Guy Tristram Little’s 1953 bequest, which is described in an earlier blog post, The Saga of Letitia and Rachel, continues to throw up intriguing material. Much of what he...
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One of the unexpected pleasures of cataloguing a collection is when hidden treasures are discovered hidden behind dry archive descriptions, such as: “ANONYMOUS : Caricatures...
In the world of fashion since the 20th century, many dresses have names that were given to them during the design process. Among the most famous examples are ‘Bar,’ the cream...
A common perception of haute couture is that it is about glamorous evening gowns and special occasion day wear. These days, perhaps that isn’t so far off the mark, but there was...
Over the last few years I have been working through a remarkable collection of over 9,700 fashion designs from the House of Paquin. Covering the period from Winter 1897 to Winter...
This is the fourth and final instalment of George Barbier’s fabulous illustrations for Falbalas and Fanfreluches. While we did see some contemporary elegance in the previous...
A third instalment of George Barbier’s illustrations from his luxury collector’s magazine Falbalas et Fanfreluches. This time, the theme is theatricality and general...
This is another instalment of George Barbier’s illustrations from his luxury collector’s magazine Falbalas et Fanfreluches. One of his favourite themes was the interplay...
Whilst cataloguing, I often reflect on the many engravers whose work is now in our store, either anonymous, or signed only with cryptic initials or widespread surnames, and are...
George Barbier (1882-1932) was one of the most highly regarded illustrators of the early 20th century Art Deco movement. His 1910s and 1920s fashion illustrations are among some...
Fancy some last minute inspiration for your Easter Bonnet? These six lithographs come from a series of eighteen of beautiful women in fantastical costumes representing various...
“My wallpaper is killing me. One of us will have to go” – Oscar Wilde.Among many other things, the Prints, Drawings and Paintings collection also includes a...
Fortune after Hippolyte Lalaisse, Paris, c.1855. Hand-coloured...
Hand-coloured lithograph by an unknown artist. French,...
