Textile: Fur cape belonging to M. Lavinia Warren
Clothing or Accessory
Shoulder cape made of ermine (white fur tipped with black tails) worn by M. Lavinia Warren (Mrs. Charles S. Stratton, a.k.a., Mrs. General Tom Thumb) and said to have been a cherished gift to her from Queen Victoria, either as a wedding gift in 1863, or on one of the Strattons' visits to England. Ermine is a type of fur long associated with royalty, and since Lavinia was promoted by P. T. Barnum as the "Queen of Beauty," the gift of an ermine cape from the actua; Queen of England to the popular American celebrity queen would have seemed appropriate. It is unclear if this cape is the one from Queen Victoria, as various photographs of Lavinia in ermine capes make it clear that she had at least one other cape which she wore in her later years. The maker label on this garment is hidden by a replacement lining but it appears that the place name on the label is New York, not London, England where one would expect Queen Victoria’s gift to have originated. In addition to this, the size of the cape often helps give a date to it, as Lavinia did grow as she aged. Capes were quite popular for outerwear in the 1800s, especially during the middle part of the century when very full, round skirts were worn, making a fitted coat impractical. On this garment, the cape's open "sleeves" extend to about the elbow so that the wearer's lower arms are free to move. The neckline is round and fits close to the base of the neck and the garment closes at the center front with hidden hooks and eyes. The back hemline forms a gentle curve from the "sleeves" to the waist and the front of the garment curves downward from the "sleeves" to form two long extensions at the center front; these help set the cape in place, providing balance to keep it from sliding backward against the wearer's throat, as well as providing additional coverage and warmth. A replacement lining, probably from around 1990, has been applied to the interior. It is not clear if the original silk lining still exists underneath but it may still be there along with the original maker name label, which is just slightly visible under the newer lining. On the front side of the garment, the dark tail fur has faded from long exposure to light; the back view gives a better idea of the original coloring. The garment measures 22 1/2" in height by by 26 1/2" in width.
M. Lavinia Warren was a well known entertainer, whose career spanned the 1860s to the early 1900s. She was born Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump on October 31, 1841, in Massachusetts. She married fellow entertainer Charles S. Stratton on February 10, 1863, and following his death in 1883, she married an Italian entertainer of a similar stature, Count Primo Magri, on April 6, 1885. Warren was a schoolteacher originally but soon began her performance career on a river boat at time when exhibiting people with dwarfism was profitable. Warren signed with showman P. T. Barnum at age 21, along with her younger sister Minnie (Huldah) Warren, who also had dwarfism. After her marriage to Stratton the two toured the country and around the world giving performances, becoming America's first international celebrity couple. During Warren's second marriage, she and her husband also toured for many years and later operated a roadside stand in Middleboro, Massachusetts, her birthplace. Lavinia Warren Stratton Magri died on November 25, 1919, and was buried beside Stratton at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut.