Calico bag
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- Type
- Bags
- Materials
- Cotton cloth, Metal - non specific, Plastic - non specific, Satin
- Collection
- Beverly Silby collection
- Accession number
- 2007.0070.0015.002
Description
A large calico bag with white Velcro across the bottom edge and a small hemmed hole which allows the hook of a coat-hanger through. Attached to the bag by a gold safety pin and white with silver trim ribbon is a laminated photograph of the dress being worn and a laminated note inscribed with the index number of the outfit: "58", on the front and a description of the dress and the occasion of it being worn on the back. On the back of the photograph is the text "Colonial" Ball. / Berriagan / 1988." in blue pen. On the back of the card is the text "Formal Ball Gown / 1988 / Pink Satin backed / Shantung. Made / by Beverly's Mother / for the Centenary / Ball in Berrigan. The / pattern was a comm- / erical one put out for / that year - based on / the dresses of 100 years / ago. Pink flowers in / her hair, pink gloves / and a matching bag, / completed the attire / for this very special / Ball.".
About the collection
The Mrs Beverly Silby Collection consists of 15 items of clothing ranging across a number of garment types and fashion genres, including day wear, travel clothes, after-five wear and accessories. The history of each item is documented in a manuscript, 'A chronicle of Beverly Silby's (Steeper) life through fashion', a copy of which is included in the collection. The collection represents the changing wardrobe of a woman who has lived and worked as a teacher in both urban and rural Victoria and rural NSW, covering the period from 1940 to 2000, as well as Mrs Silby's own efforts to collect and preserve her story. The collection also includes items connected with Mrs Silby's mother, grandmother and grandfather. The garments reflect many aspects of twentienth century history including women's education; the tradition of making of clothes in the home; changing notions of femininity and fashion; and the importance of the Methodist and Presbyterian churches to social networks in rural and urban Australia. Mrs Silby says of herself 'I am just an ordinary person with no claim to fame and certainly not to fortune of a [monetary] kind, but hope that [someday] this collection will give some idea of the clothes that people such as myself have worn through their life'.
Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 6:48:33 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2026-11-02. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.