoire-de-soie, trimmed with tucked net.... See attached.
Anyone any idea what the reporter should have written down when he must have squiggled monseaurn?
Thanks

Offline IgorStrav

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Re: dress description 1908 newspaper
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 07 January 24 15:19 GMT (UK) »
I've not been able to find any direct references to this fabric, but wonder whether the word could be "maison" or, possibly "Messidor" (see below) which is an alternative name for "Directoire"

https://www.marcmaison.com/architectural-antiques-resources/directoire

The "Directoire" refers to a French style operating during the time of the French Revolution, apparently.

The fabric itself may have been 'peau de soie' which is a a silk or rayon dress fabric with a smooth satiny texture and a fine ribbed or grained surface.



Pay, Kent. 
Barham, Kent. 
Cork(e), Kent. 
Cooley, Kent.
Barwell, Rutland/Northants/Greenwich.
Cotterill, Derbys.
Van Steenhoven/Steenhoven/Hoven, Nord Brabant/Belgium/East London.
Kesneer Belgium/East London
Burton, East London.
Barlow, East London
Wayling, East London
Wade, Greenwich/Brightlingsea, Essex.
Thorpe, Brightlingsea, Essex

Offline chempat

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Re: dress description 1908 newspaper
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 07 January 24 15:30 GMT (UK) »
Hi, Igor,
Thanks for replying - my Google searches and newspapers searches did not get me anywhere either.  I think I was looking for a word with only one letter different - I need to carefully consider if he totally messed up.

Meanwhile, of no help but for background attached is a photo of the bridesmaid.

Offline IgorStrav

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Re: dress description 1908 newspaper
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 07 January 24 15:34 GMT (UK) »
I was thinking if he didn't speak French then a rendition of  what he thought he heard might have ended up as "monseaum".  If he wasn't a fabric expert (who is?) he had a shot of what he'd been told?

Anyhow, no easy solution!  However, it made me look up "directoire" knickers, which I'd come across in various early writings, and had never investigated before!!
Pay, Kent. 
Barham, Kent. 
Cork(e), Kent. 
Cooley, Kent.
Barwell, Rutland/Northants/Greenwich.
Cotterill, Derbys.
Van Steenhoven/Steenhoven/Hoven, Nord Brabant/Belgium/East London.
Kesneer Belgium/East London
Burton, East London.
Barlow, East London
Wayling, East London
Wade, Greenwich/Brightlingsea, Essex.
Thorpe, Brightlingsea, Essex


Offline JenB

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Re: dress description 1908 newspaper
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 07 January 24 15:40 GMT (UK) »
Some newspaper searches for directoire de soie bring up the associated word 'mousseline'  :-\
All Census Look Ups Are Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline IgorStrav

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Re: dress description 1908 newspaper
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 07 January 24 15:57 GMT (UK) »
Some newspaper searches for directoire de soie bring up the associated word 'mousseline'  :-\

And mousseline de soie is silk muslin - a fine silk fabric.
Pay, Kent. 
Barham, Kent. 
Cork(e), Kent. 
Cooley, Kent.
Barwell, Rutland/Northants/Greenwich.
Cotterill, Derbys.
Van Steenhoven/Steenhoven/Hoven, Nord Brabant/Belgium/East London.
Kesneer Belgium/East London
Burton, East London.
Barlow, East London
Wayling, East London
Wade, Greenwich/Brightlingsea, Essex.
Thorpe, Brightlingsea, Essex

Offline ThrelfallYorky

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Re: dress description 1908 newspaper
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 09 January 24 14:55 GMT (UK) »
"Marocain"?
TY
Threlfall (Southport), Isherwood (lancs & Canada), Newbould + Topliss(Derby), Keating & Cummins (Ireland + lancs), Fisher, Strong& Casson (all Cumberland) & Downie & Bowie, Linlithgow area Scotland . Also interested in Leigh& Burrows,(Lancashire) Griffiths (Shropshire & lancs), Leaver (Lancs/Yorks) & Anderson(Cumberland and very elusive)

Offline manukarik

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Re: dress description 1908 newspaper
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 09 January 24 15:03 GMT (UK) »
Marceline (sometimes marcelline or merceline)?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marceline_(fabric)
Clarkson, Tolladay, Prevost, Killick, Hicks

Offline chempat

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Re: dress description 1908 newspaper
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 09 January 24 19:53 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for those further suggestions.

I was ignoring 'marceline' and 'marocain' because the newspaper I was reading usually gets much nearer to the correct version.
However, as I am looking at quite a few years then just because someone got it correct in 1935 does not remotely mean they would in 1908.  I was just not thinking things through.