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🇮🇸 Iceland /Culture & Society

The bridal dress that did not end up on the seabed

From Morgunblaðið · () Icelandic

Translated from Icelandic and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Iceland’s National Museum is presenting an exceptionally complete 18th-century national costume at its annual national costume festival.
  • The bridal outfit belonged to the wealthy Stephensen family and was long thought to have been lost when a ship caught fire off Iceland in 1809.
  • Experts say the costume survived because a ship’s steward clung to the chest containing it during the disaster.

A bridal costume once believed lost in a ship disaster is now on display at Iceland’s National Museum. The museum is featuring it during this weekend’s national costume festival and an exhibition titled “With History in Its Luggage.”

The costume belonged to the Stephensen family, one of Iceland’s wealthiest families at the time. It was long thought to have disappeared when a ship suffered a mutiny and was set on fire off Iceland in 1809.

What happened on the ship was that a mutiny broke out and it was set on fire.

· Ragnheiður SkúladóttirShe described how the costume was thought to have been lost.

The story took a different turn. Botanist William Jackson Hooker had the costume with him while traveling to England after studying Iceland’s flora. Researchers do not know whether he bought it or received it as a gift, but they know he attended the famous feast at Viðey on June 27, 1809, hosted by former governor Ólafur Stephensen.

The story says that the steward clung to the chest containing the costume, and that is why the costume was saved.

· Guðrún Hildur RosenkjærShe recounted the story of how the outfit survived the ship fire.

Ragnheiður Skúladóttir of the National Museum said it would have been customary to send guests home with valuable gifts, especially when the host belonged to a wealthy family. When the fire broke out aboard the ship, Jörundur the Dog-Days King helped rescue the crew. According to the story, the steward hung onto the chest containing the costume, allowing it to survive.

Historian and costume-maker Guðrún Hildur Rosenkjær said the outfit is significant because it is the only complete 18th-century costume of its kind known to exist. She believes the bodice came from Þórunn’s 1780 wedding trousseau. The skirt, however, was sewn later by Guðrún Skúladóttir, the daughter of Skúli the Bailiff, for the Stephensen family.

It is very significant because it is the only complete 18th-century costume that exists.

· Guðrún Hildur RosenkjærShe explained the historical importance of the exhibit.
About this summary

Originally published by Morgunblaðið in Icelandic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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