My family is, apparently, no longer willing to feed my obsession with
historic costuming. :-) I received several nice gifts of jewellery
and clothing (suitable for office wear) and some lotion, etc. from
the Aveda Salon... but not a single book or pattern, or even a gift
certificate to Jo-Ann's!
The big surprise came a few days before Christmas, when my parents
arrived. They walked in carrying a box of "old magazines" and
wondered if I wanted them. I am now the proud owner of bound copies
of Godey's Lady's Book from 1856 and January-June 1863, plus loose
issues May & June 1865 and July 1871, and a bound copy of Peterson's
Magazine from 1881. I was stunned! They are all in rather fragile
condition with broken spines, pages torn and stained -- and I was
distressed to see that someone had cut out many of the articles in
the 1856 volume. (My mother couldn't remember which side of the
family she inherited them from, or when. Maybe it's better if I
don't know!) Also, someone used the back of some of the plates to
work on their arithmetic homework but at least it's in pencil. I
suppose there are cleaner copies available electronically for all of
these volumes but I'm thrilled to think that I have my very own paper
copies. I'll be making photocopies of the "ballads" that appear at
the beginning of each volume and I'll probably try to construct some
of the accessories... March 1856 has something called a "Polka Jacket
trimmed with imitation ermine" that I find strangely appealing...
you have been warned! ;-)
Suzanne
[who mostly does 15th & 16th C. but has started dabbling in the
mid-19th C. since moving to Iowa last year]
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