In common with a number of dresses dating from around the 1840s included on this website, the simple lines of this untrimmed example allow the design of its fabric to take centre stage. The floral printed cotton was produced at a time of great experimentation in the dye industry, signifying the start of modern technology in the field. Using mineral dyes in fashionable colours, the fabric was first dyed brown, with a resist technique to mask the lighter elements of the pattern, the details were then block-printed and hand pencilled. The fine pleating below the front neckline and on the sleeves above the elbow is nearly lost in the fabric’s busy design.