A Pictorial History of Costume From Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century: With Over 1900 Illustrated Costumes, Including 1000 in Full Color (Dover Fashion and Costumes) [Paperback]

Wolfgang Bruhn (Author), Max Tilke (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dover Fashion and Costumes | Publication Date: July 23, 2004

Invaluable pictorial history takes readers on a grand tour of the world, starting in ancient Egypt and culminating in Paris in the late 19th century. More than 1,900 items of clothing are shown in beautiful, accurately rendered illustrations — from furs, veils, ruffs, and pointed bodices, to cloaks, leggings, waistcoats, and breeches. Color and black-and-white.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (July 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486435423
• ISBN-13: 978-0486435428
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #977,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars lacking in everything, February 7, 2007

By 

DF "avid reader D" (East of the Mississippi) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: A Pictorial History of Costume From Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century: With Over 1900 Illustrated Costumes, Including 1000 in Full Color (Dover Fashion and Costumes) (Paperback)

Okay, so I bought this book thinking it would be a useful reference book. It's not. Yes, it has a bunch of illustrations, but it gives no reference information to go with the plates--which, by the way, are simply awful line drawings, some of which are badly colored in to the detriment of the pictures.

Do not buy this book if you want to learn what things are called, the time periods in which they were used, or any specific, detailed information about variations in the general styles for a specific period in time.

On the other hand, if you just want some reference pictures for designign your kid's Halloween costume, then you have plenty to go by.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars General, August 26, 2005

By 

Kathy (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Pictorial History of Costume From Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century: With Over 1900 Illustrated Costumes, Including 1000 in Full Color (Dover Fashion and Costumes) (Paperback)

Gives a basic and brief coverage of both male and female costume from different periods and cultures. mixture of both colour and black and white sketches. no great detail but good enough to present a general idea.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for the casual costume designer, October 7, 2005

By 

Sara (Western Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Pictorial History of Costume From Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century: With Over 1900 Illustrated Costumes, Including 1000 in Full Color (Dover Fashion and Costumes) (Paperback)

Although the pictures do not go into great detail, this book has a wealth of information for the costume designer. For kid's halloween costumes, school-play costumes, and general information on style and period, this book can be invaluable. Included are full colour and black and white sketches, as well as reproductions of statues and paintings. It is an excellent book for the casual costume designer, though a serious historical re-enactor would need something that provides greater detail.