Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Flash, Bang, Wallop!

I've bought lots of old books and photographs recently...
The photo below is in a rather tatty album, but which must have once belonged to a rather well-to-do family, as this is their drawing room, which is a very elegant room. Each page has hand written titles under the photos and includes dates from 1886 to 1889.

Another album that I bought had this beautiful rose printed page, which I have decided to keep. I try not to hang on to very much these days, in order to keep my shop fully stocked...but just occasionally I succumb!
I also loved this photograph of the Victorian Miss...unashamedly standing in her corset. Of course I realise that some of the Victorian young girls of the time weren't as prim and proper as we are sometimes led to believe...

But on the reverse of the photo it may explain why she was willing to pose in her underwear. It says that 'Samuel A. Walker had a new application of photography where sitters were taken at their own residence'. Perhaps this gave her the confidence to be photographed in this way?
It also mentions that his studio was patronized by the Queen, (as well as other members of the royal family) so he must have been a well respected photographer.

And talking of royalty, another find of mine was this beautiful book entitled Royalties of the World...

It was printed shortly after the death of Queen Victoria.

Inside are lots of wonderful colour plates, each one artistically created from old photographs of the time. Unfortunately the first page, which would have been a portrait of Queen Victoria, is missing - I suspect someone removed it to place in a frame.
There are plenty of other portraits though, which give examples of the impressive costumes worn by the wealthy during the early 1900's...
I leave you with a small selection...

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Niki x

7 comments:

  1. What a WONDERFUL book you've found, Niki! The color plates are gorgeous!

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  2. Ohhhh thanks for sharing Niki!

    Such lovely detail shown in the dresses, sometimes this is forgotten about in photos and the likes when the subject is sitting down, as you can tell from some of the ladies in your 'find.' Not sure I would get my boobies in them though lol. Good job I live now and not then eh?! But if I did, I would live like the 'well to do family' you mention. Thanks again. X

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  3. What a wonderful interesting book.
    I love looking at those lovely coloured plates especially ones of the royal family Victoria in particular
    Julie xxxx

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  4. Oh my, just look at that waist in the last picture! xx

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  5. What a prize you have. Such lovely photos. Sea Witch

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  6. It must be like a game of 'spot the ones who aren't related to Queen Victoria' - only the Emperor of Japan, I should think! What a great book, and I also love that rosy page which you (quite understandably) intend to keep!

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  7. Lovely pictures, love the princess of the Asturias, though I belive that some of the other ladies came from Denmark.

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Thank you for finding the time to visit me...
Niki xx