Four Centuries on the Seabed, The Dresses from the Palmwood Wreck I Museum Kaap Skil 

Sadly no patterns or diagrams are currently available, as the textile research results are not yet ready for publication.

Absolutely! I kept wanting to see more of the Clothing and less of the curators :) What a find!!! Makes you wonder what else must be out there!

@@MuseumKaapSkil Are there possibly any plans to publish the patterns and the findings of the research once it's complete, then? It's fascinating! Truly, what a find!

@@Tinuviel788 The School of Historical Dress is working on it 👍

@@MuseumKaapSkil Oh wonderful, thank you so much, that's such great news!

This would be absolutely wonderful! 🙏🏻😍

Sadly no patterns or diagrams are currently available, as the textile research results are not yet ready for publication.

What would be even more incredible is if a portrait turned up showing the woman wearing the actual dress. The chances of that happening are miniscule probably but how great would that be?

"Terrible loss"? A loss, I suppose! But remember those were rich people living at the costs of their poor citizens and peasants they were constantly exploiting! Normal people wore second hand clothes , those were handyman, construction workers or employees who were not poor in the sense of the word! But the poor people didn 't wear "clothes" , just pieces of fabric stuff and had absolutely nothing to eat! And those rich nobles didn 't feel any remorse for treating them badly and exploiting them ! So don 't talk about "terrible loss"! Shortly after the sinking this rich lady surely had another precious gown of her own!

@@sabine4759 You would be correct for some lower class people. However, at that time, in that region, most people were not that badly off. As for the attitude of the rich, I think you are sadly also correct. Religious convictions would mean frequent donations to the poor though, buying their way to heaven, sort of. We are generalising a fair bit though. We are also assuming the lady owner either wasn't on the ship, or survived the wreck, which isn't at all sure.

You are assuming the lady owner either wasn't on the ship, or survived the wreck, which isn't at all sure.

​@@derekrea4876 There is another video of this dress where a letter was written: Experts on the English House of Stuart found a letter written on March 17, 1642, from Princess Elizabeth Stuart, who mentioned that her sister-in-law Henrietta's baggage ships had gone down, carrying vessels from her private chapel, as well as the clothing of her ladies-in-waiting. So it sounds like this was just packed up to move from one place to another after the owner had already arrived at their destination.

This is one of the issues that has also puzzled researchers. There are dozens of wrecks in the vicinity, but none of them have yielded any textiles in a presentable state. Even a woollen sock in an advanced state of degradation is a rare find, leading to the conclusion that local underwater conditions are very detrimental to the survival of textile fibres. So what’s different here? We suspect that the gowns were exposed to almost no oxygen for centuries, and oxygen is a prime driver of decay. They were stored in heavy chests, while the wreck itself was submerged beneath the sediment for most of its existence, only recently washing free. In that sense, the divers were likely at the right place at the right time, before further decay could occur.

@@MuseumKaapSkil Thank you for the breakdown! What incredible good luck!

Incredible! How beautiful! Thank you

​@@MuseumKaapSkil- were they any remains found with the ship or is it presumed that all/most survived? Had the shop been identified?

I think it has to do with the silver that's sewn directly into the garment. Silver is a natural preservative and may have given some sort of antimicrobial benefit to the garment. 🤓

I can't say for sure here, but in general, objects under water that are completely buried by mud stand a very good chance of staying in much better condition than one can expect otherwise. The Vasa is a good example.

This is one of the issues that has also puzzled researchers. There are dozens of wrecks in the vicinity, but none of them have yielded any textiles in a presentable state. Even a woollen sock in an advanced state of degradation is a rare find, leading to the conclusion that local underwater conditions are very detrimental to the survival of textile fibres. So what’s different here? We suspect that the gowns were exposed to almost no oxygen for centuries, and oxygen is a prime driver of decay. They were stored in heavy chests, while the wreck itself was submerged beneath the sediment for most of its existence, only recently washing free. In that sense, the divers were likely at the right place at the right time, before further decay could occur.

@@MuseumKaapSkil Whatever the case, it is a truly glorious find!

@@MuseumKaapSkil A case from NYC comes to mind. When they were building out into the Hudson River, the were doing some excavation work along the existing shore and the uncover wooden beams that were centuries old but just like new. The conclusion they made was that the mud had blocked out all the oxygen that might have penetrated into the wood. And that makes me think of another case. The state of New Jersey once had magnificent stands of white cedar trees that were old growth timber. During the 17th century these were mostly all cut down, but during the 19th century it was discovered that cedar trees had been falling over into the swamps for centuries, and that if one dug down into the mud once could pull them up and they were as good as new when in some cases, they were a great many centuries old. Sometime a couple decades ago I was talking to a man who had helped construct the foundation for a nuclear plant along the Jersey Shore. We discussed the cedar trees and he just nodded and said that when he was drilling preliminary test bore holes, on several occasions he found pieces of good quality cedar among that material taken up by the boring. He said that was found about 70 feet down in the mud.

@@thomasjamison2050 Wow!

The archaeological work currently does not point to a certain disaster (like fire or war), it is evident that it a horrible tragedy has happened. A terrible storm is the likely culprit, which can result in ships capsizing or crashing into sandbanks.

Sadly no patterns or diagrams are currently available, as the textile research results are not yet ready for publication.

It would be great to sew a completely new dress and show it on a puppet! 😍

Sadly no patterns or diagrams are currently available, as the textile research results are not yet ready for publication.

@@MuseumKaapSkil But they will be one day? 🙏🏻🥹

@@emmaorlich7427 The School of Historical Dress is working on it 👍

Maybe you like to visit the German Museum in Nürnberg one day. They got clothes, too, but older than this dress (i would love to see it!).

@@emmaorlich7427 Yes that would be nice.

They were stored alongside each other and thus in similar conditions, so that likely is not the reason for this big difference. Our working theory is that the silver is to blame: silver oxidates (rusts) in marine environments like most metals, and the silver on this gown is very deteriorated. This has had a strong impact on the silk fibers, as rust tends to demolish everything it touches. The other gown was more ‘plain’ and barely featured any metal accessories, which ironically led to a better survival.

Thank you for satisfying my curiosity.

Comments are closed so I cannot ask the question. Where and how was this found please?

@@patricialewis1464 The dresses were found near the island Texel in the Wadden Sea (Netherlands). More information about the ship wreck can be found on our website: kaapskil.nl/en/files/file-palmwood-wreck/

Hi Jan, we will post more video's on the details of the clothing soon (with English subtitles).

@@MuseumKaapSkil I look forward to that, thank you for letting me know.

You can still see the costly weave of the fabric❤ how wonderful!😊

Thanks for you interest and feedback @stephannerudder9349 On our website you can find more information and pictures: kaapskil.nl/en/discover/collection-highlights/the-wedding-dress-from-the-palmwood-wreck/

Thank you for your interest! On our website you can find more information about the wreck (and the other finds from the ship): kaapskil.nl/en/the-palmwood-wreck/ In the follow-up video on RU-vid, the first part also tells more about the location in the wreck where the finds were made: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3xU5jXWhBaA.html

Thanks for the positive feedback. We will definitely do that in a sequel! On our website you can find many more photos and information on the finds from this ship. Maybe you'll find it interesting? kaapskil.nl/en/files/file-palmwood-wreck/

Thank you!

Research has shown that it was probably a wedding dress, but it could have been meant for an other special moment as well. What we do know is that it must have been one of the most unusual dresses which a lady from the higher social classes of Western Europe would have worn in her life. The dress was suitable for special occasions such as engagements, coronations and marriages. If it was worn as a wedding dress, the bride would have been the dazzling centrepiece of the marriage ceremony.

It’s always very difficult to determine the origins and destination of wrecked ship from this period, as there very little in the way of writing or engraving left on the wreck itself. It’s usually a question of looking at the ship’s construction methods (in this case, very likely Dutch, from the Amsterdam region), and the main cargo it was carrying. Though most of the cargo was not salvaged, the main goods (boxwood, ceramics, mastic and aniseed) that were seen all strongly point to the Mediterranean region. This suggests that it was Dutch merchantman returning from that area. This would mean that the gowns boarded the ship somewhere along that route (with or without their owners). Its still just an educated guess, as anything was for sale on the Amsterdam staple market, but it is the working theory at this moment in time.

Nobody knows..... Rich people, says the dress. And another rich dress.... A lot of ships are sunken overthere in those times. The people on Texel speak Texelsdutch, ;-) .

You are very welcome @Iamsquirrel Texel is a very interesting and beautiful island tot visit! On our website you can find more info on the museum and the exhibitions in English if you like: kaapskil.nl/en/ There is also lots of info on the Palmwood wreck: kaapskil.nl/en/files/file-palmwood-wreck/

@@MuseumKaapSkil WOW! Thank You! I didn’t know that the island existed. Dutch is cool with me. I have 2 Dutch ancestors (grandparents)from Amsterdam. They were part of the colony that settled New Amsterdam aka New Netherland. They lived on Bridge Street! I will follow your links.

That's interesting! ​ @IamSquirrel Thanks for sharing 👍

English subtitles are available @maricogan2903 👍You can choose the language at the gear icon at the bottom right of the screen. You can also try this link if it doesn't work: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CTCAw3sXxJg.html

I clicked on CC and got them. I also slowed the video down to 75% and stopped frequently because I just couldn't look at the beautiful dress and read too!

Thank you for your interest! On our website you can find more information about the dresses, the wreck and the other finds from the ship: kaapskil.nl/en/files/file-palmwood-wreck/ In the follow-up video on RU-vid,there is some more information about the wreck and the other finds as well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3xU5jXWhBaA.html

I enjoyed reading that until the last sentence. As a black person knowing they had slave shackles just makes my heart sink

​@@cynthiaholland13In order to dislike the last sentence , it is not necessary that one is to be 'black' .

Yes it’s a tragedy that Africans have enslaved & sold other Africans (& others) for 1000s of years, & continue to do so. The British in particular did everything they could to stop Africans doing this in the 1800s, sacrificing 3000+ British lives, & an incredible amount of money. Although they helped many, ultimately the practice continues. Unfortunately modern groups like B LM & their massive corporate funders do literally *nothing* to end slavery.

Thank you for your interest! On our website you can find more information about the wreck (and the other finds from the ship): kaapskil.nl/en/the-palmwood-wreck/ In the follow-up video on RU-vid, the first part also tells more about the location in the wreck where the finds were made: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3xU5jXWhBaA.html

No, this ‘cloth of silver’ is all about prestige, glamour and ostentatious displays of wealth. It was hugely expensive and one of the biggest and fashionable eye-catchers available - truly a Cinderella gown.

English subtitles are available @nw8000, you can click the cc and gear icon on the video to get them. On our website you can find information about the dresses, the wreck and the other finds from the ship in English as well: kaapskil.nl/en/files/file-palmwood-wreck/

This is one of the issues that has also puzzled researchers. There are dozens of wrecks in the vicinity, but none of them have yielded any textiles in a presentable state. Even a woollen sock in an advanced state of degradation is a rare find, leading to the conclusion that local underwater conditions are very detrimental to the survival of textile fibres. So what’s different here? We suspect that the gowns were exposed to almost no oxygen for centuries, and oxygen is a prime driver of decay. They were stored in heavy chests, while the wreck itself was submerged beneath the sediment for most of its existence, only recently washing free. In that sense, the divers were likely at the right place at the right time, before further decay could occur.

As the fabric of this gown was woven in with silver. I think that the antimicrobial property of that metal may have retarded the degradation of the silk which also resists degradation. That and the lack of oxygen may have all combined to preserve the gown.

The two dresses were stored alongside each other and thus in similar conditions, so that likely is not the reason for this big difference in preservation. Our working theory is that the silver is to blame: silver oxidates (rusts) in marine environments like most metals, and the silver on this gown is very deteriorated. This has had a strong impact on the silk fibers, as rust tends to demolish everything it touches. The other gown was more ‘plain’ and barely featured any metal accessories, which ironically led to a better survival.

Is it possible that the silver itself contributed to the preservation? Silver and most silver compounds are toxic for bacteria, algae, and fungi.

Sadly no patterns or diagrams are currently available, as the textile research results are not yet ready for publication.

They must have been wrapped or encased in some sort of material in a case or chest.which preserved them. That's my reasoning.

It was covered in mud and sediment shortly after sinking. From the CNN article about this and other Texel shipwrecks: “Many of the ships disintegrated over time - but the shipwrecks immediately covered in mud and sediment experienced a slower rate of decay.”

Lovely!! Thank you to those who rescued all these historical treasures!!🤗💖And a big THANK you as well to those who love history and work so hard to preserve these articles!!👑🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is one of the issues that has also puzzled researchers. There are dozens of wrecks in the vicinity, but none of them have yielded any textiles in a presentable state. Even a woollen sock in an advanced state of degradation is a rare find, leading to the conclusion that local underwater conditions are very detrimental to the survival of textile fibres. So what’s different here? We suspect that the gowns were exposed to almost no oxygen for centuries, and oxygen is a prime driver of decay. They were stored in heavy chests, while the wreck itself was submerged beneath the sediment for most of its existence, only recently washing free. In that sense, the divers were likely at the right place at the right time, before further decay could occur.

Misschien omdat er geen zuurstof bij kon komen? Atie.

A voluminous report has been written (in Dutch) but it is currently sold out. There is talk of a sequel, but it's unclear if that will happen. We will certainly let you know on our website if there is more clarity. kaapskil.nl/actueel/nieuws/documentaire-en-boek-over-onderzoek-aan-palmhoutwrak-collectie/

The cloth of silver consists of straight strips of silver that have been woven into the fabric. The pattern is shaped in the weaving process, by varying the quantity of threads drawn over (or underneath) the silver strip to suit the desired pattern.

Sadly no patterns or diagrams are currently available, as the textile research results are not yet ready for publication.

Exactly, his ‘cloth of silver’ is all about prestige, glamour and ostentatious displays of wealth. It was hugely expensive and one of the biggest and fashionable eye-catchers available - truly a Cinderella gown.