Clothing & Textiles

COVERLET

c. 1840 

Woven blue and white, winter-summer coverlet with fringe on three sides.

CARPET

19th Century

Mahal Carpet

BONNET

c. 1850

Black and white checked poke style bonnet.

BONNET

c. 1850

Light green poke style bonnet in a soft material.

CARPET

c. 1870

Oushak carpet - Turkish carpet with red field, decorated with geometric and stylized floral

motifs in blue and green.

Crusader Armor

c. 1000-1200 CE

Three pieces of chain armor - helmet, should-piece and gauntlet.  All flat metal on armor is engraved.  Flat pieces of metal and metal mesh. Worn during the Crusades.  Obtained by Sec. Wm. H. Seward during his visit to Cairo in 1871.

France Seward's Summer Dress

 C. 1825

Belonged to William Henry Seward’s wife, Frances Adeline Seward. She is wearing it in a photograph taken in the Seward’s Washington D.C. garden around 1863. This is a white dotted Swiss summer dress with high waist (Empire), wide neck and short double puffed sleeves. Lace on...

White faille wedding dress; two piece with cap sleeves

Janet Watson Seward's Wedding Dress

 c. 1860

Dress worn by Janet McNeil Watson when she married William. H. Seward II on June 17, 1860. A White faille wedding dress; two piece with cap sleeves.  Originally this dress was covered with silk net which deteriorated. Janet wore this dress on her 50th wedding anniversary in 1910...

Seward’s Suit

 c.1859

A Embroidered vest, pants, shoes, and stockings worn by Seward when he was presented to Queen Victoria in 1859. Victoria gave him a private audience and treated him as though he were already the US President, as much of Europe expected.

Fanny Seward's Favorite Dress

 c. 1860

Worn by Frances Seward, daughter of Secretary Seward 1860-1865. Pictured in the portrait of Fanny by Emanuel Leutze that hangs in the drawing room. 

This is a two piece white, organdy dress ornamented with pink organdy.  The bodice is off shoulder with large puffed sleeves...

Janet Watson Seward’s Apron

c. late 1850s

Worn by Janet Watson Seward.  "Janet Watson" is written by the band.  Hand-hemmed and fastened with a mother of pearl button instead of ties. Floor-length white cotton apron. Includes rows of small sewn horizontal pleats, machine stitched, divided by a larger one.

Chinese Embroidered Silk Panel

c. 1870

This tapestry on display over the grand staircase, was presented to William Seward when he visited China in 1870. Seward visited China and they presented him with a silk tapestry that has Seward himself embroidered into the center with his three sons along the top. The dragons at...

Tlinglit Armor comprised of various materials

Tlingit Armor

c. Late 15th Cenutry 

Though William H. Seward spearheaded the purchase of Alaska for the U.S. in 1867, he did not travel there until 1869. During his trip he visited the Tlingit Indians who are a prominent Native American group still living in southeast Alaska. Seward acquired several...