Emotional reunion for 104 woman with childhood dress at Scottish museum
The 104-year-old woman, who lives in a care home in Edinburgh, was emotionally reunited with the traditional Korean outfit she wore almost a century ago and is now on display at the National Museum of Scotland.
Born in Korea, Mary Davidson Smith embarked on a remarkable journey around the world before settling in Edinburgh to raise her two sons. His distinguished career included service in the Royal Navy; Meanwhile, she was sent to Washington, D.C., where she met her husband, British Army officer Charles Wynard Davidson Smith.
Following their move to Edinburgh, Mrs Smith generously donated the traditional Korean dress prepared for her by her nurse during her childhood to the National Museum of Scotland. It has since been a prominent feature in the museum’s Patterns of Life gallery.
Staff at Care UK’s Murrayside home in Corstorphine heard of Ms Smith’s genuine desire to reconnect with clothing. They immediately organized a private trip to the museum, where officials organized a private tour of the gallery, which culminated in his reunion with the important suit.
Reflecting on the experience, Ms Smith said: “I felt like some kind of celebrity! It was so nice to see the dress again, it was so much smaller than I remembered.” Chief curator of Western, South and Southeast Asian collections, Dr. He was warmly welcomed by Friederike Voigt.
Dr Voigt commented: “It was wonderful to have the opportunity to welcome Mary to the museum and reunite her with her outfit. Consisting of a hat, bag and wraparound jacket, known as chimageogori, it is a fascinating example of traditional Korean dress, or hanbok. We are grateful to Mary for her generous donation.”
Ms Smith’s touching experience was facilitated through Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative, which encourages residents to express their dreams, allowing them to revisit past hobbies or embrace new experiences.
Suzanne Welsh, home manager at Murrayside, added: “We always aim to make residents’ wishes come true, no matter how big or small. When Mary shared her wish to see her childhood outfit once again, we knew we had to make it happen. It was a fantastic day, surprising Mary with a visit to the National Museum of Scotland, where she was able to see the outfit in person.
“The trip was incredibly emotional and nostalgic, reconnecting her with precious memories of her early years and bringing a piece of history vividly to life. It was truly heartwarming to see Mary’s face light up with joy. It was a very special day filled with pride. A huge thank you to the museum team, especially Friederike, for helping to organize the visit and bring such meaningful memories back to life.”
