For nearly a decade, sleuths had tried to decode a cryptic note discovered in the silk bustle dress. An analyst finally cracked the case.
Sara Rivers Cofield was on her usual search for interesting period clothing about a decade ago when she noticed what appeared to be a “textbook” silk bustle dress from the 1800s at an antique mall in Maine.
The bronze-colored dress was in good condition, with a draped skirt, puffy bustle, and metal buttons that appeared to depict a Shakespearean motif. Ms. Rivers Cofield, an archaeologist, bought it for $100. Little did she know that the garment also contained a mystery: A secret pocket with a cryptic note.
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