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Dinner and evening dresses, January 1842

13 of 23 portraits matching these criteria:

- subject matching 'Fashion Plates: Fabrics - Cashmere'

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Dinner and evening dresses, January 1842

published by Dobbs & Co, published in The Court Magazine and Monthly Critic and Lady's Magazine and Museum, first published in Le Follet, Courrier des Salons, Journal des Modes
hand-coloured etching, line and stipple engraving, published January 1842
8 in. x 5 3/4 in. (202 mm x 146 mm) paper size
Acquired, 1930
Reference Collection
NPG D47890

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Described in the magazine:
Dress of white poux de soie. Low corsage, and short sleeves. Three tucks of various widths are at the bottom of the skirt of the dress; the lower one or hem being nearly double the width of the top one. Small cloak called Sortie de Bal, of light grey or stone colour Cashmere, wadded and lined with blue satin quilted, and edged with a biais or broad double piece, cut in the crossway, of velours épinglé, precisely the shade of the blue satin lining. This very pretty dress cloak is a very large half square, like a half shawl, sloped out slightly in the neck, though sufficiently to make it meet on the chest, and sit without a plait or fold upon the shoulders. It has a small hood or Capuchon, that can be drawn over the head at pleasure, and is fastened at the neck by a silk cord and tassels. The hair, it will be remarked, is dressed considerably higher at the back than it has been, I may say, for these last twelve months. It is done up in very thick braids and high bows or coques, encircled by a wreath of blue flowers (roses). The front hair is in full tufts of frizled ringlets (crêpes), intermixed with roses. Long gold ear-drops; half long white kid gloves; white satin shoes.
Second Figure - Dress of India muslin, worn over white satin. The corsage is low, and tight to the shape, and without a ceinture. It has not got what can precisely be called a point, but, at the same time, the waist is considerably longer in front, where it is rounded, instead of being pointed. The sleeves, which are very short, are tight, and have three tucks cut on the crossway (de biais), being deep at the back of the arm, and sloped up quite shallow towards the front, where they are caught up with a bouquet of Marguerites round the bosom of the dress; and forming a kind of Berthe, is a revers, consisting of three folds, cut like the tucks on the sleeves, being wider at back, and sloping narrow towards the centre of the front, where they are united by another small bouquet similar to those on the sleeves. The skirt of the dress is ornamented with three sets of three rather small pink satin rouleaux. Commencing at one side of the front breadth of the dress, going entirely round the back of the skirt, and finishing at the other side of the front breadth, leaving that breadth clear. Each three rouleaux are retained by bouquets of Marguerites; for the manner in which they are placed, we would refer to the plate itself; a single glance will suffice to imitate it. The hair is again dressed as high as the top of the back of the head, where a thick braid is visible. A demi-guirlande of the same flowers as those on the dress goes round the top of the back of the head, finishing on one side by a single aster, and at the other by a bunch of three or four. The front hair is in thick masses of frizled ringlets, falling low at the sides of the face. Half long white kid gloves; fan; bracelet above the glove on the right arm, bouquet; white satin shoes.

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Events of 1842back to top

Current affairs

Edwin Chadwick publishes his damning report, Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Poor, which details the shocking living conditions of the urban poor and prompts government to take a new interest in public health issues.
A year-long depression and the rejection of the Chartist petition leads to riots, with workers striking in the Midlands, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and parts of Scotland.

Art and science

Mudie's Lending Library opens, becoming one of the largest circulating libraries in the period. Made popular by the otherwise high cost of books, it exerts a great influence over literature; both by maintaining the more costly 'three decker' novel structure, and acting as moral censor.
Richard Owen, the English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist, coins the term 'dinosaur', combining the Greek words for 'formidable' and 'reptile'.

International

Treaty of Nanjing, which allows China to trade with Britain and lends Hong Kong to the British crown for 150 years. In Afghanistan, the Anglo-Afghan war ends as the British abandon Kabul, withdrawing to India and losing most of their garrison force in the operation with only one member, Dr William Brydon, surviving.

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