So What is an Antique Fashion Print?

Good question.

The short answer is:

A typical fashion print is an engraving made on paper, usually nice and thick, with a wood block or a copper plate.

The better engravings were then colored by hand using stencils. The even better ones were colored one by one with watercolors.

How do I know?

It says so on the publication itself.

Just like today, a woman in the 19th Century was able to subscribe to her favorite magazine and receive her monthly or weekly load of stories, games, articles, novels and... fashion, including patterns and engraved illustration. The cheaper ones came with no fashion print at all. Then one could opt for the black and white engraving, the colored one or even the watercolored one.

Of course many of these publications have disappeared, been separated or lost. In the pictures below we have a pristine example of what the lady would receive in the mail, including all the patterns and of course...a fashion print.

This example of the Journal des Demoiselles published April 1st 1888 includes patterns, colored charts to make a silk fire screen, embroidery charts, one black and white engraving and a colored hats fashion print     

Now this was the short answer. Of course there is way more to it.
With advance in technology and printing techniques antique fashion prints evolved as well.

It is so complex that instead of attempting to go chronologically I will actually use the prints I have and explain what they are, how they were made and what makes them special.

By the way, anyone having questions is welcome to ask.

Helene

P.S.: If you want a very academical history of Fashion Prints and can read French, please enjoy Raymond Gaudriault's "La Gravure de Mode Feminine en France". It is certainly the most thorough research on the subject.

Decisions! Decisions!

That's it!
As I was unpacking several boxes long forgotten in a closet, I came across some fascinating fashion engravings I have collected over many many years.

And it is all my Mother's fault. She is the one who gave me my first two prints back when I moved from Paris, France, to Normandy.
She knew I loved fashion and she was an antique dealer. The fact is that I doubt she ever suspected I would become such an avid collector.
Now with well over a thousand fashion prints, some very unique and rare, I am anxious to get started.

And were to start?

There is so much to say about these precious images. Meant to spread new styles and fashions to women around Europe and America, they were found in the times equivalent of Vogue, Cosmopolitan or Woman's Day. Long before photography, publications had to have a way to illustrate stories and articles as well as to spread the ever so socially important fashion. Hence fashion prints.

However collecting Antique Fashion Prints has proven to be quite a challenge these days. As a collector, I discovered that it is very easy to be fooled by copies spread to tourists and other buyers by unscrupulous sellers or even uneducated antique dealers. After discovering a few fakes in my beginner's collection, I decided to research them thoroughly as to be able to recognize the real ones from the reproductions with ease.

And I will share with you my many years of findings in this blog.

Ah! And by the way: thank you Mom for your loving inspiration.

Helene Pouillon

In memoriam: Flora Pouillon, 1935-1993