17th century, Manuscript / Archival Research

Anne Clifford’s Private Purse from Brougham Castle’s Household Expenses, 1675

Being a history research graduate has a lot of perks - we get to discuss subjects that some might think of as frivolous, we get to pursue our academic interests in an environment where you are supported rather than laughed at ("you're doing a thesis on corsets, how will that help you get a job?" I… Continue reading Anne Clifford’s Private Purse from Brougham Castle’s Household Expenses, 1675

16th century, 17th century, Bodies and Stays, Elizabeth I Effigy Bodies Reconstruction, Elizabethan, Experimental History, Tutorial

Elizabeth I Effigy Bodies Reconstruction | Part One: The Pattern & Materials

Effigy Bodies Part One: The Pattern & Materials Effigy Bodies Part Two: Cutting & Sewing Effigy Bodies Part Three: Boning & Binding Effigy Bodies Part Four: Eyelets & Lacing Effigy Bodies Part Five: The Finished Product The first reconstruction that I will be making is the effigy bodies of Queen Elizabeth I that are now… Continue reading Elizabeth I Effigy Bodies Reconstruction | Part One: The Pattern & Materials

16th century, 17th century, Experimental History

Reconstructing “deform’d” fashions – My Journey into Historical Reconstruction

 Reconstruction has until recently not been seen as a concern of the serious academic, relegated to the domain of television, re-enactors or living history museums. Yet reconstruction has been used by archaeologists, curators and conservators for many years, standing in for objects that are too frail to be put on permanent display or adding a… Continue reading Reconstructing “deform’d” fashions – My Journey into Historical Reconstruction

17th century

Looking at 1630s English Fashions through Wenceslaus Hollar’s Ornatvs Mvluebris Anglicanus

In order to understand early modern undergarments, it's also vital to understand the outergarments that were worn. In order to better educate myself I've recently been going through some of the engravings done by seventeenth-century artists, particularly the Bohemian Wenceslaus Hollar who worked extensively in England, and Abraham Bosse, a French engraver. I love, love,… Continue reading Looking at 1630s English Fashions through Wenceslaus Hollar’s Ornatvs Mvluebris Anglicanus