Found in 1924--The Larcher-Smith Entertainers

I found this advertisement for the Larcher-Smith Entertainers in my Spring and Summer 1924 National Cloak & Suit Co National Money Saving Style Book and thought it was too interesting to keep to myself. April 5, 1924 was a Saturday, so it's safe to assume that the advertisement date matches the catalog's date. There's a small brochure about the Larcher-Smith entertainers at the University of Iowa Libraries Traveling Culture website. Sadly, the advertisement is lacking in details such as which city or high school, but nonetheless, it remains interesting. According the the Hamilton, Ohio Journal News, the Larcher Smith Duo performed at a local school on April 4 as the last attraction of the Lyceum Course, so presumably this performance was in the same area.

An 1880s Cotton Print Bustle Dress

This article originally appeared on Your Wardrobe Unlock'd.

The scaled pattern for the dress is at the end of the article.

Museums are full of inspiring, elaborate, exquisite dresses. But what about dresses of a more everyday variety? We see plenty of these in Victorian photos, but there’s much less of a chance to see them and their construction in person. Or the on the internet, for that matter!


Hopefully, this dress will be of help in the area of everyday clothes. It’s a complete—or nearly complete—bustle dress from the 1880s. It’s well worn, as the repairs, loose stitches, and general wear marks show, and made of an easy to take care of cotton fabric. Though well made, it lacks some of the finer details of dresses that have made it into museums—there is nothing about this dress that puts it out of the range of capability of the typical seamstress or costumer.