Butters, the wife of a local politician, was known for her extravagant fancy dress sense during the Victorian gold rush era. The lavish Press Dress is a silk gown of flowing cream colour with 14 Melbourne newspaper front pages and 18 mastheads printed all over. The dress was considered one of Butters’ most impressive creations, receiving rave reviews at the time. According to the Age newspaper:
“The character has been attempted both in London and Paris, with all the facilities for its representation afforded by the resources of these great cities, but in both instances it was a failure. In Melbourne it was a marked success.”
Mrs Butters topped her outfit off with a spangled headdress which declared ‘Liberty to the Press’. When other women were intent on playing it safe, Butters went well beyond the point of expected decorum in making a statement. The famous dress underwent a complete restoration in 2007, with the State Library of Victoria Carnival of Curiosity exhibition attracting a lot of attention.
The Print remains exceptionally clear, which is a tribute to the quality and durability of traditional news ink. The dress displays images of the Town Hall, a cover of the satirical Punch magazine, plus regular titbits of daily journalism. The dress also directed positive attention toward Mrs Butters’ husband, who in 1867 became Lord Mayor of Melbourne. Documents detailing Melbourne’s early history are becoming increasingly valuable, with printing company preservation techniques transforming them into attractive collectables.
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