American Victorian Costume in Early Photographs (Paperback)

by Priscilla Harris Dalrymple (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Over 280 rare photographs document the clothing of ordinary men, women and children from the 1840s through the 1890s, in what appears to be their Sunday best. Bustles, hoops, pantalets, shirtwaists, top hats, waistcoats, bowlers, other Victorian-era attire, as well as hairdressing and tonsorial styles. Indispensable for any student of costume, fashion, early photography. Introduction. Introduction to fashions of each decade. Captions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (March 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486265331
• ISBN-13: 978-0486265339
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #612,850 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful and interesting document on Victorian costume., December 10, 1997

By	[e-mail] (Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews

The Victorians put their (mostly) best foot forward in this collection of period photographs. Most of the photos are obviously studio pieces and catch our ancestors at what they considered their best, but a few, like the picture of the little girl missing a coat button, seem unplanned.

The photos are grouped by decade and show men, women and children of all ages and social classes. The editor's notes are conveniently placed near the photos and contain clear and interesting details about the costumes. Together the notes and the photos provide a useful resource and fun browse for all those interested in Victorian costume and manners.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good reference source, but ..., January 25, 2006

By	Jennifer Bunting "documentary historian" (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book contains useful illustrations representing all ages and classes of American society. Ms Dalrymple wins my approval by basing some of her conclusions on dated photographs; in other words, she uses photographs as documentary evidence, not just as illustrations.

-- But important source information, ie. the format of the photograph, the photographer's name and geographical location, etc. has been moved to the endnotes, and the captions consist of stating the obvious; ie. "man in patterned trousers". With a few exceptions, the captions do not explain why the photographs were selected for the book and do not enhance the illustration. In her well-written chapter introductions, the author demonstrates her knowledge of the field and uses interesting and significant quotations from primary sources. (I like the footnotes.) So I wonder... was there an editorial decision made to "dumb-down" a potentially useful piece of work?

Finally, reproduction of the photographs is adequate, but not exciting. It is sometimes difficult to see costume detail.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good picture book, December 3, 2007

By	fatal_degree (Michigan) - See all my reviews

The arrangement of the book is refreshingly neat. It is firstly chronological, and then subdivided into men, women and children. The text is brief. No deep history lessons, more of a broad overview of each decade. The pictures are wonderful though. So it's a good "look book". If you can't or don't collect antique photos to reference, this is a good alternative.