The Wedding Dress of Mrs. J.P. Burton (Mary Zerbe)

Wednesday  |  December 30, 2015  |  10:20 AM

One of the Massillon Museum staff's favorite pieces in the collection is the c. 1869 wedding dress Mrs. J.P. Burton (Mary Zerbe). This year we were excited to find a photograph of Mary in her wedding dress, taken at the Fletcher Studio (likely taken by Mrs. Martha M. Fletcher). Unfortunately the glass plate negative is damaged and the image of Mrs. Burton is difficult to see.

Since we have the dress in the collection, Archivist Mandy Altimus Pond wanted to digitally cleanup the photograph by combining the digitized glass plate negative (BC 2316.6) and overlay the digital image of the Mrs. J.P. Burton’s wedding dress (BC 1209).

Here are the results for your enjoyment!

2006 photograph of the second Mrs. J.P. (Mary Zerbe) Burton’s wedding dress (BC 1209), c.1869
 

Portrait of the second Mrs. J.P. Burton (Mary Zerbe) in her wedding dress, c.1869
Contact print from the original glass plate negative (BC 2316.6)
Attributed to the Fletcher Studio, likely taken by Mrs. Abel (Martha) Fletcher
 

Portrait of the second Mrs. J.P. Burton (Mary Zerbe) in her wedding dress, c.1869
Contact print from the original glass plate negative (BC 2316.6)
Attributed to the Fletcher Studio, likely taken by Mrs. Abel (Martha) Fletcher

Archivist Mandy Altimus Pond’s 2015 digital cleanup, combination of digitized glass plate negative (BC 2316.6) and overlay of digital image of the Mrs. J.P. Burton’s wedding dress (BC 1209)

(left) Portrait of the second Mrs. J.P. Burton (Mary Zerbe) in her wedding dress, c.1869
Contact print from the original glass plate negative (BC 2316.6)
Attributed to the Fletcher Studio, likely taken by Mrs. Abel (Martha) Fletcher

(right) Archivist Mandy Altimus Pond’s 2015 digital cleanup, combination of digitized glass plate negative (BC 2316.6) and overlay of digital image of the Mrs. J.P. Burton’s wedding dress (BC 1209)