THROWBACK THURSDAY: The Quinceañera of Evelyn Herbold

Evelyn Herbold, then Maria Evelyn Leal Garcia, held a quinceañera around the time of her 15th birthday, August 23, 1968.

The dress was worn with snug-fitting, heeled, white leather boots that fastened and unfastened with two special button hooks; the boots were custom made for her in Saltillo. The fabric, from Italy, was purchased by the donor’s mother in McAllen, Texas, and the dress was made by a woman in Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The dress originally had separate crinolines under the skirt. The donor also wore a  pink rebozo with the dress. 

The mass for the quinceañera took place at the church of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe and the reception at Casino Petrolero, both in Reynosa. The donor’s chambelan (escort) was her cousin Maurilio Leal, who wore a charro outfit.

 The dress and photographs are currently housed in the museum’s Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives.