Hem Weights

​Donated by Ruby Lindsay

Hem weights were often sewn into the hem of a woman’s dress prior to baptism to keep the water from floating her dress up in a revealing manner. These circa 1900 weights were discovered in an old suitcase purchased at an auction in Winslow (Washington County).

Baptism at Slicker Pool near Winslow, Arkansas, circa 1913.

Baptism at Slicker Pool near Winslow, circa 1913. Robert Winn Collection (S-84-2-33)