Courtesy of Western Reserve Historical Society
The wedding dress you see here is part of our core exhibition. Is it familiar? The garment was on display when the Maltz Museum first opened in 2005. For preservation purposes, it was later rotated out and replaced with the darker Halle dress that was on view until a couple of weeks ago. Those who pay keen attention to detail will notice a little difference above the waist. The silk gown came with two bodices and we are now showing the second option.
Bertha Stearn wore this dress when she married Isaac Levy in 1871. The following year, her brother Abraham would become her husband’s partner in a successful new novelty store called Levy & Stearn. The firm, which imported and dealt in fancy goods, toys, wooden and willowware, traced its origins back to Moses, Levy & Co. on Superior Avenue. It later became Stearn & Co. on Euclid Avenue.
1890, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Other objects in An American Story reference the Levy and Stearn families. One prominent example is the area of the exhibit that focuses on the Jewish Community Federation. Abraham Stearn and Isaac Levy were among the 13 men that served on the first Board of Trustees for The Federation of Jewish Charities in 1904.
To see more of the dress and its installation by our partners at the Western Reserve Historical Society, click here.
—Lindsay Miller, Registrar & Exhibitions Coordinator
