Changing Clothes in China: Fashion, History, and Nation Rental
Apparel and Heritage: Chinese American Apparel from the Virginia Lee Mead Collection
Lee B. Lok (1869—1942) immigrated to San Francisco from the Tai shan District, Guangdong Province, Red china in 1881. Before long later arrival he moved to New York City'southward Chinatown where he worked in the Quong Yuen Shing & Co. general store. With some English skills he became caput of the store in 1894 allowing him to upgrade his identity papers from "coolie" to "merchant." This alter in status exempted him from the restrictions imposed by the Chinese Exclusion Human activity of 1882 which barred the entry of Chinese laborers who had not already been in the United States. This change enabled Lee to marry Ng Shee in China circa 1900 and render to New York. Living above the store at 32 Mott Street, the couple raised seven children.
In New York, Lee founded the Chinese Merchants Association, and in 1918 he was recognized as a prominent fellow member of the Chinese community; however U.S. laws prohibited him from becoming an American citizen. His children all attended higher becoming teachers, doctors and business organisation people.
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Folio ane of one
-
1895 - 1900 Chinese American Man's Slippers
- Description (Cursory)
- Mr. Lee only wore these slippers in his home or with his traditional Chinese apparel on special occasions. The slipper sole was thick, flat, inelastic, and shorter than the upper sole to give enough spring for walking.
- For much of his early life, the Chinese New year's day was Lee's just day of rest from the Quong Yuen Shing & Co. general shop and a time when he might wear these slippers.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date fabricated
- ca 1896
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.27.a-b
- catalog number
- 1992.0620.27.a-b
- accession number
- 1992.0620
- catalog number
- 1992.0620.27a-b
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
1895 - 1896 Chinese American Man's Gown
- Clarification (Cursory)
- Lee B. Lok (1869-1942) immigrated to San Francisco from Guangdong Province, China in 1881 and presently afterwards moved to New York Urban center'south Chinatown where he worked in the Quong Yuen Shing & Co. store.
- Lee B. Lok ordered this gown from China to wear at the 1896 arrival anniversary in New York of Li Hongzhang, emissary of the Empress Dowager of Mainland china. Presently later on Lee came to America he abandoned Chinese clothes for daily use and cut his queue. Still on special occasions Lee wore clothing that identified him as Chinese. This Manchu mode gown splits at the back, front, and both sides to allow for easy movement on horseback – a reflection of the Manchu people'southward equestrian groundwork.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- appointment fabricated
- ca 1896
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.24
- catalog number
- 1992.0620.24
- accretion number
- 1992.0620
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
1900 Chinese Woman'southward Slippers for Bound Feet
- Description
- Mrs. Lee had bound feet her unabridged life. Her daughter, Grace Mok, noted in an oral history that her limited mobility and difficulty in walking required her to be accompanied wherever she went. Though these are not Ng Shee Lee's shoes, they are like to those she wore.
- Human foot binding in Communist china may take originated as early on every bit 900 Advertizing. Though outlawed past the conquering Manchus in the 17th century, the Han Chinese retained the social practice into the 20th century.
- Location
- Currently non on view
- date fabricated
- 1900
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- AG.A.2937
- accession number
- 1926.93542
- catalog number
- A.2937
- A002937
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
1900 - 1910 Chinese American Adult female's Blouse
- Description (Brief)
- In America, Mrs. Lee wore this tunic-length satin blouse with side buttons fabricated from 1890 Hong Kong coins. The generously cutting blouse or sam, oftentimes reaching the calf, was worn over trousers.
- Mrs. Lee wore traditional Chinese wearing apparel when she occasionally accompanied her children to the local moving-picture show houses. According to her daughter Grace, since she did not understand English she made up her own storyline to accompany the films' images.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- appointment made
- ca 1905
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.08
- itemize number
- 1992.0620.08
- accession number
- 1992.0620
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
1906 Chinese Immigrant'southward Lacquer Body
- Description (Cursory)
- In 1906 Ng Shee Lee packed her clothes and belongings in this torso and left Cathay for America. It was a hard trip. She slept next to the noisy engine room; arriving tired and ill in San Francisco she was met by the devastating 1906 earthquake. Ng Shee so fabricated her mode alone by railroad train across Canada to New York where she rejoined her married man, Lee B. Lok.
- Clarification
- In 1906 Nge Shee Lee packed her clothes and holding in this trunk and left China for America. It was a difficult trip. She slept next to the noisy engine room; arriving tired and sick in San Francisco she was met by the devastating 1906 earthquake. Ng Shee then made her way lonely past train across Canada to New York where she rejoined her husband.
- date made
- ca 1906
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.01
- catalog number
- 1992.0620.01
- accession number
- 1992.0620
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
1915 - 1925 Chinese American Girl'due south Trousers
- Description (Brief)
- Ane of the Lee daughters wore this casual Chinese-manner outfit on special occasions, for none of the children wore Chinese dress for every mean solar day wear. The trouser band or fu tau , translated equally the "head of the trousers," was folded over and secured with a chugalug or string and covered by the vest.
- Lee B. Lok, his married woman Ng Shee, and their 7 children lived above the Quong Yuen Shing & Co. store in New York City's Chinatown. Though the children wore Western clothes and participated in the local Scout troop and other clubs, their parents required them to attend Chinese school each solar day, from 4-7 PM.
- engagement made
- ca 1920
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.10
- catalog number
- 1992.0620.ten
- accession number
- 1992.0620
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
1919 Chinese American Infant Bonnet
- Description (Brief)
- Mrs. Lee made this "canis familiaris head" bonnet for her but son, Peter. Chinese mothers traditionally dressed their one year old children in such bonnets to protect them from evil spirits. According to lore, if evil forces met the child they would pass past, thinking it were an brute, and of no value. Fur lines the bonnet'southward "dog's ears" and the padded wool of the hat lined Peter's head.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1919
- maker
- Lee Ng Shee
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.07
- catalog number
- 1992.0620.07
- accretion number
- 1992.0620
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
1895 - 1905 Chinese American Woman's Skirt
- Description (Cursory)
- Ng Shee (1874 - ?) had this two paneled brim as well as trousers made in Hong Kong at the time of her marriage to Mr. Lee B. Lok in China around 1900. After the marriage Ng Shee lived with her mother in law in China until she joined Mr. Lee in New York City in 1906.
- The pleated skirt was often worn with a rectangular apron or wei chu'u over a pair of matching trousers.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- engagement made
- ca 1900
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.xx
- accretion number
- 1992.0620
- catalog number
- 1992.0620.20
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
1895 - 1905 Chinese American Woman'due south Trousers
- Description (Cursory)
- Ng Shee (1874 - ?) had this two paneled brim also as trousers made in Hong Kong at the time of her spousal relationship to Mr. Lee B. Lok in Communist china around 1900. Later on the wedlock Ng Shee lived with her mother in law in China until she joined Mr. Lee in New York Urban center in 1906.
- The pair of matching trousers was often worn nether the pleated skirt with a rectangular apron or wei chu'u.
- Location
- Currently non on view
- date made
- ca 1900
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.21
- catalog number
- 1992.0620.21
- accession number
- 1992.0620
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Circa 1930 Women's Gown (cheong sam)
- Description
- The donor, Virginia Lee, posed in a similar cheong sam for a United states of america Globe State of war II poster and for the "Miss China" contest in New York. Also known as a qu pao, the Chinese traditional loose dress shape was modified by Western designers in the 1920's to be more close-plumbing equipment to accentuate a woman's figure. The contradistinct dress class became broadly pop in the U.s. as evening wearable in the late 1950'southward and 1960's.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date fabricated
- ca 1930
- user
- Mead, Virginia Lee
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.16
- catalog number
- 1992.0620.16
- accession number
- 1992.0620
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
1915 - 1925 Chinese American Girl'southward Vest
- Description (Brief)
- One of the Lee daughters wore this casual Chinese-style outfit on special occasions, for none of the children wore Chinese dress for every mean solar day wear. The trouser band or fu tau , translated as the "head of the trousers," was folded over and secured with a belt or cord and covered by the belong.
- Lee B. Lok, his married woman Ng Shee, and their seven children lived in a higher place the Quong Yuen Shing & Co. shop in New York City's Chinatown. Though the children wore Western clothes and participated in the local Scout troop and other clubs, their parents required them to nourish Chinese school each twenty-four hour period, from 4-7 PM.
- date made
- ca 1920
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.11
- catalog number
- 1992.0620.xi
- accession number
- 1992.0620
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
1925 - 1930 Chinese American Woman's Skirt
- Description (Brief)
- Mrs. Lee ordered this skirt from China to habiliment on formal occasions, such equally weddings. The waistband, of a different material, was covered past a blouse.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- engagement made
- ca 1930
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 2000.0274.02
- accretion number
- 2000.0274
- itemize number
- 2000.0274.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
1936 Chinese American Babe Carrier
- Clarification (Brief)
- In America, Mrs. Lee fabricated this decorated carrier for her granddaughter, Jade. Chinese women carried children on their back in carriers such as this. The child saturday in the carrier with their anxiety around the mother'southward waist; the four strips of fabric at each corner knotted at the parents' front end.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- engagement made
- 1936
- maker
- Lee Ng Shee
- ID Number
- 1992.0620.03
- itemize number
- 1992.0620.03
- accession number
- 1992.0620
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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