The Library Ghost

    Please keep in mind that the folks at Gentleman's Gazette , while enthusiastic about their subject matter, do occasionally make inaccurate claims like "wigs were infested with lice" (they were not; head lice drink human blood and would starve to death in a hairpiece) or "girding one's loins is about turning a robe into a loincloth" (it is simply about putting on a belt or girdle; the loins are at the lower back and hips, where the belt sits, and not the pubic area).  I have attempted to use only the most accurate of their articles and videos, but take anything about pre-1900s history with a grain of salt. General information Timeline, silhouette, miscellaneous.      English Heritage. " Fashion Through History: Episode 6 – The 1940s ." YouTube . August 19, 2025.     Hallay, Amanda. " HISTORY in COLOR: The 1960s ." YouTube . October 7, 2020.     Itzcovitz, Natasha. " Explaining 1960's Fashion ." Natasha Itzcovitz...

    The 1940s concludes the Second World War and begins the Cold War .  Once again, I've separated out the rationing-specific books.  Canning guides, gimmicky appliances, and revised editions of older books predominate in the other categories. Baked goods and sandwiches Cakes, meat pies, fruit tarts, breads, sandwiches.     —. Dormeyer Electric-Mix Treasures . Chicago, IL: Dormeyer Corporation, 1949. Dinners All dinners all the time; for big meals, not little suppers.      —. Money-Saving Main Dishes . Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture, 1948. Jellies, pickles, and chutneys Includes marmalade, fruit preserves, Jell-O, relishes.      Cruess, William Vere, and Arthur William Christie. Home Canning (Rev.) . Berkeley, CA: University of California, 1942.     Pederson, Carl S., and H. G. Beattie. Home Preparation and Preservation of Fruit and Vegetable Juices . Geneva, NY: New York State ...

    The Edwardian era in Britain and its colonies overlapped with the Progressive era in the United States.  Life for the middle and upper classes would change drastically after the Great War, and the period is often considered a last gasp of aristocratic decadence.  As you can see, big dinners are going out of style in favor of smaller luncheons and suppers.  I couldn't find nearly as many cookery books for this decade as for the 1910s and later, but I feel there's enough to warrant publishing the post.      Miss Norton's book (under "Miscellaneous") is a fascinating glimpse into respectability politics of the fin de siècle African-American community, as well as a useful book of recipes.  The end of the volume covers etiquette, pedagogy, and Christian morality as topics of interest for parents, teachers, and young people.  I definitely recommend it if you want to get an idea of what middle- and upper-middle-class women of color we...

    After the First World War and the influenza epidemic of 1918, the 1920s were a time of desperate decadence.  Wartime rationing was lifted or lessened, though food shortages would linger in some places until the middle of the decade.   Germany suffered economically due to paying war reparations, and middle-class women across the Western world entered the job market in unprecedented numbers, impacting their expected role as homemakers.  For the United States, 1920 marked the first year of Prohibition, driving the liquor market underground and leading to mob control of alcohol sales.  In October of 1929, the USA's stock market crashed, putting an end to the Roaring Twenties. Baked goods and sandwiches Cakes, meat pies, fruit tarts, breads, sandwiches.     Bradley, Alice. Good Things to Eat: Made with Cow Brand Baking Soda . Montreal, QC: Church & Dwight, 1924.     Hill, Janet McKenzie. Cakes, Pastry and Dessert Dis...

    Here are some fashion plates from the 1920s, mostly from The Delineator with a few from McCall's Magazine . 1920      —. " Frocks for Warm Afternoons ." The Delineator , vol. 97, no. 1 (Jul. 1920), p. 99.      —. " Paris Centers Her Interest on Her Hipline ." The Delineator , vol. 96, no. 4 (Apr. 1920), p. 151.      —. " The Long Body Reaches Far in Popularity and There Are New Ways of Emphasizing the Hip ." The Delineator , vol. 97, no. 2 (Sept. 1920), p. 95.     —. " The Spring Frock ." The Delineator , vol. 96, no. 3 (Mar. 1920), p. 135. 1921      —. " Paris Has an Extremely Easy Way of Treating the Straight Silhouette ." The Delineator , vol. 99, no. 5 (Dec. 1921), p. 28.     —. " The Newest Lines Are Accentuated with Charming Embroideries ." The Delineator , vol. 97, no. 6 (Jan. 1921), p. 67. 1922      —. " The Smart Box-Coat and Cape, Also the New Fabric Tr...

    Here are some nineteen-twenties embroidery patterns from various fashion and needlework magazines of the day .  Sadly, I was not able to find many beading charts or patterns for applied braid, but there was an astonishing amount of material on crochet. Appliqué      Ashley, Marie. " Appliqué Work Appears Among the New Embroideries ." The Delineator , vol. 97, no. 2 (Sept. 1920), p. 108.      McCunn, Ethel M. " When Felt Is Featured Applique Acquires a New Charm ." Needlecraft Magazine , vol. 19, no. 3 (Nov. 1927), pp. 8,26. Beadwork     —. " Working-Chart of Beaded Design on Moire Bag ." Needlecraft Magazine , vol. 19, no. 3 (Nov. 1927), p. 31. Crochet      Ashley, Marie. " Button! Button! What Makes the Button? " The Delineator , vol. 96, no. 5 (May 1920), pp. 162–163.      Ashley, Marie. " Filet Crochet Rises to the Top and Collars a Blouse ." The Delineator , vol. 96, no. 4 (Apr. 1920),...

     Like many posts in this series, I need more sources on traditional masculine attire, as well as early twentieth-century laundry practices.      Note : The 1920s and 1930s now have their own post here . General information      Rowe, Kaz. " The Rise and Fall of the Gibson Girl: The Icon of the Edwardian Era ." YouTube . September 29, 2022.      Rudolph, Nicole. " The History of Standardized Sizes in Womens Fashion and Why They FAILED ." YouTube . May 16, 2021.      Vintagebursche. " 100 Years of Classic Menswear - and what we can learn from each decade ." YouTube . February 29, 2020. Accessories      Cox, Abby. " The Disappointing Truth On Why We Don't Wear Hats Anymore... " YouTube . December 18, 2022.      Cox, Abby. " The Hatpin's Criminal Legacy 📍 ." YouTube . March 8, 2025.      Foyer, Jean-Charles. " Batter up! a History of the Baseball Cap ." YouTube . ...

    These are all advertisements for and previews of transfer patterns, which can often be enlarged and copied for normal use.  There are... a lot.  I've organized them by year, and will have proper embroidery patterns in another post. 1920     Ashley, Marie. " Appliqué Work Appears Among the New Embroideries ." The Delineator , vol. 97, no. 2 (Sept. 1920), p. 108.     Ashley, Marie. " Beading with Embroidery and Various Stitches Are Combined ." The Delineator , vol. 97, no. 2 (Sept. 1920), p. 109.     Ashley, Marie. " Combined Stitches for Blouse and Cut-Work for Linen ." The Delineator , vol. 96, no. 3 (Mar. 1920), p. 149.     Ashley, Marie. " Embroideries for New Frock and Blouse ." The Delineator , vol. 96, no. 1 (Jan. 1920), p. 87.      Ashley, Marie. " Embroidery Captures the Costume in a Bold, Effective Manner ." The Delineator , vol. 96, no. 5 (May 1920), pp. 164–165.  ...