Vintage Prom Picture and the Upside-Down Flower (1900)

While perusing a pile of photos at a local antique store, my wife came upon a vintage picture of a woman wearing a flower upside down.  It was striking due to the large size of the flower backed by an equally large fern leaf.  There are few things more exciting than finding something you can’t explain.  Why would someone wear a large flower upside down and look so happy doing it?

As it turns out, in the early 1900s’ it was common for a young man to bring a bouquet of flowers as a present to the parents when escorting their daughter to a prom (aka promenade).  He would then select one of the blossoms as the corsage and fasten it to her shoulder with a ribbon and pin.  In this case our eager young suitor went one further and added a nice fern leaf.

Since finding this picture we have found one contemporary wedding photo with the husband and bride wearing smaller white flowers upside down.

Girls name: Ollie Cordes?

Photo Credits: Photographer Cassius Alley

Location: 1050 Virginia Avenue, Old Rhone Prospect 762, Indianapolis, Ind.