Eliza Lucas Pinckney’s Robe à la Française with Virginia Theerman, Curator of Historic Textiles

Charleston SC played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War. Therefore, a good portion of the Charleston Museum’s collection focuses on 18th century material culture. One of the shining gems in the Historic Textiles Collection is the robe à la française, c. 1753, worn by Eliza Lucas Pinckney. The robe à la française, or “dress in the French style” is characterized by full box pleats hanging from the shoulders, three quarter sleeves with full layered cuffs, a narrow conical bodice, and a full skirt with prominent hips. Pinckney’s largest contributions to South Carolina history were the successful production of indigo and silk on two of her plantations, Wappoo and Belmont. Though she was very knowledgeable and invested in botany and agricultural work, she would not have been so fortunate without the labor and expertise of enslaved people, whose oppression built her wealth many times over.
In conjunction with The Charleston Museum's 250th anniversary in 2023, the Museum will release a monthly video to highlight important objects in the collections. We invite you to check back monthly to explore each object with our curatorial staff.