Harriette Mary Tripe (born Harriette Bell, 1869–1959) wore this richly detailed mourning ensemble in 1899, following the death of her husband, John Robert Bullen Tripe. A respected dentist in Palmerston North, John died suddenly of diphtheria aged 38, leaving Harriette widowed with two young children. Her youngest was just five months old.

The ensemble has a highly structured bodice and matching skirt. The bodice features jet beads and embroidery on a net overlay, as well as delicate handsewn pintucks. The inside of the bodice has slots for boning, but the boning has been removed. The skirt, also made from black silk brocade, has a modest train. Unusually, it also has a small front pocket as well as a larger hidden pocket.

Mourning attire was both a personal and public expression of grief in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Queen Victoria’s wardrobe epitomised the strict conventions. She wore mourning clothes for forty years following the death of her husband Prince Albert. Harriette’s ensemble not only reflects those customs, but also Harriette’s resilience and status as a young widow navigating life as a single mother.

Mourning ensemble, 1899
Maker unknown
Made from silk brocade, silk georgette, silk and cotton
Gift of William James Bullen Tripe, 1975
WRM 1975.27.3
Photographed by Kathy Greensides

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