Helen D. Rhind

Helen Dunn Rhind was born in Montreal to Scottish immigrant parents, and was the fourth of six children. She ran a small dressmaking business from her home, first on St. Catherine Street and as of 1910 on St. Mark. There she built an extension on the back of her house to accommodate her business, which may have employed up to 15 people at that time.

Her niece, milliner Hilda Rhind (1894-1987), remembered that she had one room dedicated to patternmaking and others to various components like sleeves. She recalled that Rhind had no formal training in dressmaking, but was naturally talented. She was able to choose the clients she wished to work for because she was so sought-after and built up a loyal clientele based on her reputation.

Rhind specialized in wedding, evening and debutante dresses, often travelling to Paris to source fabrics and lace.

The McCord Museum has several examples of her wedding dresses and evening dresses in its collection. All were made for members of Montreal’s elite families.

After she retired from her dressmaking career around the time of the First World War, Rhind took an active part in many Montreal-based organizations, including the League for Women’s Rights, the Women’s Conservation Association, and the Women’s Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church of Canada.¹