#era: 19th century

[about-suffering]

Isabella and the Pot of Basil, 1867 William Holman Hunt (1827-1910)

Based off John Keats' 1818 narrative poem Isabella, or the Pot of Basil, itself based off a story from Boccaccio's Decameron from the 14th century.

(Apologies for the poor image quality; this piece is part of the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in England. The gallery is lovely, but quite small, and their digitization efforts reflect that reality)

[thevamplelio]

If I'm a lesser of two evils… Who's this man, who's this act I hide behind? — Two Evils, Bastille

Lincoln vs de Lioncourt: @historiavn.

[mostlyaccuratehistory]

[frostedmagnolias]

Cape

Late 1890s

The John Bright Collection

[steampunktendencies]

Elevator in Vienna, Designed by Otto Wagner in 1898

The Majolika House, designed by Otto Wagner and constructed in 1898 in Vienna, Austria, is a distinguished example of Art Nouveau architecture. Notably, it features an elegant elevator that harmonizes with the building's intricate design, enhancing its overall aesthetic appeal.

[blistexenthusiast]

19th century wax seals

[fashionsfromhistory]

Day Dress

c.1855

England

This type of widely protruding skirt that appeared around the middle of the 19th century came to be known later under the name of the "crinoline style." As can be seen with this dress, large design motifs proved immensely effective on these voluminous skirts. The border pattern here is wood-block printed and repeats every 20.6 cm. Compared to small-scale designs, large patterns require a solid technique to avoid misalignment of the print colors. Considering that this mixed fabric of silk and wool is a material hard to print on, this dress with its bright and cheerful colors is a particularly fine example on how much cloth printing techniques had evolved.

The Kyoto Costume Institute

[edwardian-girl-next-door]

Some belated photos from the "Fashioned by Sargent" exhibit at the MFA Boston. My pictures just don't do it justice! I'm not one for hyperbolics, but it literally took my breath away, even with the crowds of people everywhere.

evening dress by the House of Worth (c.1880); owned by Sarah Choate Sears, who Sargent painted in another dress in 1889

reflection of Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth (1889); costume designed by Alice Comyns Carr and created by Ada Nettleship

evening dress with matching shoes by the House of Worth (c.1895)

Mrs. Charles E. Inches (Louise Pomeroy) (1887); dress made in 1887 and likely altered 1902. Louise was pregnant at the time of her portrait, and if you look very closely, you can see the dress skirt has adjustable panels to accommodate a changing body.

photos by me (@edwardian-girl-next-door)

[die-rosastrasse]

Ball gown, 1840-41

Maker: Unknown

From the collection of Wien Museum

[sentientsky]

guess who’s been wading thru the archives again

[burningvelvet]

Gentlemen’s Regency Era Portraits

[about-suffering]

Bat Against Full Moon, c. 1910/30 Crows in Flight, in Snow, c. 1890/9 Rooster [and Hen], c. 1925 Night Cherry [or Moon and Plum Blossoms], c. 1904/5 Biho Takahashi [Yoshikuni Nomura] (1873-?)

The Smithsonian, which is the source for 3 of 4 of the above woodblock prints, credits these prints to a Yoshikuni Nomura [野村美邦] who lived from 1855-1903, but every other site that has one of these prints seems certain they should be credited to a different Yoshikuni Nomura (cf. the ukiyo-e database, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Smart Museum of Art, &c.). I'm still not sure I've credited these correctly (and they might not all be the same artist) but I've done my best.

[resplendentoutfit]

The Carrick Coat

James Tissot (French, 1836-1902) • On the Ferry Waiting • c.1878 • Private collection

A Carrick or Garrick (in Great Britain) is an overcoat with three to five cape collars, worn by both men and women primarily for travel and riding, in the 19th century.

Artist unknown. Costume Parisien. Chapeau de Velours. Carrick et Guêtres de Drap., 1816. Hand-coloured engraving. London: Victoria and Albert Museum

Sources:

Fashion History Timeline

Metropolitan Museum of Art

[mostlyaccuratehistory]

[jewellery-box]

Woman's Dress (Round Gown)

England, circa 1795

Cotton plain weave with metallic embroidery

LACMA

[steampunktendencies]

A 19th Century Technological Marvel: The First Production Typewriter!

The Malling-Hansen Writing Ball, invented in 1865 by Danish genius Rasmus Malling-Hansen, is a true marvel of technological innovation. Only 180 units were made, and just six remain today.

With its unique design placing vowels on the left and consonants on the right, this revolutionary machine is a treasure from the 19th century.