Lucretta Rudolph Garfield


Lucretia Rudolph Garfield, wife of the 20th president, James A. Garfield, wore this elegant gown to her husband's 1881 inauguration.

According to contemporary accounts, the gown originally was a delicate, lavender hue.

An analysis has revealed that the gown was dyed with fuschine, a light-sensitive dye that faded to oyster white
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