Evening dress bodice

Evening dress bodice

Evening dress bodice, 1890–1899. Attributed to Mary Molloy.

Mary Molloy's dressmaking shop

Mary Molloy's dressmaking shop

Interior view of Mary Molloy's dressmaking shop, 15 Forepaugh Block, St. Paul. Photograph by Edward Straus, ca. 1890.

Dressmakers in Owatonna

Dressmakers in Owatonna

Dressmakers (Ida Larkey, Etta Annis Teachout, and Orena Elnora Teachout) in Owatonna. Photograph by Fred Mueller, ca. 1890

Mary O’Keefe Molloy

Mary O’Keefe Molloy

Mary O’Keefe Molloy, ca. 1885.

Reception gown worn by Mary LeDuc

Reception gown worn by Mary LeDuc

Gown worn by Mary LeDuc at a White House reception in October 1877. Made by dressmaker Jane E. Turner in September 1877.

Custom Dressmaking, 1880–1920

Throughout the nineteenth century, custom dressmaking was one of the few socially acceptable professions for women of multiple ages and classes, including immigrants, young farm girls, wives, and widows. Dressmaking establishments—run and staffed primarily by women—provided creative labor, living wages, and career advancement opportunities for businesswomen and skilled workers alike.

Mee Moua ca. 2003

Mee Moua

State Senator Mee Moua, ca. 2003. Minnesota Senate Photographer's Office.

Sketch of Sigurd Olson

Sketch of Sigurd Olson

Sketch of conservationist Sigurd Olson by Gene Ritchie Monahan, ca. 1970s. Used with the permission of Jean E. Monahan Kelly.

“Birch and Wildflowers”

Gene Ritchie Monahan’s “Birch and Wildflowers,” 1970s. Pen and ink on paper. Produced for the Rainy Lake Chronicle. Used with the permission of Jean E. Monahan Kelly.

Gene Ritchie Monahan in her studio

Gene Ritchie Monahan in her studio

Gene Ritchie Monahan in her studio, 1985. Used with the permission of Jean E. Monahan Kelly.

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