Wedding Portrait of Bertha and Charles Kuss of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 1889
THF119772 / Wedding Portrait of Bertha and Charles Kuss of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 1889
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Artifact Overview
Charles Kuss and Bertha Thelenius posed for a local photographer after their October 1889 wedding in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Bertha, the daughter of prosperous German immigrants, wore a gray silk surah dress with appliqued cut steel beading. Many 19th century brides did not wear a "traditional" white wedding dress. Often, they wore their best dress--which continued as their "best" as they settled into married life.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Cabinet photograph
Date Made
1889
Collection Title
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
71.99.3
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Cardboard
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Gelatin silver process
Mounting
Toning (Photography)
Color
Brown
Dimensions
Height: 6.25 in
Width: 4.25 in
Keywords |
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Related Artifacts
ArtifactSlippers, Worn by Bertha Kuss on Her Wedding Day, 1889
When Bertha Thelenius of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was planning her outfit for her October 1889 wedding to Charles Kuss, she purchased these slippers from Montgomery Ward & Company. In 1872, Montgomery Ward had launched what would become the first general mail order company in America. Customers like Bertha could choose from a wide selection of enticing goods offered in these catalogs.