The History of Costume: From the Ancient Mesopotamians Through the Twentieth Century (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

Blanche Payne (Author), Greitel Winakor (Author), Jane Farrell-Beck (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Longman; 2nd edition (January 17, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060471417
• ISBN-13: 978-0060471415
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > History > Ancient > Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Resource for Actors and Costumers, May 21, 2000

By 

Gay H. Hammond "Educator/Actor/Playwright" (North Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The History of Costume: From the Ancient Mesopotamians Through the Twentieth Century (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

This new edition of one of the best costume history books I've ever seen is very welcome. This edition has all of the power of the original with an added preface and a further, more detailed chapter on 20th Century dress. I have learned more about period details which have helped me as an actor from this book than from many classes. A necessary and pleasurable resource for the actor, costumer, designer and history buff. Worth the money!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Color illustrations would bee an improvement, February 4, 2002

By 

Gunilla Andersson (Göteborg Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The History of Costume: From the Ancient Mesopotamians Through the Twentieth Century (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

This is costume history on the broad line, as the title says. It gives a good overwiev and as a work of reference, not a specialised deepstudy in a short period or a single item, it is a satisfaying book. An improvement could however bee made in the illustrations, I do appreciate the correctness of stating that some pictures are "reedrawn from ..." I have seen other books were it was not stated although I knew it must have been done, but I would have prefered reproductions of the original pictures, and at least some of the illustrations to bee in color. I presume it was a matter of cost. But the book is not inexpensive as it is and there might bee others besides me who would seriuosly consider paying more if the illustrations were informative as to the colors as well. I have had the possibility to see the earlier edition (1960-thies) as well and compare them a bit and even if I can understand the wish to bee serious. There are a few alterations I wish they had not made.Had it for instance been such a problem to keep a photograp of an reconstruction of an ancient egyptian dress when it was so clearly stated that it was a reconstruction? And why on earth eliminate almost everyone of the of the patterns taken from existing pieces of costume. Yeas some of them have been mesured and published in other books as stated in the introduction, but what would have been wrong with the possibility to compare unless there were serious errors in their making? I could not spot any.

3.0 out of 5 stars theatre design student's review, November 13, 2010

By 

ml - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The History of Costume: From the Ancient Mesopotamians Through the Twentieth Century (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

My costume history/design professor recommended this book to me. It has good text and pictures. I'm drawing historical costume line drawings for my professor and this book really helped me with the research. But the only thing about this edition is that the pictures are grainy and unclear. The first edition (I borrowed my professor's book) is a lot clearer.