This sophisticated recreational ensemble was most likely made by Jane Elizabeth Beckett (born Bett). The blouse and skirt are made from a buff linen. Lizzie, as she was known, machine stitched the seams and handstitched the blouse’s decorative panels over many hours.

The blouse showcases drawn thread and cutwork embroidery, which was common in fashionable garments in the early 20th century. In drawn thread work, the weft or warp threads in the base fabric are removed and the remaining threads are bunched into decorative patterns. In cutwork both the warp and weft are removed: the hole is filled in with embroidery.

Lizzie was born in Whanganui in 1865. She married Reginald Edward Beckett in 1885. Reginald was a well-known businessman and was the Mayor of Marton for three terms between 1881 and 1913. Lizzie and Reginald had five children: a son and four daughters. Education was very important to them. Their daughters were among the first students at Nga Tawa Diocesan School and their home, Wairoma, was the first home of the school when it moved from Shannon to Marton in 1907.

Lizzie’s grand-daughter Gail Lourie donated this outfit to the Museum in 2021.

By Trish Nugent-Lyne, Pou Tiaki/Collections & Curatorial Lead at Whanganui Regional Museum.

Skirt and blouse, early 1900s
Designer and maker possibly Jane Elizabeth Beckett
Made from linen and cotton thread
Gift of Gail Lourie, 2021
WRM 2021.26.1

Photographed by Kathy Greensides

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