One dress, three brides
Past lives exhibition: 3 September - 23 October
Stories of everyday people, family and love are abundant in our local historical society’s collections, and this wedding dress tells a fascinating story of love prevailing in times of hardship.
After the onset of World War II, the Australian government introduced rationing of commodities to ensure the distribution of goods amongst the general population and to make sure military needs were met. Clothing coupons were issued to individuals to cover all aspects of one’s wardrobe, and once rations were used, you had to repair or alter what you had, or swap, borrow, or source items via the black market.1
This wedding dress, first worn by Eva ‘Bid’ West in 1941 exemplifies a beautiful gesture of love and sharing during war time austerity, worn by three women from the same family to their weddings in the 1940s. In the first bridal photograph, Bid West is pictured with her bridesmaid, her twelve-year-old niece Jocelyn Hickey. Three years later Bid’s brother was to marry Jocelyne Dorothy Taylor; not only do the dress and veil make a second appearance, but Jocelyn Hickey was once again bridesmaid. In 1948, Jocelyn Hickey was to be wed and the dress made its final appearance.
This important piece of history is currently on display at Bayside Gallery as part of the Past lives exhibition (3 September - 23 October 2022). Entry is free and walk-ins welcome.
Image credit: Wedding dress c. 1941, synthetic crepe, glass beads. Courtesy Brighton Historical Society. Donated by Judy Harvey and Elizabeth West.
1. Butler, A., ‘Love prevails’, Brighton Historical Society, 2019, Accessed 18 November 2021, http://brightonhistorical.org.au/index.php/love-prevails
