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Dress
Dress worn by Marylyn Minett of Aberfan. Marylyn was ten years old when she was killed in her classroom in Pantglas Junior School Aberfan on 21 October 1966. Her seven-year-old brother, Carl, was also killed.
Marylyn's dress was found in a paper bag concealed within a wall of the family bungalow self-built by her father, Cliff Minett. Her parents named the house 'Carlyn' in memory of Carl and Marylyn.
At 9:13 that Friday morning thousands of tonnes of black coal waste from an unstable tip slid down the mountain. It instantly engulfed Pantglas Junior School and parts of the village killing a total of 116 children and 28 adults.
small (formerly) white dress made from synthetic material. Short sleeves, yoke surrounding neckline front and back, skirt gathered into yoke. Lace trim at edge of sleeves, outer edge of yoke and two additional strips following the neckline at the front of the dress. Yoke also decorated with 2 flowers on either side of upper chest (partly machine embroidered, partly appliqueed). There was a 3rd flower in the centre but this is now missing apart from the stitch holes indicating its former presence. Neckline bound with white synthetic fabric. The dress is made from two layers of fabric: a fabric of denser construction on the inside and a more transparent fabric on the outside. Both fabrics are made of a type of knitted construction. Inner seams finished with overlocker stitches.