Shrewsbury servicewoman's designer army dress on display at town museum
The dress was designed by the London fashion house Worth in 1962.
A designer army dress worn by a Shrewsbury servicewoman has gone on display at a county museum.
The display of the dress, which belonged to Major Joan Crooke and was worn at formal army social occasions, marks the first time that a servicewoman’s uniform has been exhibited at Shrewsbury’s Soldiers of Shropshire Museum.
It comes following the completion of conservation work on the garment.
Joan’s dress was acquired by the museum team in late 2024, representing the first substantial example of a servicewoman’s uniform to enter the museum’s collection.
Thanks to a project grant from the Association of Independent Museums, the dress, along with Joan’s associated purse, underwent conservation work in 2025.
Joan, who grew up in Shrewsbury, pursued a distinguished career in army education and training.
After beginning her service during the Second World War, she retired from the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) and returned to Shrewsbury in 1972.
Her eye-catching rayon dress was designed for the WRAC by the London fashion house Worth in 1962.
Within Joan’s purse the museum team found a small black plastic cat, a pink comb, and a mirror.
Dr Robert MacKinnon from the museum, said that the dress had reddish-orange stains - potentially from tomato soup.
The museum’s director, Richard Gough, prioritised conservation work before displaying the unique items. This included the removal of creases and the food stains from the dress.
Visitors can now see the results of the treatment undertaken by textile conservator Michelle Harper, funded by the Pilgrim Trust and the Julia Rausing Trust.
The dress’s fuller shape has been restored through humidification.
However, some of the stains could not be removed without risking damage to the fabric.
Instead their appearance has been visually softened through an overlay of nylon netting- although the museum team has deliberately drawn attention to them in the display.
Dr MacKinnon said: “They humanise the dress, in that something as refined and exclusive as haute couture is disrupted by something as ordinary and everyday as tomato soup and spilling it, an experience most of us have had.”
Joan’s dress, along with her purse and its contents, has been given a prominent position along the museum’s visitor route at Shrewsbury Castle.
The display, staged by Mr Gough, evokes the atmosphere of a 1960s to 1970s officers’ mess or dance hall with parquet-style flooring and a small card or side table used to present her purse and its contents.
Mr Gough said: “The display represents a massive step towards ensuring our collections reflect a more modern army as well as attracting a broader audience to the museum.
“Thanks to our team and to the Association of Independent Museums for making this possible.”
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