Cage Crinoline Instructions c. 1855

The cage crinoline that this instructional booklet is derived from belonged to Mary Virginia Childs Anderson (1833-1912), daughter of Brigadier General Thomas Childs of Massachusetts. She married Dr. William Wallace Anderson, II on December 27, 1855 at St. James Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. All that remains of her wedding attire is the bodice which was modified into a later style, the hoop skirt, and several pieces of the pearl jewelry.

The main cage crinoline is made up of 25 tiers of individual hoops. The first eight are open across the front pelvic area. These ends are covered with a metal clip and are closed in a piece of twill fabric stitched closed and reinforced by domed brads. The waist band is a plain piece of fabric folded and hand stitched closed. There is no indication as how it fastened closed. Tiers 9 through 25 are complete circles with the ends joined together by a metal clip. There are 6 vertical twill tapes which control the shape of the 25 hops. The last three tiers are a heavier gauge. There is also an aditional 6 tier hoop which was tied onto the main hoop.