I actually have looked at it--a friend has it who costumes professionally, and I ahve photocopies of pages that really helped me. I wish I could afford it, but not int he current economy and with two kids to try to help out. It was a great resource.
I actually have a number of authentic Victorian photo cards that I have been buying at flea markets and yard sales for a few years (well before this current project was conceived); unfortunately only about 5 or 6 of them are the correct period. Which makes sense, since the older ones often sell for much more, but I"ve picked up a few, and one is more or less what I'm trying to achieve as far as the bodice and fit. She is seated, and it doesn't appear that she is wearing hoops the way the skirt gathers, but she may be. Yours in costumign, lis aA On Mon, 7 Jun 2010 15:57:31 -0700 Lynn Downward <lynndownw...@gmail.com> writes: > A great reference book is Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary > Americans, > 1840-1900 by Joan L. Severa (1995) > http://www.amazon.com/Dressed-Photographer-Ordinary-Americans-1840-1900/d p/0873385128/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275950625&sr=1-1 > > The author (as curator of costume at the State Historical Society > of > Wisconsin) had access to thousands of photographs from the beginning > of > photography in the US on up to the present. In this book she shows > photographs of people - goldminers, soldiers, slaves, middle- and > upper-class people - dressed as they wanted to be remembered by the > photographer. She describes the clothing in each photograph in great > detail > and you'll be hard-pressed to not find an answer to your questions. > > It's not an inexpensive book - $60 when I bought it a couple of > years ago - > but it's been a wealth of information for American clothing. I found > it on > Amazon so I could send a link and it's on sale but not readily > available > right now. She also wrote My Likeness Taken: Daguerreian Portraits > in > America, printed in 2006, but I haven't seen that book yet. > > LynnD > > On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 3:17 PM, Lisa A Ashton <lis...@juno.com> > wrote: > > > Yes, it all helps a lot. Since I am not re-enacting, but doing a > very > > short stage presentation in which I have to sit in a rocking chair > for > > most of the presentation, , I may make hoops, but not wear them on > stage. > > I am still looking into the aprons--the photo I have is also from > the > > western territories, which shows an elderly woman wearing a > printed apron > > that doesn't match the dress top (she is seated). I may go with > the > > skirt pocket too, I really want that. And I may go ahead and make > the > > cotton dress, and look for a lightweight printed wool (I have a > lovely > > light pearl grey lightweight fine wool, but I really want a print > for > > this). A center front closure is dandy--the pattern (from > Patterns of > > Time) says a back closure. I knew that wasn't right. > > > > If you think of anything else, or see a photo, pls add any > comments. You > > guys are so brilliant about this, it helps so much, even if it > just > > steers toward the right sources. > > > > Yours in costumign, li saA _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
