Mr Godey's Ladies: Being a Mosaic of Fashions and Fancies

by Robert Kunciov (Editor)

"The Lady's Book" write a Victorian poetess, "How vastly rare / Are the rich treasures gathered there!"

Robert Kunciov has recaptured those rich treasures - the color, character and spirit - of an important fashion era with wit and expertise.

Fifty of the best years of American fashions are illustrated in Mr. Godey's Ladies - from the 1830s through the 1870s. Fifteen of the finest hand-colored plates are reproduced along with several hundred important and amusing black and white line drawings. Together with the text they form an entertaining and informative commentary on changing Victorian fads and fancies in clothing.

Students of costume will find this book captivating; those who enjoy Victorian trappings are assured of a pleasurable "read." Viewers of the American scene will discover interesting sidelights and insights on the pursuits and status of women in the nineteenth century.

183 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Amber Ray · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is mostly just excerpts and pictures from Godey’s magazines with a short explanation about the magazine and styles.
Had the whole book been a serious investigation of the magazine that would have been much more interesting.
I especially would have loved information about the fabrics, what they were, why they ceased to be made, what the various fashions were and what they were worn for.

So many dresses materials are described, but not their function. I’d love to have had notes on whether something was a visiting gown, carriage dress, etc but not too many are.
It would have been wonderful if instead of just reprinted material, there could have been information on garment construction, what people wore the garments pictured and how the crafts were actually done.
A few nice illustrations, a taste of the contents of Godey’s magazine, but only a tiny crumb of background information.

[Emy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful for c1830-c1879. Mostly read for the 1850s/1860s sections for current project reference, but the original illustrations and text will be definitely useful for other projects within the covered period.

[Phair · Rating 2 out of 5]

Compilation of illustrations and text selections from Godey's arranged chronologically from 1830s to 1870s. Some color plates. Book is prefaced with a chronology noting the fashion innovations, popular fabrics and colors for each era. There is also a chapter giving the history of the magazine. Decent overview but nothing special.