The Repository of Arts: 190 Fashion Plates

Collection of 190 fine hand-coloured stipple and line-engraved fashion plates from two decades of Ackermann's influential Repository of Arts.

Plates date from January 1809 to December 1828 and include examples of outfits for all times of the day and social occasions: morning dress, walking or promenade dress, full evening dress, opera and ball gowns, carriage or travel clothes, dinner, garden, mourning and wedding dresses.

Some of the clothes and hats were designed by famous London dressmaker Miss Pierpoint of 9 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, tailor and habit-maker Mr Barry of 55 New Bond Street, milliner and dressmaker Mrs Elizabeth Gill of 1 Cork Street, Burlington Gardens, Mrs Charlotte Bean of Albemarle Street, Mrs Griffin of Rider Street, St. James, and the notorious serial bankrupt Madame Ann Margaret Lanchester.

The elegant ladies are shown dancing at balls, sitting on chaise longues, walking on beaches, reading love letters while strolling, playing the piano, looking at etchings, reading music scores, writing letters at a desk, drinking tea, flirting with fans at parties, etc.

The plates are taken from 190 issues of the magazine (one of the two fashion plates per issue). Illustrations accredited to Thomas Uwins who went by the pen-name Arbiter Elegantiarum.

Bound in half red morocco, five raised bands, gilt title Costume of the Ladies of England 1809-1828, ornate gilt floral tooling, marbled boards faded, aeg, most plates in very good condition with fine hand-colour, a few with faint spotting.