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Joan L. Severa

Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900 Hardcover – October 27, 1995

by Joan Severa (Author)

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Fashion has always been a cultivating force. And during the 19^th century―a time of great change―fashion was a powerful component in the development of American society. Through dress, average individuals could step beyond class divisions and venture into the world of the elite and privileged. Beginning in 1840, with the advent of the daguerreotype, that moment could be captured for a lifetime.

In Dressed for the Photographer, Joan Severa gives a visual analysis of the dress of middle-class Americans from the mid-to-late 19^th century. Using images and writings, she shows how even economically disadvantaged Americans could wear styles within a year or so of current fashion. This desire for fashion equality demonstrates that the possession of culture was more important than wealth or position in the community.

Arranging the photographs by decades, Severa examines the material culture, expectations, and socioeconomic conditions that affected the clothing choices depicted. Her depth of knowledge regarding apparel allows her to date the images with a high degree of accuracy and to point out significant details that would elude most observers. The 272 photographs included in this volume show nearly the full range of stylistic details introduced during this period. Each photograph is accompanied with a commentary in which these details are fully explored. In presenting a broad overview of common fashion, Severa gathers letters and diaries as well as photographs from various sources across the United States. She provides graphic evidence that ordinary Americans, when dressed in their finest attire, appeared very much the same as their wealthier neighbors. But upon closer examination, these photographs often reveal inconsistencies that betray the actual economic status of the sitter.

These fascinating photographs coupled with Severa’s insights offer an added dimension to our understanding of 19^th century Americans. Intended as an aid in dating costumes and photographs and as a guide for period costume replication, Dressed for the Photographer provides extensive information for understanding the social history and material culture of this period. It will be of interest to general readers as well as to social historians and those interested in fashion, costume, and material culture studies.

Print length

614 pages
Language

English
Publisher

The Kent State University Press
Publication date

October 27, 1995
Dimensions

8.78 x 1.63 x 11.28 inches
ISBN-10

0873385128
ISBN-13

978-0873385121
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Editorial Reviews

Review

This history of ordinary American fashion begins in 1840 and ends in 1900, spanning a period of time in which changing economics dictated clothing trends. Letters, diaries, period photos and Severa's own analysis provide in-depth and strong analysis of fashion trends and inconsistencies between class and fashion representation. -- Midwest Book Review

From the Back Cover

In Dressed for the Photographer, Joan Severa gives a visual analysis of the dress of middle-class Americans from the mid-to-late 19th century. Using images and writings, she shows how even economically disadvantaged Americans could wear styles within a year or so of current fashion. This desire for fashion equality demonstrates that the possession of culture was more important than wealth or position in the community. In presenting a broad overview of common fashion, Severa gathers letters and diaries as well as photographs from various sources across the United States. She provides graphic evidence that ordinary Americans, when dressed in their finest attire, appeared very much the same as their wealthier neighbors. But upon closer examination, these photographs often reveal inconsistencies that betray the actual economic status of the sitter. These fascinating photographs coupled with Severa's insights offer an added dimension to our understanding of 19th-century Americans. Intended as an aid in dating costumes and photographs and as a guide for period costume replication, Dressed for the Photographer provides extensive information for understanding the social history and material culture of this period. It will be of interest to general readers as well as to social historians and those interested in fashion, costume, and material culture studies.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Kent State University Press (October 27, 1995)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 614 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0873385128
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0873385121
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.04 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.78 x 1.63 x 11.28 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,513,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #960 in Style & Clothing
- #1,412 in Textile & Costume (Books)
- #1,462 in Fashion History

Customer Reviews:
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TAG16

Very good but not the final word

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

Authoritative but not yet THE authoritative text on the subject. Photos are dissected for clues on a more or less yearly basis, which is very helpful. And the author clearly knows her business. But it would be even more helpful if the photos were interspersed every two or three years with a chart of line drawings showing general fashion trends and clues for that period. As it is, it is more of a scattershot of styles and clues. Maybe a photo hits or maybe it doesn't. Often there is little feel for yearly trends in general. And six or seven portraits for a given time period will scarcely tell the tale. Consequently, the reader is left hunting text for clues which may or may not be shown in any given picture. Still, the book is a valuable resource, and deserves a place in any collector's or historian's book shelf.

Helpful

Kindle Customer

A sure-fire hit at a historical conference

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2012

Verified Purchase

I have this book personally, a signed copy from Joan Severa which I obtained at a costumers conference a few years ago just after its publication. I bought an additional copy here on Amazon recently and donated it to a silent auction for the Arkansas Living History Assn's annual conference, and I was pleased to see the amount of interest and traffic it generated. It is a wonderful resource for double usage: it can help identify the general period of an extant garment one might encounter, or serve as a guide for historical reproductions for the history enthusiast, re-enactor or others interested in costume/historical reproduction. I particularly like the fact that it displays quite a lot of clothing for the average person, not just the more fashionable society, and there is much to be learned from that. It displays clothing and accessories, and the commentary is thoroughly enjoyable. A wonderful reference for those interested in clothing of this era. P.S.--I know the winning bidder was pleased and I hope it made the non-winning bidders aware of this valuable resource.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Wisconsin resident

Classic reference

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2010

Verified Purchase

This book is a classic reference for all who are interested in understanding 19th Century American clothing styles. Most readers will be interested in this topic in order to identify and date images for historical and genealogical purposes, and the text is very helpful in that regard. The writer, an authority on the subject, provides enough sociological and historical background and context for the discussion that the reader must be prepared to study each era a bit rather than use the book as a quick look-up reference. The fundamental historical facts that make the project possible are that (a) 19th Century Americans were very style-conscious and even in rural areas were interested in being up to date, at least in formal clothing, and (b) the field of photography had become easy to apply locally and had become all the rage for people to record their likenesses. We descendants can only be grateful as we look back from over a century later. This is a book that will be good for the serious genealogist and a must for the every local historical society and public library.

2 people found this helpful

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Julie

Not enough pictures!

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

I purchased this as a resource to help me date historic images based on the clothing the people are wearing. I'm pretty disappointed - there is a TON of writing and not nearly as many pictures as I had expected. I don't anticipate it to be as helpful as I had hoped it would be. I think I'll keep looking for something with more pictures. It's a very large, heavy book so it would cost a bit to send back, but I'm considering returning it to Amazon - especially since it was over $50 new.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

William K. Johnson

Makes dating old photos much easier

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2014

Verified Purchase

I am trying to date several hundred old "Cabinet Photos." Since none of them contained the name of the people being photographed, I must rely on other methods of dating. This book tells you about the various clothing styles that existed between 1840 and 1900. People would get dressed up for their portraits, so this will help you to date the pictures. Bear in mind, of course, that people may not have the latest fashions available but this does provide you with a better idea of when the picture was taken.

The book is quite comprehensive and easy to read.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Caraleisa

Full of detailed information on fashion

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2006

Verified Purchase

I purchased this book because my business, PhotoMD.net, is digital restoration of old photos and documents. I wanted to be able to recognize, with some degree of accuracy, the relative time period of some of the older photos I work on, although that's not necessary as part of my job.

The author has an amazing eye for detail - I find I read over the commentary and look back and forth from the photo to the text repeatedly on each photo to fully understand/recognize what is being discussed. Although there is a wide range of classes presented, there is a strong bias towards portraits of the wealthy... no doubt because they could afford portrait photographs and the fashionable clothing to wear in them and the poor could not, making it far easier to find their photos for such a project. Consequently, though, the book is not as helpful to me for pinpointing dates in assorted photos of what I'd call 'ordinary' people as I'd hoped. 'Ordinary' to the author seems to be 'not a model'. I thought it would be far more photos of middle and lower class people. 'Fashion' quite literally means couture, and not simply what 'most' people were wearing, which is what I misunderstood the descriptions to indicate.

That said, the information offered here, for anyone with a strong general interest in the history of American fashion, is comprehensive, fascinating and well presented. I am still glad I purchased this book.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Laurie A. Kendall

Good

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

Good

Helpful

Jane Steen

A useful resource

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2011

Verified Purchase

This is an excellent discussion of the technicalities of 19th-century dress as worn by ordinary people in America. Plenty of photos supported by very readable, detail-rich text. The bibliography is very comprehensive and it's worth owning this book for that alone. Recommended for all who need to know how to distinguish the dress of one decade from another.

One person found this helpful

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