milford’s attic

Fans of “Downton Abby” will certainly remember seeing Lady Mary Crawley sitting at her dressing table as Anna, her lady’s maid, combs her hair and gets her ready for an evening event. With some imagination, you can also picture Cleopatra at her dressing table having her hair done and makeup applied. Dressing tables have a very long history.

A dressing table was typically of horizontal design with drawers on the sides and a few smaller drawers on top. They were often placed by a window to get the best lighting. Not all had attached mirrors.

Dressing tables have been used by the well-to-do in this country as early as the 17th century all the way up through the Victorian times and the Art Deco years (1919 – 1939). During World War II, dressing tables fell out of fashion, but became popular again in the 1960s and remain so today.

The dresser in this photo is a 19th century American Federal Classic piece with burled walnut styling. It was donated to the Milford Historical Society by the Platt family.

Have a seat at this table. You will find a brush and comb adorned with sterling silver, along with your perfume and pearls. If you are wearing a hat, you will need to secure it with a hat pin from the container at the top right. And don’t forget to take your white feathered fan and your all-important evening gloves!

—Marilyn May

Photographer: Maryalice Manning