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Details of dress, 1839

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- subject matching 'Fashion Plates: Neckwear - Berthas en coeur'

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Details of dress, 1839

published in The Court Magazine and Monthly Critic and Lady's Magazine and Museum
hand-coloured etching, line and stipple engraving, published April 1839
9 3/8 in. x 6 1/8 in. (237 mm x 154 mm) paper size
Acquired, 1930
Reference Collection
NPG D47771

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Top centre bust, marked No. 3, and lower one marked the same. Blonde cap à la paysanne, trimmed with yellow ribbons. The form of this cap will be best seen by the lower bust; the head-piece is deep, in the style of the mob cap, and is sufficiently sloped away in front to make it sit far off the brow; the cawl is round and rather small, and gathered all round. The border, which is of blonde, becomes deep at the sides of the face, and continues so round the back to form the bavolet; just below the left ear it forms a kind of rosette with two bows of ribbon in the centre; at the right side it is narrow and mixed with ends of ribbon, en oreilles de caniche: across the brow the border is fancifully intermixed with the trimming. A ribbon goes round the head-piece and is finished in a large bow over the bavolet at back. The cap is not tied under the chin, nor has it strings. Hair in bandeaux lisses. Dress of white or pink satin; corsage à pointe, with a deep tucker, à la Louis XIII, which likewise comes to a point in front. Plain, tight, short sleeve with a deep blonde ruffle; the sleeve of the lower bust has two puffs or sabots at the bottom of the plain sleeve; half long white kid gloves with a ruche at top.
The two busts marked No. 1, at top of plate - Coiffure à la Chinoise - In this singular style of coiffure, the hair over the brow is taken back from the roots, and formed into braids and rouleaux at the lower part of the back of the head, where an immense bunch of ostrich feathers is also placed. A wreath of full-blown roses (forming the mattes or braids à la Clotilde is at each side of the face, encircling the ears. We cannot exactly recommend this style of coiffure to our fair readers, although we consider it our duty to display it to them as it has been adopted by several of our juvenile belles at some of the late splendid réunions in the French capital. Dress of pink or apple-green crape or gauze, tight corsage à pointe laced up at back; plain tucker of rich blonde; short sleeves in double or triple sabots, finished with double ruffles à la Louis XIV; white kid gloves with a ruche of ribbon at top. Clear cambric handkerchief.
The two lower busts marked No. 2, in walking costume. Dress of white muslin; corsage demi décolletée (half high). A pelerine which leaves the neck open in front, covers the corsage of the dress; the pelerine is round at the back, but descends quite as low as the waist; it has a worked trimming all round, deep at back, and on the shoulders, and sloped off gradually towards the waist in front, a deep falling frill of the same goes round the neck. Sleeves full all the way down, finished by a deep cuff turned up with a narrow frill at the edge next the sleeve; pink ceinture tied in front. Hat of pink or paille poux de soie, the front quite round and thrown up (tres évasée), the crown small at top and not high; a full plume of feathers, the exact shade of the hat, is placed at the left side. The ribbons are of grosgrain, and very wide. A wreath of full blown roses without foliage crosses the brow beneath the front of the hat. Hair brought in smooth bands as low as the sides of the face and then formed into wide braids, en fer à cheval, two at each side, this is a becoming style of coiffure particularly well adapted to a hat, as it amply supplies the want of either curls or blonde. The straw colour hat gives the back of the pink one. The second figure (2) wears a chale mantelet of shot silk, gorge de pigeon.
Pelerine Décolletée - This pelerine is to be worn with a low dress, as according to the present fashion it leaves the neck much exposed. It may be either pointed or rounded at back, and as may be perceived by the plate it only meets at the waist in front, where it is finished by a very full bow of ribbons; entirely round the pelerine is a bullion trimming, in which a broad pink ribbon is inserted. The pelerine is of clear cambric or India muslin elegantly embroidered. Revers [....]

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Events of 1839back to top

Current affairs

The Bedchamber crisis strains relations between the government and the monarchy, after Queen Victoria refuses to dismiss her Whig-appointed ladies of the bedchamber at the request of the new, Conservative Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel. Peel resigns and Melbourne returns as Prime Minister.
The Grand National is first held at the Aintree race course, won by the horse Lottery, and the first Henley Royal Regatta, the rowing event, is held on the Thames.

Art and science

The French and British scientists Louis Daguerre and William Henry Fox Talbot separately publicise their experiments with the new form of photography.
The prolific journalist Harriet Martineau publishes her three decker novel Deerbrook, the story of middle class country life.

International

The first Opium War with China is sparked after the British government refuses to try six British soldiers accused of killing a Chinese man protecting a temple from looters. Relations were strained as Britain had promoted the drug opium in China to boost trade. Winning the war, Britain secured vital trading rights.
African captives aboard the Spanish ship La Amistad revolt, resulting in a highly publicised court case.

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