Frequently Recommended Books for Researching the Historical Costume of All Ages and Places Subject: Bibliography: General Book Sources for Historic Costuming. Compiled By: Cynthia Barnes
and Julie Cheetham Last-modified: 29 August 1995 Summary: A fairly complete list of general historic costuming books.
Info for this historic costume & fashion bibliograpy was pulled from a multitude of sources, mainly the participants of h-costume, local historians, many friends and acquaintances. Thanks to all for sharing comments and for doing most of the typing! Thanks particularly to Elizabeth Lear who gave permission to use her large Russian/Ukranian and Middle Eastern bibliographies.
--Cynthia Barnes & Julie Lassiter Cheetham send comments & suggestions to: [email protected]
COSTUME BIBLIOGRAPHY Costume: a general bibliography, Anthony Pegaret and Janet Arnold, 2nd ed. London: Costume Society, Department of Textiles, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1974. ISBN 0-9034-0706-X. GENERAL COSTUME SURVEY BOOKS The Bride’s Book: a Pictorial History of American Bridal Gowns, Catherine Zimmerman, New York: Arbor House, 1985. Survey in text, period art, photos of museum examples and original drawings of bridal attire from colonial times to present. informative, interesting and good source of design inspiration. Common Threads: A Parade of American Clothing, Lee Hall, Boston: Little, Brown & Co, 1992. Focuses on the history of clothing in the US. Written in
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lively style and well researched. includes unusual material on dress of slaves in ante-bellum South, frontier dress, the elderly, college students and other special groups. Every page illustrated (B&W) with outstanding period photos and drawings. Costume and Fashion, A Concise History, James Layer, New York: Thames & Hudson, mc, 1985. General overview of fashion history from Greeks and Romans to 20th century. Primarily an introduction to field for those without much background, but exceptional for large amount of art (much in color) reproduced in high quality for a reasonable price. Costume in Detail: Women’s Dress 1730 - 1930, Nancy Bradfield, copyright 1968, 1981. George G. Harrap & Co, Ltd, London. Careful examination of 150-200 historical garments, showing general construction details and notes about trim, details, undergarments, supporting frames, etc. Some notes about inner construction and materials. Sketchbook style drawings with short notes. Costume Reference Series, Volumes 1 - 9, Marion Sichel, London: Batsford, 1977-89. Individual volumes cover each period of English dress from Roman times to mid 20th century. Each book covers men s, women’s and children’s clothing, accessories and hair styles. Good overview of each era. Lavishly illustrated. some volumes in the series: Roman Britain and the Middle Ages, Tudors and Elizabethans, Jacobean, Stuart and Restoration, Cut My Cote, Dorothy K.Burnham, Toronto: the Royal Ontario Musuem, 1973. Diagrams of actual historical and ethnic clothing in the Royal Ontario Museum. Diagrams are graphed and shown with metric dimensions. Dress in Anglo Saxon England, Gale R.Owen-Crocker, Manchester Univ. Press, 1986. This book covers clothing from 500-1500. There are separate chapters for men’s and women’s clothing in each of several periods, including very detailed study of Sth-7th century English costume with photos of clothing from archaeological digs. The book is documented principally with archaeological and linguistic/literary evidence; it has good footnotes and bibliography. Dress in North America: The New World 1492-1800, Diana de Many, Holmes & Meier, New York and London, 1990. Contains a chapter on 17thcentury New England dress. 1989. ISBN 1555467563. Encyclopedia of World Costume, Doreen Yarwood, NY: Bonanza Books, 1981. Comprehensive encyclopedia defines and describes every aspect of costume, fabrics and accessories. Covers all areas of world from ancient times to present. Many entries cover sewing, spinning, dying, n’ulinery and related
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fields. Many rough sketches of items described. Valuable reference book. English Costume for Sports and Outdoor Recreation from 16th Century to the 19th Century, Phillis Emily Cunnington, & Alan Mansfield, London, Black, 1978.
English). Profusely illustrated with fine art (mostly in color), photographs, period drawings and fashion plates. History of Costume from Ancient Egypt to 20th Century, Blanche Payne, New York, Harper & Row, c.1965. includes patterns drawn to scale. Uses primary sources.
European Costume: 4000 Years of Fashion, Doreen Yarwood, New York: Bonanza Books, Crown Publishers, 1982. An illustrated history of European costume.
The Language of Clothes, Alison Lurie, Random House, 1981. ISBN: 03945-1302-9
Everyday Dress, 1650-1900: a Popular Survey, Elizabeth Ewing, Chelsea House Publishers, 1989. Illustrated. ISBN 1555467504.
L’Encyclopedie de Costume, Max Tilke, New York, NY: French and European Publications, Inc., 1973. ISBN 0828862877
Fashion in Costume, 1200-1980, Joan Nurpn, 1984. bibliography. Good B&W line drawings.
Let There Be Clothes, Lynn Schnurnberger, Workman Publishing, New York 1991. IBSN 0-8948-0833-8. Facinating tidbits on clothing and fashion throughout history.
Fashion in the Age of the Black Prince: a study of the years 1340-65, Stella Mary Newton, Woodbridge: Boydell Press; Totowa, NJ: Rowman and Littlefield, 1980. ISBN 0-8476-6939-4.
Medieval Costumes in England and France, Mary G.Houston, The 13th, 14th, and 15th Centuries, London, A&C Black, 1965,1939.
Fashion for Men: An Illustrated History, Diana de Marly, Holmes & Meier, 1985.
The Male Image: Men’s Fashion in England 1300-1970, Penelope Byrde. B.T.Batsford, 1979.
Fashions in Hair: The First Five Thousand Yeas, Richard Corson, Peter Owen pub., London, 1980. Gives many front and back views of Victorian women’s hairstyles, with dates and nationalities. The drawings are clear enough that you can see the structure of the hairstyles. This is a huge book with many drawings on each hairstyle plate. It covers men’s hair too.
900 Years of English Costume: from 11th to 20th century, Nancy Margetts, New York: Crescent Books, 1987. ISBN 05176 1670X.
The 14th and 15th Centuries, Margaret Scott, London, Botsford, 1986. A Handbook of Costume, Janet Arnold, London: Macmilan, 1973. Illustrated, with bibliography. ISBN 0333124812. The History of Costume, Milia Davenport, Crown Publishers, New York. ISBN 0-517-037165. My Costume History Professor found it important and comprehensive enough to select it for our class text. History of Men’s Costume, Marion Sichel, Chelsea House Publishers, 1989. ISBN 1555467555. History of Women’s Costume, Marion Sichel, Chelsea House Publishers, A History of Men’s Fashion, Farid Chenoune, Paris: Flammarion, 1993. Beautiful oversize book covering 1760-1990. In depth, well written text (in
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Patterns of Fashion; Englishwomen’s dresses and their construction, Janet Arnold, London Ltd, 3 volumes (1580-1940), illustrated. 1985-90, ISBN 0333-38284-6. Contains notes on construction techniques and fabrics. Very clear drawings show the inside of each garment. Patterns of Fashion: The cut and construction of clothes for men and women, c. 1560-1620, Janet Arnold, London: Macmillan; New York: Drama Book, 1985. Illustrated, with bibliography. The history of dressmaking and tailoring of men’s clothing. ISBN 089676039. Patterns for Women’s Dress 1500-1800, Jean Hunnisett, London: Bell & Hyman, 1986. Line drawings of construction techniques. The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Fashion, Kybalova, Herbenova & Lamaova, trans. Claudia Rosoux (London: Paul Hamlyn, 1968) Rural Costume...Its Origin & Development in Western Europe & the British Isles, Alma Oakes & Margot Hamilton Hill. Focus is on peasantry rather than
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aristocrats (high fashion being more documented).
ANCIENT (pre-900 AD)
The book covers about the 9th to the 19th c. Good piece of research. Illustrations are ink drawings done from original period sources. Citations are given for original works so that it’s possible to track them down for a closer look. Information on corsets & development of corset bodices are covered.
Ancient Danish Textiles from Bogs and Burials: a comparitive study of costume and iron age textiles, Margarethe Hald, Copenhagen: National Museum of Denmark, 1980. Illustrated, with maps. Covers the textiles and costumes of prehistoric Denmark.
Silk Textiles of Spain Eighth to Fifteenth Century, by Florence Lewis May, Printed by The Hispanic Society of America, New York 1957. No ISBN, no library of congress # listed. Essays, studies, and brief biographies issued by the Hispanic Society of America. Survey of contents, techniques, and textiles in moorish and christian spain from the 8-15th centuries with photographs, including whole garments and notes on sumptuary legislation, mixed fabrics, weaving techniques and sericulture.
Ancient Costumes of England, from druids to Tudors, Charles Hamilton Smith, New York: Arch Cape Press, 1989. Drawings. ISBN 0517678829. Costumes of the Greeks and Romans, Thomas Hope, Dover, New York, 1962. Paperback reprint of an 1812 work. Most of book (90%) consists of clear line drawings rendered from period museum artifacts; about 10% text. In addition to Greek and Roman, limited coverage of Egyptian, Etruscan and other ancient civilizations.
A Survey of Historic Costume, Phyllis Tortora and Keith Eubank, New York: Fairchild Publications, 1989. ISBN 0870056328 Textiles in America, 1650-1870: a dictionary based on original documents: prints and paintings, commercial records, American merchants’ papers, shopkeepers’ advertisements, and pattern books with original swatches of cloth, Florence M. Montgomery. Published by Norton, 1984. ISBN: 0393017036 Recommended for 18th & 19th c fabric research. 20,000 Years of Fashion : The History of Costume and Personal Adornment, Francois Boucher, pub. H.N.Abrams, reprinted 1987 (but first published much earlier). Also called Histoire du costume en Occident. The Wearing of Costume: the changing techniques of wearing clothes and how to move in them from Roman Britain to the Second World War. Ruth M. Green, Safira Publications, London, UK, 1994. Reprint of: Pitman, London, 1966. ISBN 0952114119. Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years; Women, Cloth and Society in Early Times, Elizabeth Wayland Barber, W.W.Norton & Company, New York, 1994. ISBN 0-393-03506-0. The book is not a costume text but a history of textiles and their production up until the golden age of greece or there abouts. She does talk about clothing as it relates to her overall topic. It is also a fascinating and surprisingly easy book to read. Working Dress: A History of Occupational Clothing, Diana De Marly, New York: Holmes & Meier, 1986. illustrations, ISBN 0841911118
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EASTERN FASHION Ancient Indian Costume, Rosten Alkazi, New Delhi: Art Heritage, 1983. A history of the costume of India, from earliest civilization to 1200. Illustrated, with maps. Costumes of the East, Walter A. Fairservis, Jr The Chatham Press, CT/The American Museum of Natural History, 1971. ISBN 85699-029-9. LCCCN 77159783. Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East circles of ethnohistory, with regional variations. 5000 Years of Chinese Costumes, Zhou Xun & Gao Chunming, China Books & Periodicals, San Francisco 1987. IBSN 0-8351-1822-3. Chinese fashion 11 OOBC to modern times - beautiful color layouts and details. Geisha, Lisa Dalby, This book describes the specific culture & clothing of the geisha, including special obis. Harem: The World Behind the Veil, Alev Lytle Croutier, Abbeville Press, New York 1989. IBSN 1-5585-9159-1. Mostly culture, Middle Eastern harem life, some period clothing. Historical Costumes of Turkish Women, Nisantasi, Istanbul: Middle East Video Corn., 1986. Mostly colour illustrations, some maps. The Influence of Ottoman Turkish Textiles and Costume in Eastern Europe (with patic. ref. to Hungary), Veronika Gervers, Royal Ontario Museum 1982. IBSN 0-8885-4258-5. Turkish and Eastern European clothing, nice
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B&W photos.
London 1988. 0-7141-1440-5. Middle Eastern clothing, art, manuscripts, etc.
Kimono: Fashioning Culture, Lisa Dalby, 1992.
Suleymanname: The Illustrated History of Suleyman the Magnificent, Esin Atil, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 1986. IBSN 0-8109-1505-7. Middle Eastern clothing, full of illumination and minatures.
Master Dyers to the World, Mattiebelle Gittinger, is lavishly illustrated with historic Indian cottons (many of which were made for the European and SE Asian trade and don’t look at all Indian. Medieval Muslim Horsemanship: A Fourteenth Century Arabic Cavalry Manual, G. Rex Smith, The British Library, London 1979. IBSN 0-90465412-5. Some Middle Eastern clothing, more historical interest. Mughal Miniatures, J.M. Rogers, The British Museum, London 1993. IBSN 0-7141-1457-X. Middle Eastern clothing, nice color photos with period Indian clothing. Nizami: Khamsa Miniatures, Kerim Kerimov, Jazch, Bak 1983. clothing, Middle Eastern Azerbaijanian clothing, 14th-16th c.
Nizami: Miniature Illuminations of Nisami’s “Hamsab”, Fazila Suleimanova, FAN Publishers of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent, 1985. Middle Eastern clothing, Azerbaijanian clothing, 14th-16th c.
Textiles From Medieval Egypt, A.D. 300-1300, Thelma Thomas, Pittsburg, PA: Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 1990. Covers the costumes and textiles of medieval egypt. ISBN 0911239200. Topkapi: Costumes, Embroideries and other Textiles, J.M. Rogers, Little, Brown & Company, Boston 1986. IBSN 0-8212-1634-1. Turkish clothing, beautiful color photos of period garments from the Topkapi museum. Women in India, Albertine Gaur, The British Library, London, 1980. IBSN 09046-54524 Nice photos of period manuscripts, with a nice history. RUSSIAN & UKRANIAN Baltic Folk Costumes, Ruth A. Brown, Rosewood Press, Los Angeles, 1990. Eastern European paper dolls - beautiful color costumes labeled with countries and regions (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania).
Palestinian Costume, Shelagh Weir, The British Museum, London, 1989. IBSN 0-7141-2517-2. Middle Eastern clothing, social commentary and costume photos.
Costume - Russia in the XIX Century, P.M. Kirsanova, Moscow 1989. Russian text entirely in Russian, some pictures.
Palestinian Costume, Jehan Rajab, Kegan Paul Intl, London, 1989. LBSN 07103-0283-5. Middle Eastern clothing with regional variations, color photos, jewelry and embroidery.
Early Russian Jewelry Work in the XI-XVII Centuries, A.N. Svirin, Moscow 1972. Russian accessories, huge color photos labels in English/Russian/French/German, text in Russian.
Persian Illustrated Manuscripts, G.M. Meredith-Owens, The British Museum, London 1973. ISBN 7141-0631-3. Middle Eastern clothing, color and B&W photos of period manuscripts.
Folk Costumes of the Peoples of Russia in Graphic Arts of the 18th-20th Century, The State Central Theatre Library, USSR Culture Advertising Bureau, Moscow 1990. Russian clothing from different regions and different artists, with bios, nice drawings.
Persian Miniature Painting and Its Influence on the Art Of Turkey and India, Norah M. Titley, The British Library, London 1983. IBSN 0-7123-0001-5. Middle Eastern clothing, color/B&W plates showing period clothing. Persian Painting, Sheila R. Canby, The British Museum, London 1993. IBSN 0-7141-1459-6. Middle Eastern clothing, nice color photos with period Indian clothing.
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History of Ukranian Costume, Yuri Thach, Bayda Books, Australia 1986. Ukranian clothing from the time of the Scythians (600BC) to the late 17th century. Mongol Costumes, Henny Harald Hansen, Thames & Hudson, London 1993. IBSN 0-5000-1585-6. Mongolian traditional costume exacting detail and cataloging, patterns. Gorgeous! -
Suleyman the Magnificent, J.M. Rogers & R.M. Ward, The British Museum,
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Russian Holograms, York Archaelogical Trust, York 1989. IBSN 0-95062976-6. Russian clothing, history of the different groups settling in the area, illustrations and photos of clothing and items.
4. “Textiles and Clothing c. 1150-1450”, E. Crowfoot, F. Pritchard and K. Staniland. ISBN: 0 11 290445 9
Traditional Dress of Kiev Region XVIII-XIX Centuries, 1993. Ukranian clothing, a collection of color plates of different eras and regions.
Medieval Costume & Life; A Review of Their Social Aspects Arranged under Various Classes and Workers with Instructions for Making Numerous Types of Dress, Dorothy Hartley, New York, C. Scribner’s Sons, 1931. Includes workable patterns that make sense within the time period.
Ukranian Folk Costume, World Federation of Ukranian Women’s Organizations, World Federation of Ukranian Women’s Organizations, Philadelphia 1992. LCCCN 90-07168 1. Ukranian clothing, Meticulous breakdown by region with details on construction and methods (Ukranian/English).
Of His Array Telle I No Longer Tale: aspects of costume, arms, and armour in Western Europe, 1200-1400, H.M. Zijlstra-Zweens, Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1988. illustrated. Text in English, Dutch and German. Covers medieval clothing, social life, and customs between 500 and 1500. ISBN 9051830254.
USSR National Costume Reference, Marion Sichel, B T Batsford, Ltd, London 1986. IBSN 0-7134-4908-X. Eastern Europe clothing, regional costume, mostly pen and ink drawings.
BYZANTIUM
Uzbeck Dress (Odeshda Uzbekov) of the 19th & 20th Centuries, T.A. Abdullaev & S.A.Hasanova, Tashkent 1978. Middle Eastern clothing, photos and patterns of traditional costumes (in Russian). MEDIEVAL (900 to —1450) Dress Accessories, Geoff Egan & Frances Pritchard, London HMSO, Produced by the Musuem of London, 1991, ISBN 0-11-290444-0. About medieval finds from excavations in London, 1150-1450. The Greenland Mummies, lens Pederhart Hansen, editor, The British Museum, London 1991. IBSN 0-71412500-8. Greenland investigation of the 1475 burials of six women and two children. Gothic Women’s Fashion, Sronkova, Olga, Prague, Artia, 1954. 14th century bibles and other illustrations depicting contemporary fashions. Late Gothic Europe, 1400-1500, Margaret Scott, London: Mills and Boon, Atlantic Highlands, N., 1980. An illustrated history of European costume in the 15th century. Medieval finds from Excavations in London c. 1150-1450, 4 volumes, various contributors, HMSO, London, 1992. 1. “Knives and Scabbards”, I. Cowgill, M de Neergaard and N. Griffiths. 2. “Shoes and Pattens”, F. Grew and M. de Neergaard. 3. “Dress Accessories”, G. Egan and F. Prichard
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The Last Centuries of Byzantium 1261-1453, Donald Nicol, Pictures are from: Oxford, Bodleian Library, gr. 35; Lincoln College typicon; and Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Cod. vat. gr. 1851. Several B&W reproductions of late Byzantine manuscripts. The Byzantine Lady: Ten Portraits 1250-1500, Donald Nicol, Pictures are from: Oxford, Bodleian Library, gr. 35; Lincoln College typicon; and Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Cod. vat. gr. 1851. Typical husband and wife portraits.
RENAISSANCE & ELIZABETHAN Authentic Everyday Dress of the Renaissance, Cbristoph Weiditz, Dover Publications, New York 1994. IBSN 0-4862-7975-8. Originally published in the 16th c, slightly weird but interesting drawings. Dress in the Age of Elizabeth I, Jane Ashford, New York: Holmes and Meier, 1988. ISBN 0841911908. Dress in Italian Painting 1460-1500, Elizabeth Birbari, pub John Murray, 1975. A reader says it is out of print and over a period of yeas has never seen a used copy for sale. The English Icon: Elizabethan & Jacobean Portraiture, Roy Strong, Pantheon Books, 1969. ISBN: 0-7100-6734-8. Contains portraits belonging to the Paul Mellon Foundation for British Art. Full of black and white (only occasional colour) photographs of 16th century pictures, divided into putative artists.
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Lots of unusual pictures I’ve never seen reproduced elsewhere. Difficult to see much costuming detail, but does give a feel for shapes and decorations. that were common’ in any decade. Hispanic Costume, 1480-1530, Ruth Matilda Anderson, The Hispanic Society of America. ISBN 0-8753-5126-3. Highly praised. Lives of the Courtesans: Portraits of the Renaissance, Lynne Lawner Rizolli International Publications, 1987. ISBN 0-8478-0738-X It’s got WONDERFUL pictures! Queen Elizabeth’s Wardrobe Unlock’d, Janet Arnold, Leeds, England: Maney, 1988. ISBN 0-9012-8620-6. Renaissance Portraits: European portrait painting in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, Lorne Campbell, Yale University Press, New Haven Ct, 1990. ISBN 0300046758. OCLC 20294954. A wonderful book. Lots of full color illustrations. It’s divided into sections that discuss things like: who got painted and why, what backgrounds were used and why, poses, and the painters. Heavily footnoted, and even the captions contain useful descriptions. Renaissance Dress in Italy 1400-1500, Jacqueline Herald, London: Bell and Hyman; Atlantic Highlands, N., 1981. An illustrated history of costume in at during the Italian Renaissance. Tailor’s Pattern Book, Juan de Alcega, 1589. (reprint by Ruth Bean?) EIGHTEENTH CENTURY EUROPEAN The Duchess of Devonshire’s Ball, Sophia Murphy, London: Sidgwick and Jacson, 1984. Illustrated. 18th century costume balls and parties. ISBN 0-28398988-2. Eighteenth Century French Fashion Plates in Full Color, Stella Blum, cd. New York: Dover Publications, mc, 1982. Sixty-four beautifully reproduced color engravings from the “Galerie des Modes” 1778-1787. Introduction to era, detailed notes on plates, glossary of period terms. The Victoria and Albert Museum’s Textile Collection: Woven Textile Design in England to 1750, Natalie Rothstein, New York: Abbeville Press, 1994. The Victoria and Albert Museum’s Textile Collection: Design for Printed Textiles in England from 1750 to 1850, Wendy Hefford, New York: Abbeville Press, 1992, dressing from “inside-out.”
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Greetings from the 18th Century, Beth Gilgun, Rebel Press. Discusses clothing for men, women and children, day to day life of the early American pioneer and farmer. Illustrated. Bibliography. Purchased from the Colonial Williamburg Bookstore. Fabric of Society: A Century of People and Their Clothes 1770-1870, by Jane Tozer and Sarah Levitt, Manchester: Laura Ashley 1983. History of American Costume 1607-1870, Elizabeth McClellan, New York: Tudor Publishing Co, 1937. Long out of print, but worth obtaining from a library or used book dealer. Very strong on colonial periods in all parts of North America (Spanish and French, as well as English). Beautiful color drawings, B&W line drawings, portraits, photos of museum pieces. Much of text researched and quoted from period sources. NINETEENTH CENTURY (Regency until Victoria) Ackerman’s Costume Plates: Women’s Fashions in England 1818-1828, Stella Blum, ed., 88 B&W fashion plates with original detailed descriptions. 16 also reproduced in color. Excellent visual reference. The Age of Napoleon: Costume from Revolution to Empire 1789-1815, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989. Barbara Johnson’s Album of Fashion & Fabrics, ed. by Natalie Rothstein, Thames & Hudson, London 1987, no ISBN #. Contains 121 samples of fabric from 1746 to 1823 (!) Beautifully photographed so you can almost feel the cloth. Has notes on what type of fabric, how much it cost, how many yards she got, etc. A real treasure trove and worth every penny. The Cut of Men’s Clothes 1600-1930, Norah Waugh, New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1964. COLONIAL THRU 18th CENTURY USA 18th C. Clothing at Williamsburg, Linda Baumgartner, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1986. Everyday Dress of Rural America 1783-1800, Merideth Wright, Dover Publications, NY, 1992. Detailed instructions and patterns for constructing historically accurate basic items of everyday clothing for men, women and children of this period. Artistic, detailed B&W drawings, informative historical background and information on period
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Late Georgian Costume, R.L.Shep, ed., Mendocino: R.L.Shep, 1991. This reprint includes a period drafting manual, The Tailor’s Friendly Instructor, and also The Art of Tying the Cravat. Nineteenth Century Fashion, by Penelope Byrde, B.T.Batsford, 1992.
From Queen to Empress: Victorian Dress 1837-1877, Caroline Goldthorpe, New York: The Metropolital Museum of Art, 1988. Informative sections on royal influence, underdress, day dress, evening dress, weddings, mourning, court dress. Beautifully illustrated using lots of color with items from the museum’s costume collection, as well as fine art and photographs.
Revolution in Fashion 1715-18 15, Kyoto Costume Institute, Abbeville Press, 1989. Textile Reproductions, Kathleen Smith, Some of the best 19th century swatches for imprinted fabrics seen.
The Opulent Era: Fashions of Worth, Doucet and Pingat, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, London: Thames and Hudson, 1989. In -depth history of French couture fashion of the late 19th century, with many B&W illustrations and 52 color plates of exquisite gowns from the Brooklyn Museum collection.
NINETEENTH CENTURY (63 years w/ Victoria)
Paris Fashions of the 1 890s, Stella Blum, ed., New York: Dover Publications. A picture sourcebook for the decade with 350 designs reproduced from a period publication, “The Young Ladies Journal.” 24 in color, remainder in detailed B&W drawings with colors described in captions.
American Victorian Costume in Early Photographs, Priscilla Harris Dalrymple, New York: Dover Publications, 1991. Excellent reference illustrating how clothes really appeared as worn by ordinary Americans. Clearly reproduced photos with captions are organized by decade, 1 840s to 1 890s, with introductory text giving overview of each decade. Women, men and many photos of children. Calico Chronicle: Texas Women and Their Fashions 1830-1910, Betty J. Mills. Lubbock TX: Texas Tech Press, 1985. An outstanding resource for anyone wanting to understand dress of women of the 19th century American frontier. Interesting, detailed, well researched text with period photographs as well as B&W photos of garments in Texas Tech collection. In a companion series of 3 paper doll books, The Amanda Series (also published by Texas Tech), the museum gowns in Calico Chronicle have been translated into beautiful full color illustrations. English Women’s Clothing in the Nineteenth Century, C. Willet Cunnington, New York: Dover Publications, 1990. Affordable, unabridged soft cover reprint of a classic resource. Each decade, 1 800s - 1 990s has an overview of important fashion characteristics, followed by a year by year summary. Every aspect of clothing from underwear to outdoor garments, accessories (especially hats) and coiffure covered. Over 1,000 illustrations (B&W drawings and photos), glossary of materials. Very helpful for dating antique costume and for designing reproductions. Fashions and Costumes From Godey’s Lady’s Book, Stella Blum, ed., New York: Dover Publications, 1985. Visual reference covering 1837-1869. Fashion plates reproduced in B&W & color with original descriptions.
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Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: A Photographic Survey. Alison Gernsheim. New York: Dover Publications. 235 photographs from the period 1843-1911 depict clothing as actually worn by upper class English men, women and children. Although many of the photos are posed portraits, some are informal. Excellent visual reference to counterbalance those which have only fashion plates and line drawings. Photos accompanied by chapters of informative text. Victorian Fashions and Costumes From Harper’s Bazar 1876-1898, Stella Blum, ed., New York: Dover Publications. Visual reference of over 1,000 artistic engravings of women’s costume for every occasion, all types of accessories, hairstyles. Organized into four sections by major style trends with introductory text for each section; glossary of period terms. AMERICAN CWIL WAR A separate bibliography was posted by another contributor. UNDRESS and UNDERGARMENTS Corsets and Crinolines, Norah Waugb, Theatre Arts Books, 1970 (and 1954?). History of the corset, including the different shapes used in different periods (e.g. Tudor, Victorian, Edwardian). Dress and Undress: a history of women’s underwear. Elizabeth Ewing. New York: Drama Book Specialists, c1978.
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The History of Underclothing, C.W. Cunnington, Dover reprint. Issues of “Godey’s Lady’s Book” & “Petersen’s Magazine” often have patterns, especially for decorating the uppers. SHOES (history, make your own) Just Plain Silly: Instructional: Custom Make Your Own Shoes & Handbags, Mary Wales Loomis (earlier editions are Mary Wales), ISBN 0.517.53138.9, Crown Publishers, NY, 1978. The pictures are “keen” but the instructions are GOOD! Emphasizes heeled shoes. Every Lady Her Own Shoemaker_ by A Lady, 1855, reprinted by Amazon Vinegar. The Make It Yourself Shoe Book, Christine Clark, ISBN 0.394.41057.2, Alfred Knopf, NY, 1977. Good beginner’s book. Starts w/ flat sandals (“Jesus shoes”) and moccasins and progress to more constructed styles. Inspirational: Heavenly Soles, Extrodinary 20th Century Shoes, Mary Trako, Abbeville Press, NY. Put Your Foot Down: a treatise on the history of shoes, Florence E. Ledger. Meksham, Wiltshire, U.K.: C. Venton, 1985. An illustrated history of shoes. ISBN 0854751114.
Cinderella’s Revenge, Samuel Mazza, Chronicle Books, SF, 1994, ISBN 0.8118.0681.2, by the author of_Brahaus_ OTHER SPECIALITY ITEMS (jewelry, hats ... shoes listed separately) The Costume Accessories Series, London: B.T. Batsford Ltd, 1992. This is a series of individual books published with the usual high quality synonomous with Batsford. Volumes include Jewelry, Shoes, Hats, Gloves, Bags and Purses, Fans. Each is well written by an authority in the field. Nicely illustrated with portraits and photos showing items as worn, as well as photos of individual pieces (mostly B&W with a few color plates). Period covered usually c.1600-present. Fashion Accessories Since 1500, Geoffiey Warren, New York: Drama Book Publishers, 1987. A mostly visual reference of over 1,000 detailed b&w drawings with captions. Includes gloves, hats , fans, umbrellas and parasols, shoes, purses and bags. Helpful specific examples for costumes and theater, but not a comprehensive reference book.
Shoes, Fashion & Fantasy, Cohn McDowell, Rizzoli, NY, 1989. Voted best of the lot! Excellent photos, fascinating text.
Five Centuries of Jewelry, J. Lanlhier & M. Pini, New York: Arch Cape Press, 1983. Comprehensive, in-depth history ofjewelry from 16th -20th centuries. Profusely illustrated in color and B&W. Covers precious jewelry only (no “costume jewlry”), including information about the most used stones and metals.
Shoes, from The Costume Accessories Series, June Swami, gen. ed. Aileen Ribeiro, Butler & Tanner Ltd, Fromm, Somerset, 1982, ISBN 0.7134.0942.8
Folk Jewelery of the World, Ger Daniels, Rizzoli. Heavily illustrated survey of ornaments and traditional dress.
Schuhe, Drei Jahrtausende in Bildern, Paul Weber, AT Verlag, Aarau, Stuttgart. Color plates every other page.
The Hat: Trends and traditions, Madeline Ginsburg, Hauppage, NY: Barron’s, 1990.
Un Passo Dopo L’Altro, shoes from Italy, SF exhibition catalog, B/W photos, examples from 17th tbru the 20th century.
Make Your Own Gloves, Gwen Emlyn-Jones, Scribners, NY, 1974, ISBN-0684-14105-1. Very good book covering many topics; along with many chapters on how to make gloves. Worthwhile if you are contemplating making your own.
annual calendars from the Bata Shoe Museum Collection, Firefly Books, 250 Sparks Av, Willowdale Ontario M2H 254.
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Metropolitan Jewelry, Sophie McConnell, Boston: Little, Brown & Co. Exquisite examples ofjewelry from Metropolitan Museum of Art collection combined with period portraits showing how similar pieces were worn. Gorgeous book for those with intersecting interests in fashion, jewelry and art. Covers antiquity - 18th century. Popular Jewelry 1840 - 1940, Roseann Ettinger, Westchester PA: Schiffer Publishing Co, 1990. Excellent survey. Hundreds of clear color photos. Styles, materials, workmanship discussed. Helpful aid to dating pieces and well as for ascertaining what is correct to wear with period garments. The Tie: trends and traditions, Sarah Gibbings, Barron’s. An illustrated history of the tie and it’s precursors, from the 1600’s to today. Women’s Headdress and Hairstyles in England from AD 600 to the Present Day, Georgine de Courtais, B.T. Batsford Ltd, London, 1986. Brahaus, Samuel Mazza, Chronicle Books. Pure entertainment value. ISBN 071345282 X
EMBROIDERY all ages A separate bibliography was posted by another contributor. TWENTIETH CENTURY 20th Century Fashion, John Peacock, New York: Theames & Hudson mc, 1993. It contains over 1100 full color, detailed drawings with brief descriptions. Each 2-4 year interval from 1900 to 1990 is represented by selected fashions in seven categories. Appendix includes useful chart of the Development of 20th Century Fashion, concise biographies of Coutiers and Designers. Changing Trends in Fashion, Patterns of the Twentieth Century, Anne Tyrrehl, London: B T Batsford Ltd, 1986. Covers 1900-1970. Each decade has fashion overview, followed by 4-6 examples of couples in costume of specific years, with detailed descriptions and 1/5 scale patterns for making the garments. Dress Design: Draping and Flat Pattern Making, Marion Hihlhouse and Evelyn A Mansfield, Riverside Press, 1948. Clear instructions on draping, with excellent drawings of bodice, skirt, sleeve, and neckline styles. Perfect
Clothier’s A.S. XXXII -- Costume Research Materials
for reproducing styles of the 1940’s. Everyday Fashions Series, New York: Dover Publications. Books are organized by decade: Everyday Fashions of the Twenties, Stella Blum, ed. Everyday Fashions of the Thirties, Stehla Blum, ed. Everyday Fashions of the Forties, JoAnne Ohian, ed. Year by year compilations of examples from Sears and other catalogs catering to the ordinary person. Fashions and accessories for every member of the family and every occasion are illustrated, with unusually good coverage of men’s clothing. Material includes original catalog captions. Dover Publications Reproduction Catalogs, Dover reprints many old catalogs which are useful to those studying, designing or reproducing historic fashion. Three of their catalog reprints which are especially useful for early twentieth century are: Men’s Fashion Illustrations From the Turn of the Century, Jno. J. Mitchell Co. Full page size, extremely detailed illustrations of men’s sports, business and formal wear, appropriately accessorized. Covers styles from 1900-1910 and is a must reference for men’s fashions of that decade. Women’s Fashions of the Early 1900’s, National Cloak and Suit Co. An unabridged catalog of 1909 styles in women’s wear--suits, skirts, “waists”, day dresses, house dresses, coats and capes, undergarments, nightwear, and accessories--including many examples of the fantastic huge hats of that year. Small section of girls’ and young boys’ clothing. Detailed illustrations, many including back view, with original catalog descriptions. Gimbel’s Illustrated 1915 Fashion Catalog, Gimbeh Brothers. Large, clear illustrations of every type of women’s clothing and accessory for this year; infants, girls and young boy’s clothing; men’s underwear, nightwear, shirts and accessories; shoes for the entire family; linens and some household items. Guiness Guide to 20th Century Fashion, David Bond, TJK:Guiness Publishing Ltd, 1988(2nd ed). Gives a lively decade-by-decade summary of men’s, women’s and children’s fasion from 1900s - 1980s, along with the social trends which influenced clothing. History of 20th Century Fashion, Elizabeth Ewing, New Jersey: Barnes and Noble, 1989 (3rd ed.) Interesting, well illustrated narrative history for those interested in fashion trends, design, manafacture and marketing of women’s
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clothing in the 20th century. Good background for vintage clothing collectors; limited value for costumers.
Historical Costuming for Stage, Gail Hunnisett, Hunnisett was involved in the costuming for the BBC’s production of “Elizabeth R”.
Jocks and Nerds, Men’s Style in the Twentieth Century, New York: Rizzohi Publishers Inc, 1989. Richard Martin & Harold Koda. An entire, deluxe volume devoted entirely to 20th century male fashion, organized around some of the “roles” men play.
A History of Costume, Carl Kohler, New York: Dover Publications, 1963. Paperback reprint of a 1928 classic. Historical discussion, line drawings, patterns and photographs of costume from antiquity to 1870 intended for theatrical costumers. Patterns drawings are extremely small, but commentary on construction and accessories is interesting.
Reference Book of Men’s Vintage Clothing 1900- 1919, Kathleen and Kay LaBarre, Portland OR: LaBarre Books (order direct-for info 7136 SE 87th Portland Or 97266). Hard to find information on every detail of men’s clothing for this period.
Men’s Garments, R.L. Davis, Drama Book Publishers, New York Period Costume for Stage and Screen: Patterns for Women’s Dress 1500 -
1800. Jean Hunnisett. Reference Book of Women’s Vintage Clothing, 2 volumes available 19001919 and 1920-1929, Kathleen and Kay LaBarre, Portland OR: LaBarre Books. Detailed encyclopedias of every type of clothing and accessories. Items (such as Bathing Suites, Coats, Fans, Skirts, etc) are listed in alphabetical order, then broken into year groupings within the item.
CHILDREN’S CLOTHING
Patterns for Theatrical Costumes: garments, trims, and accessories from ancient Egypt to 1915, Katherine Strand Holkeboer, Doris Edson, & Lucy Barton, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, c1993. IBSN 0-1365-4260-3. paperbound. Has period-like patterns. Period Style for the Theatre, Douglas A. Russell, 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1987. Illustrated. History of Western costume and it’s applications in theatre and acting. ISBN 0205104886.
History of Children’s Costume, Elizabeth Ewing, New York: Scribner, 1977. Illustrated, with colour plates. OTHER MEDIA: COSTUME FOR THE THEATER The Costumer’s Handbook, Elizabeth Covey, Prentice Hall, 1980. A good basic source for the tecniques of theatrical cosumters. The Costume Designers Handbook: a complete guide for the amateur and professional costume designers, Rosemary Ingham, 2nd ed. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1992. Costume Construction, Katherine Strand Holkeboer, Englewoad Cliifs,NJ: Prentice Hall, 1989. Costuming and costume design. ISBN 0131812076. Costumers Handbook, Rosemary Ingham and Elizabeth Covey, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1980.
Clothier’s A.S. XXXII -- Costume Research Materials
Costume: The journal of the Costume Society, Costume Society, Victoria and Albert Museum. Published annually. Instructions for Clothing the Poor, (well, the real title is a good three inches longer), often microfiche, Goldsmiths, originally published in England, 1789. Gives pretty explicit directions on how to cut out clothes for people on public charity. Included were some patterns for caps and bonnets and a few miscellaneous items. Mostly children’s clothes, but some for women. Not much for men (they weren’t eligible for public charity it seems). The series it comes from, Goldsmiths, is a veritable goldmine for anything from the l7thl9th centuries. The Museum of Costume and Assembly Rooms, Bath The Official Guide, text by Oliver Garnett & Penelope Byrde, The Museum of Costume, Bath 1994. IBSN 0-9013-0331-3. British costume; includes photos of embroidered clothing from c. 1600 up through modern designer stuff.
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National Types and Costumes: with explanatory text, [Microfilm.] London: F. Bruckman, Illustrated history of costume photography in the 1880’s. Orientalism: Visions of the East in Western Dress, Richard Martin and Harold Koda, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1994. Distributed by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. IBSN 0-8709-9733-5. Nice color photos of clothes from 1 8th-20th centuries, exhibit catalog. Visual Catalogue of Fashion and Costume in the Victoria and Albert Museum, [Microform] Photos by Philip Metcalf, Haslemere, Surrey: Emmett Microform, 1981. 57 microfiches. Pictoral history of items in the Victoria and Albert collection, with historical and informational notes. #1 in the Fashion, Costume, and Uniform series.
Simply Stunning -200 Years of Fashion From the Cincinnati Art Museum. Otto Charles Thieme. Cincinnati: Cincinatti Art Museum, 1988. Full color, full page photographs of 50 exquisite gowns with detailed descriptions. Examples date from 1770- 1985. With Grace and Favor Victorian and Edwardian Fashion in America, Otto Charles Thieme, et al., Cincinnati: Cincinnati Art Museum, 1993. This volume is an exceptional exhibit catalog with 67 gowns (1837-1910) artistically presented with full color plates. It also contains 4 scholarly essays on period topics. -
GENERALIZED INFORMATION
MUSEUM CATALOGUES
After a fashion: How to reproduce, restore, and wear vintage styles, Francis Grimble, San Francisco, Lavolta Press, 1993. Covers clothing styles from medieval to modem. Line drawings.
Ahead of Fashion: Hats of the 20th Century, by Dilys E. Blum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1993. It is a catalog for an exhibit at the Philadelphia Musuem of Art, published in 1993. It is quite a nice book, with brief but informative essays and 70 good color photos.
Costume Cavalcade, by H.H.Hansen, ISBN 0413 288005, circa 1975. It contains 680 colour drawings taken from contempory drawings and art and follows the development of European costume from Egyptian times through to the seventies.
“Dressed to Kill” exhibit catalog, write the Australian National Gallery, Canberra ACT 2600 to try and order it. The exhibition was split into roughly four periods: Late 1 800s to 1914, post-war through the 1920s, 1930’s through the 1950s, 1960s to the present. The catalogue features full page colour photos of the key garments from each period and some nice detailed shots of garments. Sprinlded through the text is also some of the illustrations exhibited to give some background to the period.
Costume of the Western World: a pictoral guide and glossary, Doreen Yarwood, New York: St. Martins Press, 1980.
Four Hundred Years of Fashion, Natalie Rothskin, ed. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1984. More than a catalogue, this is a beautiful and helpful reference book with clearly photographed examples (most in color) and descriptive text featuring clothing and accessories from the museum’s vast collection. Covers 16th - 20th centuries and has strong section on men’s fashion. The Met’s last catalog/book “Infra-Apparel” went out-of-stock at the publisher’s within 6 months.
Clothier’s A.S. XXXII -- Costume Research Materials
Costume Patterns and Designs, Max Tilke, New York: Rizzoli, 1990. ISBN 08478 1209X. Translation of Kostumschnitte und Gewandformen circa 1860. Elizabethan Costuming, Janet Winter and Carolyn Savoy, Oakland, CA: Other Times Publications, 1991. ISBN 0963022008 English Costume of the Early Middle Ages; The 10th to 13th Centuries, Iris Brooke, London, A&C Black LTD, 1936. English Costume of the Later Middle Ages; The 14th and 15th Centuries, Iris Brooke, London, A&C Black LTD, 1935. Five Centuries of American Costume, R. Turner Wilcox, New York: MacMillan Publishing Co, 1963. One of few books focusing strictly on North and South American costume from Native Americans through 1960s. Strong
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on military of various periods, in addition to civilian clothing. Special section on children. Each period has an informative introductory text followed by small but detailed, annotated B&W drawings. There are many strange generalizations such as Brugel paintings (of Dutch cities) implying that this native costume is exactly how the Dutch dressed when they arrived in the New World. The Evolution of Fashion: Pattern & Cut from 1066-1930, Margot Hamilton Hill & Peter Buchnell, Drama Book Publishers, New York 1987. IBSN 08967-6099-5. British clothing, limited for each time, has patterns. A reader states this this book is often incorrect. The Historical Encyclopedia of Costumes, Albert Racinet, New York, NY, Facts on File, 1988. IBSN 0-8160-1976-2. lithographic illus.; translation and abridgement of Le Costume Historique. (Dover has a less expensive pb version.) Caution! this is a reprint of colored 19th century etchings (they are interpretations taken from old paintings). Lovely for an historic overview, but DO seek out the original sources. Kings, Queens, Knights & Jesters: Making Medieval Costumes. Lynn Edelmann Schnurnberger, New York: Harper & Row, 1978. Cross-listed under the juvenile section, but was produced in association with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Might be useful. Medieval Theatre Costume: A Practical Guide to the Construction of Garments, Iris Brooke, New York, Theatre Arts Books, c 1967. Iris Brooke has written others with more of a theatrical bent, but these are the best ones for costumers who want to make *clothing*. Received a lot of feedback that Brooke’s are not historically accurate, are poorly drawn and are often from secondary or tertiary sources. Instead check out books by Yarwood, Nunn and Payne instead.
MYSTERIOUS (w/o complete information): 400 Years of Mennonite Dress, Melvin Gingrich China and it People in Early Photographs, John Thomson, Dover. 19th century photojournalism. Daguerrotypes by Southworth and Hawes Joan Thirsk, The Fantastical Folly of Fashion: The English Stocking Knitting Industry, 1500-1700__Textile History and Economic History: Essays in Honour of Miss Julia de Lacy Mann_. Eds. N.B. Harte and K.G. Ponting. University of Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1973. UK ISBN 07190-0538-8 Fashion, Costume, and Uniform series, Victoria and Albert Museum. Maybe museum catalog? Syes for, Liles The Mediaval Tournament, R.Coltman Clephan, Dover reprint. English & European jousting & sword play in 12th to 14th centuries. Some costume & decoration. Level of research? New York to Hollywood-- The Photography of Karl Struss by McCandless et al, Univ of New Mexico Press, 1995?. Museum catalog from the Amon Carter Museum, Texas. Deco high fashion and early hollywood costume photos. Sutter’s Fort, David Rickman, et al, rumored to be available thru the Calif State DPR, Sutter’s Fort, Sacramento **************************
End of Bibliography!
Patterns for Theatrical Costume, Katherine Holkeboer. Not bad for a “quick and dirty” book. A Visual History of Costume: The Sixteenth Century, Jane Ashelford, B T Batsford, Ltd, London, 1983. IBSN 0-7134-6828-9 Mostly British with excellent analysis of portrait paintings. (Also titled “Dress in the Age of Elizabeth”.) Pictures are good - all colour, but all of commonly reproduced pictures, her costuming information is dodgy!
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