Mrs. Richardson’s prized wedding dress displayed
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/04/2019 (2443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A remarkable dress that went on display in the Richardson building on Monday is about more than just the fabric. It was worn by Muriel Richardson, Canada’s first female CEO.
The cream-coloured gown is made of four thin layers of organic silk and lace, and decorated extensively with pearl and ivory beads. The train of the dress is 107 centimetres — so long, it can’t be properly shown in the display.
When Muriel’s husband, James Richardson, passed away, her kids were too young to take over Richardson and Sons, so she stepped into the leading role.
Female executives are a more common sight today but, in 1939, it was unprecedented for a woman to head a major Canadian business. She led Richardson and Sons until she retired in 1966. She died in 1973.
The display commemorates the hundredth anniversary of James and Muriel’s wedding. It’s shown alongside posters detailing their legacy within the company and city.
The dress has been donated to the Costume Museum of Canada by Muriel’s daughter, Kathleen Richardson.
“[Muriel] was a role model before role models were a thing,” Margaret Mills, board member at the museum, said.
Muriel is an inductee at the Canadian and Manitoba business halls of fame.
“When she took over that firm she established a few things that were new in the industry,” Greg Leipsic, president and CEO of the Manitoba Business Hall of Fame, said. “She was very highly thought of.”
Muriel established company-wide pension and insurance plans in the 1940s.
“The way she treated and took care of [her employees] is as applicable today, as it was 60 years ago, if not more,” Leipsic said.
Mills said Kathleen was initially hesitant to get the dress fit for display, but the museum advocated hard for its restoration. Mills said the dress has value not just because of who wore it, but also for the style it captures.
“It’s a doorway into the real 1920s flapper age which people are familiar with,” Mills said. “Style elements are quite visible in this dress which carried on into the 1920s.”
Mills said because of the fragile nature of the dress, she thinks it will not be seen again in the next decade. It will be on display at the offices of Richard International, One Lombard Place, until April 13.
city.desk@freepress.mb.ca