fashion

I consider Severa's work to be of great potential use to any family researcher who has ever stared at an unidentified family photograph and wondered just when and where it was taken. For, unless one descends from a famous family, such images are likely to be distressingly anonymous. As with any type of historical research, searching out the context can greatly increase one's chances -- and in a photo, while the countryside and the buildings may not change, the clothing of the subjects almost certainly will. Even those expert in other areas of historical knowledge often make mistakes in interpreting the depicted garments of ordinary people. Or not so ordinary: The author describes several misinterpretations even of Paul Revere's clothing in the famous John Singleton Copley portrait. And Severa, as probably the leading historian of American costume, is certainly the best possible author for a massive study like this. Each chapter covers one decade of the 19th century since the practical introduction of photography, including first a discussion of general trends and the effects of manufacturing innovations and social influences, and then examining and discussing a large number of specific individual and group portraits of farmers, families, children, shop girls, and soldiers in considerable detail. This isn't "just" a reference guide, though, but a fully realized history and the reader not only will learn about the details of American dress but also will acquire a number of new insights in historical method.

If you like looking at old photographs with haunting, austere faces staring out from stilled figures in 19th-century garb, this book is worth every penny. The photos in this volume are incredibly evocative and encompass a wide range of people from various walks of life. The photos are nicely presented, with one large picture per page accompanied by an extensive caption that explains the clothing/fashion details reflected in the picture. This is one of those books that I return to again and again because I love what it does to my imagination, in terms of stimulating my ideas regarding both Victorian-era costuming and a way of life that is long since vanished.

I have never seen a more complete book for the fashion history enthusiast. Thick and heavy with loads of black and white photographs, detailed descriptions of the photos, and a decade-by-decade listing of the fashions of the time (womens clothing and undergarments, childrens' wear, mens' wear, and even shoes and hats are included!).

A true gem sure to keep the reader entranced for hours at a time...