29 January 1845

"This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!"

Edgar Allan Poe, "The Raven"

First published 29 January 1845, New York Evening Mirror.

(Fondly featured on The Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror I" (1990),
read by James Earl Jones. Click here to watch segment).

Followed up by "The Philosophy of Composition" in Graham's Magazine (April 1846).

Pieces of History

Do you have $4,950 to spend on an original eighteenth-century gentleman's silk top coat? How about $2,900 on a rare 1730s linen stomacher? If you do, head on over to Vintagetextile.com.

Satin afternoon gown, 1890s ($1,250) Brussels lace parasol w/ivory, 1860s ($1,250)

Beaded vevet/lace cape owned by the Countess de Pourtales, 1905
($5,800)

David Hume's New Hat

Scottish philosopher, economist, historian David Hume (1711-1776); major figure of Western philosophy and the Scottish Enlightenment. Now he just sits around with a cone on his head. Taken in Edinburgh by flickr user Rankeelaw.


I love the hat David is wearing above. This 1754 portraiture by Allan Ramsay ("the younger") shows a hat that, I think, is more Barbadian than Oriental. At this time in Barbadian history, the plantation economony was controlled by Britain. Barbados turned out to be an expensive colony during Revolutionary times, and sugar prices fluctuated, but exoticism was high fashion.

Other exotic fashions include headwraps, dresses adorned in peacock, parrot, and flamingo feathers, tortoise-shell jewelery, Turquerie, ivory, even Chinoiserie embroidery...

...much like the early 18th century English bodice below (how beautiful).

(Update: try as I might, I cannot find any information regarding the hat Hume is wearing in his portraiture. When I do, you know where such information will be found).

Little Boxes

Embroidered casket (silk panels); England (originally Hertforshire), 1660s. Victoria and Albert Museum.

Black marble & gold snuffbox (likely of Frederick the Great of Prussia); Germany, 1765. V&A Museum.




Snuffbox (gold inlay, mother of pearl, portrait of Peter III); Western Europe (1754-61). V&A Museum.

Fashion

This indexed collection of beautiful costumes made by
Katharine at The Fashionable Past Dress Site range from
the 1700s to the 1920s.

This blue printed cotton 1780s gown (left) comes from
a pattern used by a woman during the French Revolution,
dated from the 1790s.

The glass beading of this
1862 ball gown for the mourning of Prince Albert is exquisite.

I would like to replicate this style of late-Regency dress,
although I might instead use floral embroidery.

I think Katharine lives and works in the south-west US.

Her dresses are beautiful and perfectly crafted. She is made for it.

One of the most impressive is the 1530s Tudor dress,
for sure. She also has patterns, design details, and antique
clothing online. I think her work is super cool.

Do the bustle!

18 January 1763, Tuesday

"This day being the Queen's birthday, I was amused by seeing multitudes of rich-dressed people driving in their splendid equipages to Court. Really, it must be confessed that a court is a fine thing. It is the cause of so much show and splendour that people are kept gay and spirited. I recollected stories of the old Scottish magnificence when our monarchs resided at Holyroodhouse, and I wished to see such days again.

I then called for Lady Mirabel.

Yet I could not think of being unfaithful to Louisa.

But, then, I thought Louisa was only in the mean time, till I got into genteel life, and that a woman of fashion was the only proper object for such a man as me. I this day began to feel an unaccountable alarm of unexpected evil: a little heat in the members of my body sacred to Cupid.

When I came to Louisa's, I felt myself stout and well, and most courageously did I plunge into the fount of love, and had vast pleasure as I enjoyed her as an actress who had played many a fine lady's part. She was remarkably fond of me today, and sighing said, "What will become of me if I lose you now?"

James Boswell. London Journal 1762-1763 Ed. Pottle, A. Frederick

(New Haven: Yale University, 2004) 149- 151.