Morning Dress 1935 - 1942

Editor: So this is *Morning Dress*, a watercolor and colored pencil drawing by Mary E. Humes, probably created between 1935 and 1942. It's surprisingly detailed and evokes a very specific historical period. What’s your interpretation? Curator: It's interesting how this drawing, ostensibly a fashion plate, also operates as a document reflecting social hierarchies and gender roles of its time. Humes presents this elaborate gown – who do you imagine would be wearing such a thing during the Depression era? Editor: Someone wealthy, for sure. The dress seems impractical, almost a statement. Curator: Precisely! This “morning dress” signifies privilege. It's not about utility, but performance. Think about the layers of meaning embedded in such an image, considering women’s roles in the public and private spheres at the time. Notice how Humes depicts every ribbon, ruffle, and tiny flower with care. What do those decorative choices say? Editor: It could point to women's roles in earlier generations that emphasized domesticity. But it looks almost historical itself. Curator: Good eye! What connection might exist between that dress's fussy design and earlier fashion ideals? Consider how it might reference and recast power dynamics for its era. What do you think that might reveal about the place of women in American society when Humes made this image? Editor: Thinking about it now, this level of fashion clearly embodies the contradictions of women and consumerism in America. Thanks, I didn’t see it that way before. Curator: The intersections between fashion, art, and society constantly give us rich ground to question cultural norms. It really enriches our understanding.