Ann Otis wore this dress in Cleveland during the 1860s, when it would have been an even more saturated green. During the period, toxic organic compounds like aniline and arsenic created novel colors but eventually, scientists discovered the negative effects of the dye agents. In addition to the bold color, her silhouette, with its small waist and voluminous skirt, would have been admired. As the wife of the prominent businessman and future mayor, Charles A. Otis, Ann would have had occasion to be in the public eye.