Who was Baby Doe Tabor and what is the significance of her story?

Elizabeth McCourt “Baby Doe” Tabor (1854–1935) is one of the most legendary and fascinating figures in Colorado history. Born into a working class family in Wisconsin, McCourt became known for her eccentric personality and bold disregard for the gender and social conventions of the Victorian Age. McCourt possessed a youthful beauty and after marrying Harvey Doe in 1877, she acquired the nickname “Baby Doe.” The two moved to Colorado, where Harvey Doe’s family had mining investments, but divorced in 1880. Colorado was by then a state with a booming mining industry, and that same year Baby Doe met and began an affair with wealthy silver magnate named Horace Tabor (1830-1899), owner of Leadville’s Matchless Mine. Horace was married and nearly twice her age, and the scandal this affair incited caused Baby Doe to be ostracized from the Leadville community. This scandal was only heightened when Tabor divorced his long-time wife and quickly married Baby Doe in an elaborate ceremony in Washington D.C., where he was temporarily serving as Senator.

After ten years of enjoying their wealth and success in Leadville, the Tabors lost their fortune in the Panic of 1893, when the value of silver dropped. The family was pitched into poverty, and Horace died six years later of appendicitis. Baby Doe later moved into a dilapidated cabin near the then-defunct Matchless Mine, where her impoverishment and diminishing mental health further captivated public attention for the next thirty years.She died at the age of 81 in the winter of 1935.

The many ups and downs of Baby Doe’s life capture the chaotic trajectory of the mining industry in the “West” and the changing social landscape of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Since her death, Baby Doe’s life has been retold and embellished in movies, operas, and even a chain of novelty restaurants, and continues to be re-examined today.

The 1883 Wedding Gown

Baby Doe’s wedding dress has become symbolic of the arc of her life, from the height of her marriage and happiness to her isolated end. The gown is rumored to have cost $7,000 in 1883, which would be nearly $250,000 today. It is so far unknown from whom the dress was commissioned, but it was likely a highly skilled dressmaker from either the United States or Europe. The gown is made of a cream-colored silk damask with damask piping throughout. The skirt is constructed with a 7-foot long train and is voluminous, with layers of damask ruffle and cotton lace trimming the hem. Although Baby Doe sold many of her and Horace’s expensive possessions once they became destitute, she kept the wedding gown throughout her life within a trunk in her cabin, where exposure to water eventually stained it. The Colorado Historical Society (now History Colorado) acquired the gown shortly after Baby Doe’s death in 1935.

Why hasn't the wedding dress been on display in the last 15 years?

Contrary to today’s standards for object care, History Colorado previously displayed the Baby Doe Tabor dress for nearly 70 years. During that time, exposure to light and uncontrolled climate conditions caused the dress to significantly deteriorate. Though it received conservation treatment in 1982, the dress remains among the most fragile artifacts in the museum’s collection and has stayed in a climate-controlled storage area to preserve its current condition. In order to display the dress and stop its deterioration, it will require conservation treatment and a custom, state-of-the-art mount for display and storage.

What is the dress's current condition?

In preparation for its 100th birthday, in 1982 the dress was documented, disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled using the most sophisticated techniques of that time. Over the past decade, the wedding dress’s condition has been thoroughly assessed and documented several times, with the most recent assessment in last January showing that many of the previous repairs are now unsecured and fraying, tears in the silk and the trim are worsening, and the pleated hem is creased due to its long-term storage folded in a box. The lace is yellowed, stiff,  and fragile, and its vulnerable location at the bottom edges of the long train makes it susceptible to damage.

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What goes into conserving the dress?

Textile conservator Paulette Reading and former History Colorado Registrar Kimberly Kromwell have collaborated on an extensive conservation plan in consultation with textile conservator Allison McCloskey to halt further deterioration of the gown and mitigate possible damage due to handling. The museum has commissioned a custom-made “invisible” form on which  the dress will remain during both display and  storage. The form will stand on a wheeled platform,therefore minimizing handling during transportation.  When stored, the gown will be protected from light and dust beneath a layer covering of Tyvek, or an archival dust cover, and a blackout cloth.
 
While the custom form will mitigate further creasing of  the dress, gravity will still pull at its seams. This stress on the dress will be alleviated by attaching a lining made of  a complimentary silk fabric to the interior of the gown, thereby  reinforcing  the skirt at the waistband. Additionally, the conservator will relax the pleated trim using humidification or aqueous techniques with a vacuum suction disc. These steps will restore the gown closer to its original condition and preserve it for future display and research. 

Once the restoration is complete, our team will also do a 3-D scan of the restored dress that will be posted on-line so that people across the world can experience its magnificence and beauty up close!

Where will the dress be displayed?

Once the gown is restored, in addition to its online 3-D presence, the actual dress will be displayed as the star piece in an upcoming exhibition at the Center for Colorado Women’s History. This exhibit  will center Colorado women’s stories to examine the complexities and reception of women’s power, agency, desires, and reputations throughout time. 

What is the Center for Colorado Women’s History?

The Center for Colorado Women’s History is a history museum that focuses on the bold stories, memories, and experiences of women of Colorado. Located in the heart of Denver, The Center offers bold exhibits, personalized tours, and special events year-round. Take a stroll through our museum on a 45-minute guided tour, or stop by for a quick visit to our gift shop and gardens.

The Center is located within an Italianate style historic home built in 1883, and restored to the 1912-1924 period. Guests who choose to tour the museum will find themselves surrounded by domestic objects and art of a bygone era. See keepsakes and mementos from the past, while hearing remarkable stories of Colorado’s women pioneers. Learners of all ages are welcome to participate.

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