Weddings of Yore

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on," "Love," "Friendship," "Hate," or "Kiss me."

Lace, paper, gauze, and milky mother-of-pearl fans show the signals. Nearby are local wedding artifacts dating from 1803 to 1945, including seventeen gowns.

Over half of the gowns show now unconventional colors, such as burgundy, golden brown, apricot, and black. One (right) was worn by Eunice Fitea at her 1906 marriage to U-M football coach Fielding H. Yost. "The football team sent him a silver service," notes a sign.

A nearby case displays marriage documents. One tiny paper with a couple of handwritten sentences serves as a marriage license, far simpler than the modern-day version available downtown that resembles the IRS's form 1040 .

A booklet from Minnie Frederick's 1908 bridal shower shows wedding-related thoughts and responses. Responses to "articles needed for a housekeeping beginner" include the invaluable "cuspidor" and "lemon squeezer" as well as "pancake turner and girdle" (presumably for lumpy pancakes).