The Library Ghost

    The ratio of dressmaking manuals to tailoring manuals seems larger than in some periods, with a flurry of publication in the mid- to late years of the decade.  I assume this has something to do with the rise of the sewing machine and home-dressmaking; in addition, women's garments are mainly tailored in the late 19th century instead of draped, so there isn't as great a distinction between the two trades as there once was.      By the way, if anyone has the name of the printer for T. W. Byrnes' book (or any of the others which are missing info), I'd love to know. General information      Christner, D. C. The International Encyclopedia of Scientific Tailor Principles . Philadelphia, PA: S. M. Larzelere, 1885.      Kirkwood, Louise J. Illustrated Sewing Primer with Songs and Music . New York, NY: Wynkoop & Hallenbeck, 1881.     Ross, Mrs. Harry A. Studies in Plain Needlework and Amateur Dressmaking . Ba...

    Apparently Caulfeild and Saward are completely legitimate names, and the two of them have produced a frankly alarming number of books explaining needlework terminology, all in the same year!  There don't seem to be many macramé books before this point, though I understand it was quite popular throughout the second half of the nineteenth century; perhaps patterns were shared primarily through magazines rather than books. General information     Caulfeild, Sophia Frances Ann, and Blanche C. Saward. The Dictionary of Needlework, Vol. 1 . London: A. W. Cowan, 1885.     Caulfeild, Sophia Frances Ann, and Blanche C. Saward. The Dictionary of Needlework, Vol. 2 . London: A. W. Cowan, 1885.     Caulfeild, Sophia Frances Ann, and Blanche C. Saward. The Dictionary of Needlework, Vol. 3 . London: A. W. Cowan, 1885.     Caulfeild, Sophia Frances Ann, and Blanche C. Saward. The Dictionary of Needlework, Vol. 4 . Lond...

    I'm very excited to include a shoemaking manual in this post!  I normally don't deal with leather in sewing resources, even though it does involve needle and thread; there are usually a few patterns for embroidered silk or linen slippers, and nothing more.  (Ignorant as I am of both leatherworking and shoemaking, I can't say whether it's a useful manual, but here we are.) General information      Rosevear, Elizabeth. A Text-Book of Needlework, Knitting and Cutting Out with Methods of Teaching . London: MacMillan and Co., 1893. Dressmaking      Heller, Louise M. Scientific Sewing and Garment Cutting . Boston, MA: Silver, Burdett & Company, 1898.      Löfvall, J. H. How to Cut, Fit, and Finish a Dress . Boston, MA: Alfred Mudge & Son, 1892.     Vincent, William D. F. The Cutters' Practical Guide to the Cutting of Ladies' Garments . London: The John Williamson Company, 1892.    ...

    The Victorian era lasted through most of the 19th century, from Queen Victoria's ascension to the throne in 1837 to her death in 1901.  This is the period that saw the introduction of the telegraph, the electric light bulb, the pasteurization process, aniline dyes, photography, the sewing machine, the typewriter, and association football (called "soccer" in the USA).  Fashions and technology were greatly changed by the end of Victoria's reign, and the British Empire claimed some 400 million people on six continents as its subjects. General information      Draper, Jenny. " A Deep Dive Into Victorian Servants ." YouTube . May 9, 2022.      Kellgren-Fozard, Jessica. " Victorian Lesbians?! // Queer History ." YouTube . June 29, 2022.      Rudolph, Nicole. " Why Victorian Etiquette was so ✨Extra✨ ." YouTube . August 10, 2024. Arts and architecture      Draper, Jenny. " The Largest Building In The World ...

      The mid-nineteenth century in Britain covers the first three decades of the Victorian era.  The United States struggles through the American Civil War, while France endures the fall of the Second Republic, followed by the brief Second Empire .  Further east sees the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire's loss in the Crimean War, and the unifications of both Germany and Italy.  General information      Durbin, Holly Poe. " Crinoline Era Consumerism ." YouTube . Posted October 18, 2020.     English Heritage. " Fashion Through History: Episode 1 – Victorians ." YouTube . Posted February 9, 2023.     Glasscock, Jessica. " Nineteenth-Century Silhouette and Support ." In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2004.      Oshinsky, Sara J. " European Revivalism ." In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolit...

    The Victorian era in Britain and Ireland covers the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901.  During that time, fashions changed dramatically as Britain became a global empire, with control of Egypt, India, Canada, Hong Kong, and parts of the Caribbean.  As immigration soared and London became the largest city in the world, anxiety about non-English "colonials" polluting English culture or bloodlines was at an all-time high.  Industry moved from small family businesses run out of the home to mass manufacturing in urban factories.  Handcrafts waned during the middle of Victoria's reign, only to return in romanticized "vintage" or "authentic" forms at the end of the century. General information      BBC Archive. " 1970: VICTORIAN TEENAGERS reminisce | Yesterday's Witness | Voice of the People | BBC Archive ." YouTube . Posted April 30, 2022.     HistoryExtra. " Child labour and BREADWINNERS | Ruth Goodman on family lif...

    The Regency and Romantic periods in Britain, as well as the early Victorian era, saw a great deal of rapid change in fashion and technology.  The period is dominated by the Napoleonic Wars, the abolition of slavery across the British Empire, and the Great Famine, along with major upheavals in religion and the electoral system. General information     Dashwood, Ellie. " How to Meet Mr Darcy // Regency Era & Victorian Guide to Introduction Etiquette ." YouTube . November 17, 2023.      Draper, Jenny. " Answering White People's Questions About Slavery: The London History Show ." YouTube . March 3, 2021.     Fummey, Bruce. " Sir Walter Scott Made us Wear Kilts in Scotland ." YouTube . May 11, 2021. Arts and architecture      Draper, Jenny. " Railings: Suprisingly Interesting ." YouTube . April 29, 2024.     Knowles, Rachel. " The history of the British Museum ." Regency History . January 7...

    The 1830s in Western fashion were full of tall, looped hairstyles; enormous puffed sleeves; and high-waisted gowns with flared skirts.   The low, sloping shoulders would hold sway into the 1860s, and the bodices already look quite separate from the skirts, in contrast to the earlier part of the century.     I cannot explain the lack of color images from certain parts of the decade; if anyone knows of any fashion magazines that have been digitized for 1830, 1834, or 1835, please let me know so I can add them! 1831      —. " Dinner Dress. Evening Dress ." La Belle Assemblée , no. 77 (May 1831).     —. " Evening and Morning Dresses ." The World of Fashion and Continental Feuilletons , vol. 8, no. 87 (Jul. 1831).      —. " Evening Dress. Opera Dress ." La Belle Assemblée , no. 75 (Mar. 1831).      —. " Evening Dresses ." The World of Fashion and Continental Feuilletons , vol. 8, no. 84 (Apr. 1...

    Here it is!  The 1890s list of cook books!  I'm finally free!      I think... I think I need a little time before I work on another cookery post. Baked goods and sandwiches Cakes, meat pies, fruit tarts, breads, sandwiches.      Braun, Emil. Perfection in Baking (4th ed.) . New York, NY: Emil Braun, 1899.      Hérissé, Emile. The Art of Pastry Making . London, UK: Ward, Lock, Bowden and Co., 1893.      Schurr, Eugene, comp. The Baker's Hand Book . Chicago, IL: Robbins Brothers, 1895.      Wells, Robert. The Bread and Biscuit Baker's and Sugar-Boiler's Assistant (3rd ed.) . London, UK: Crosby Lockwood and Son, 1895.      Willis, Leida A., comp. The Rumford Bread and Pastry Cook . Providence, RI: Rumford Chemical Works, c.1895.      —. The Baker, Including Bread and Fancy Baking . London, UK: Houlston and Sons, c.1890. Cocktails and punches Mixed drinks, ho...

    This is a more general version of the "Late," "Mid-," and "Early" 19th-century Western fashion posts.  It covers the entire century, rather than just a few decades, and is mainly from the perspective of the United States of America. General information      Cox, Abby. " Victorians were ✨Obsessed✨ with Ugly Children... " YouTube . August 13, 2023.     Lady Rebecca Fashions . " 100 Years of Fashion // The Fashionable Plus Size Silhouette from 1820-1910 ." YouTube . June 5, 2021.      Rowe, Kaz. " Did the Victorians Think Ankles Were Too Scandalous? " YouTube . September 8, 2021.      Zebrowska, Karolina. " Victorian Fashion Is Not What You Think It Is ." YouTube . March 19, 2019. Accessories      Banner, Bernadette. " 'Afro-Victorian': Bringing Historical Black Women's Dress into the 21st Century w Cheyney McKnight ." YouTube . October 20, 2021.      Cox, Abby. " A Fashion H...

    The end of the nineteenth century covers the late Victorian era, the Gilded Age, the American "Wild West," and early Jim Crow laws.  Fashions of the time included the First and Second Bustle eras, the Natural Form era, and the Aesthetic Movement. General information      Banner, Bernadette. " Exposing Victorian Influencers Who 'Facetuned' Their Photos. (Photo Manipulation was EVERYWHERE) ." YouTube . July 17, 2021.      Cox, Abby. " Victorians were ✨Obsessed✨ with Ugly Children... " YouTube . August 13, 2023.      Rowe, Kaz. " Did the Victorians Think Ankles Were Too Scandalous? " YouTube . September 8, 2021.      Rudolph, Nicole. " How much clothing did they *actually* have back then? " YouTube . June 15, 2024.      Zebrowska, Karolina. " Victorian Fashion Is Not What You Think It Is ." YouTube . March 19, 2019. Accessories      Banner, Bernadette. " 'Afro-Victorian': Bri...

    Unlike magazines, which require one to skim every article, these books required very little effort on my part to collect and cite.  There are patterns as well as instructions, most of them in English.  As always, this will be updated when and if I find more resources. Crochet      —. The Art of Crocheting . London: The Butterick Publishing Co., 1891. Embroidery     Cousine Claire. La broderie blanche . Paris: François Tedesco, 189-.     Mesureur, G. L'Art dans la lingerie: Dessins de broderie . Paris: Hunneyer, 1896[?].      —. The Art of Columbian Art Ribbon-Work . Des Moines, IA: The Weigland-Miller Patent Ribbon Needle Co., 1895. Lace     Bradford, Mary E. A Treatise on Lace-Making and Embroidery, No. 2 . Boston, MA: The Barbour Brothers Company, 1892.     Bradford, Mary E. A Treatise on Lace-Making and Embroidery, No. 3 . Boston, MA: The Barbour Brothers Company, ...