Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly was born into slavery in 1818. Keckly's mother, who was also a slave, taught Elizabeth how to sew in between doing various chores on the plantation. And Elizabeth also taught herself how to read. She was forced to work for a seamstress to make money for her slave-master, and in doing so created a large enough clientele to borrow enough money to buy her son and herself out of slavery. She then made her way to Washington D.C. were she started her own business, expressing to her clients that her dream was to be the official "modiste" of the White House. Word spread and Keckly was soon asked to design and construct an inaguration gown for Mary Todd Lincoln (President Abraham Lincoln's wife). The Lincoln's loved the gown so much that Elizabeth was asked to become Mary Lincoln's official dressmaker. Pop the top to see the dress Elizabeth Keckly designed for Mrs. Lincoln...
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Mary Todd Lincoln wearing her inauguration gown designed by Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly |
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