Saturday, January 17, 2015

A Comparison of Sorts

While looking for some information to send to a writer for the online magazine, Wired, I stumbled upon the following list for "What it costs to get married" in 1870. This list is the minimum each party should have when they marry. Given that we're going to be celebrating a wedding in a couple months, I found this very interesting. I'm not sure what these prices are in today's dollars. The list is copied from the North Iowa Times of 1870. I don't have an actual date of the paper. The photo is of the wedding of my friends, Becky and Jon Hutcherson.


Uniform for the Bridegroom
1 black cloth suit.......................................$75.00
1 pocket handkerchief...............................      .35
2 shirts, plain bosom.................................    5.00
1 nightshirt, ruffled...................................    4.00
2 paper collars...........................................      .05
1 necktie....................................................      .25
1 pair socks...............................................      .50
1 fine comb...............................................      .75
1 bottle bear's grease.................................    1.00
1 pair night drawers, ruffled.....................    2.50
1 bottle whiskey, sour...............................    2.00
1 paper cloves...........................................      .15
1 cork screw.............................................      .25
1 cake honey soap....................................      .25
1 bottle cocktail bitters.............................    1.50
1 ivory toothpick......................................      .20
1 bottle whiskey, straight.........................      .20
1 paper, chewing tobacco.........................      .20
2 bottles pickled oysters...........................    2.00
1 box seidlitz powders..............................      .75

Grand total for the groom.........................$98.65

The Bridal Trousseau
6 chemises, plain with ruffling............................$23.00
2 do., wrought....................................................... 25.00
4 night dresses, plain, edged with ruffling............ 20.00
2 do., embroidered................................................ 30.00
6 longcloth drawers, tucked................................. 27.00
3 do., trimmed with work..................................... 24.00
2 longcloth petticoats, tucked............................... 20.00
1 do., trimmed with needlework........................... 18.00
3 corset covers, trimmed....................................... 15.00
do do, extra nice.................................................... 30.00
3 low-necked merino vests.................................... 10.50
1 French Cambric dressing gown.......................... 18.00
do flannel do.......................................................... 30.00
12 pair white cotton hose....................................... 12.00
6 pair Lisle thread hose..........................................  9.00
12 linen Cambric handkerchiefs............................ 12.00
2 paddings.............................................................. 10.00
12 pair garters.........................................................  3.00
do boxes hairpins....................................................  3.00
6 hem-stitched handkerchiefs.................................  7.50
2 French corsets..................................................... 20.00
1 woven hooped skirt.............................................   5.00
1 duplex elliptic skirt..............................................  5.50
7 pair gloves, assorted............................................ 14.00
3 pair boots............................................................. 12.00

The bride's total is a whopping............................$402.50

Seidlitz powder is a laxative. Funny that a groom "needs" this, although with the oysters requirement, who knows. Oysters were considered an aphrodisiac so it's quite humorous that the groom needs to supply these.

I have no idea what the "do" is short for. "Longcloth" is plain cotton which was made to long lengths, thereby negating the need to piece sections together to make clothing. It was coarser than the Cambric cloth. Cambric was, and still is, a very fine grade of cloth. This is akin to denim versus shirt cotton. It's interesting also, that the list for the bride makes no mention of her dress for her wedding. This is just what she needs to bring along to start housekeeping.

So, guys, get those toothpicks, bear grease, oysters and whiskey. Understand, though, that you're going to have to lug a couple of trunks around because your lady loves "necessaries" aren't going to fit in an overnight bag.

Beverage:  Orange Juice

Deb

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