Commencement gown owned by Zora Neale Hurston

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A commencement gown purchased by Zora Neale Hurston, for the 1928 Barnard College commencement ceremony. The gown is long and black with wide, long, pointed sleeves. The robes have a rounded collar and opens at the front into a “V.” Down the front hems are five (5) closures: four (4) hooks (1 missing) and (5) eyes. The front hems of the robes are embellished with a vertical folds of fabric. The sleeves are gathered at the shoulders and on either side of the chest. A black tag is stitched to the inside of the collar. It is embroidered with gold text reading "COX SONS AND VINING / 131-133 [loss] ST / NEW [loss]." Below the tag, pieces of fabric with the monogram letters "Z," "N," and "H" have been stitched in. There are two (2) cape ties attached to the interior of the robes at the shoulders.

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