Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
Sarah Rogers was browsing an online auction site when she came across a stunning vintage dress. The dress was made of silk and velvet, and had a floral pattern and a lace collar. It was dated to the 1860s, and had a starting bid of $50. Rogers, a fashion enthusiast and a history buff, was intrigued by the dress and decided to buy it.
When the dress arrived, Rogers was delighted by its beauty and craftsmanship. She carefully examined the dress, admiring its details and imagining its past. She noticed that the dress had a label that read “Mrs. H.A. Crosby, Dress and Cloak Maker, 7 Winter St., Boston”. She wondered who Mrs. Crosby was, and who wore the dress.
As she turned the dress inside out, she made a surprising discovery. She found a piece of paper sewn into the hem of the skirt. The paper was yellowed and torn, but still legible. It had a series of numbers and letters, arranged in four rows. It looked like a code.
Rogers was puzzled and curious. She had no idea what the paper meant, or why it was hidden in the dress. She took a photo of the paper and posted it on Facebook, asking her friends if they knew anything about it. She also contacted the auction site, hoping to get more information about the dress and its previous owner.
The post went viral, attracting thousands of comments and shares. Many people offered their theories and suggestions, trying to crack the code. Some said it was a cipher, a method of encrypting messages using a key. Others said it was a shorthand, a system of writing words using symbols and abbreviations. Some even said it was a hoax, a prank played by the seller or the buyer.
Rogers was overwhelmed by the response, but also fascinated by the mystery. She decided to investigate further, and contacted some experts in cryptography, history, and fashion. She also did some research on her own, using online databases and archives. She learned more about the dress and the paper, and uncovered some clues and possibilities.
The dress was made by Mrs. H.A. Crosby, a dressmaker who had a shop in Boston in the 1860s. She was known for her elegant and fashionable designs, and had many wealthy and prominent clients. She was also a supporter of the abolitionist movement, and was involved in the Underground Railroad, a network of people who helped enslaved African Americans escape to freedom.
The paper was likely a note or a letter, written by or to someone who wore the dress. The code was probably a way of hiding the message from prying eyes, especially during the Civil War, when communication was risky and monitored. The code could have been a personal or a political secret, or both.
The code could have been related to the Underground Railroad, as some of the numbers and letters matched the names and locations of some of the stations and conductors. For example, the number 18 could have referred to Levi Coffin, a Quaker abolitionist who was known as the “President of the Underground Railroad”. He lived in Indiana, which was the 18th state to join the Union. The letter C could have stood for Canada, the destination of many fugitives.
The code could have also been related to a love affair, as some of the numbers and letters matched the initials and dates of some of the people who were connected to the dress. For example, the number 12 and the letter L could have referred to Lucy Larcom, a poet and a friend of Mrs. Crosby. She was born on March 12, and her first name started with L. She had a romantic relationship with John Greenleaf Whittier, a poet and an abolitionist, who also had a connection to the dress. He wrote a poem called “The Dressmaker”, which was dedicated to Mrs. Crosby.
The code could have also been a combination of both, as some of the people who were involved in the Underground Railroad also had romantic ties. For example, Harriet Tubman, a famous conductor and a spy, married John Tubman, a free black man, in 1844. She later married Nelson Davis, a former slave, in 1869. Both of her husbands had the initials N.D., which appeared in the code.
Rogers was amazed by the findings, and felt a deeper connection to the dress and the paper. She realized that the dress was not just a piece of clothing, but a piece of history and a piece of art. She decided to keep the dress and the paper, and to display them in her home. She also decided to write a book about the story, and to share it with the world.
Rogers’s story is a testament to the power and the mystery of vintage fashion. It shows that behind every dress, there is a story. A story of the people who made it, who wore it, who loved it. A story of the times and the places where it was worn. A story of the secrets and the messages that it hid. A story that can be revealed, if one knows how to look.
