Contentment Farm

The Gift of Friendship

Here's something that most people don't know about me.  I love books!  Not just current books for reading but, antique books with beautiful bindings and illustrations.  I've never been able to resist them.  But recently I found that my library is overflowing and I need to pare it down to something closer to "under control". 

Since my reference library on clothing and textiles is essential and current books are both shared and borrowed I've come to the conclusion that most of the antique books must go.  So, with that in mind, I've listed some on eBay.  But I also wanted to share some of my favorites here.

The Gift of Friendship: A Token of Rememberance was published in 1848 and is full of illustrated verse and stories.  Similarly is another of my favorites that also has an embossed and gilt binding, Songs of the Heart.  To find such detail and craftsmanship on a book today you would be looking at a price tag in the thousands of dollars.

 

This book has wonderful illustrations and verse.  Below are a couple of my favorites.

 

 

Another category that I have always enjoyed, not just for the beautiful bindings but for the detailed and whimsical illustrations too, are children's books, especially from the late Victorian era.

 

 

Ernest's Golden Thread and Our Animal Friends.

 

See what I mean about the whimsical illustrations?  If you'd like to see more please visit my eBay auctions.  Who knows, maybe you'll be hooked too!

Am I Blue?

Not really, I just wanted to include this for the fun of it.

Hoagy Carmichael sings in To Have And Have Not.

Am I Blue?
by rl666st

Weiner Werkstätte

When studying early 20th century fashions we tend to concentrate on French and Italian design houses like Poiret, Chanel, Lanvin and Fortuny.  Without a doubt, these design houses were outstanding and always leaders of the industry.  Poiret and Fortuny pioneered unstructured clothing with Fortuny developing methods of pleating and stenciling that are still unrivaled today.  Chanel was responsible for the little black dress and sportswear as well as incomparable evening wear and Lanvin for the Robe du Style, children's clothing and her romantic clothing.

Still, there are many designers and houses that are overlooked including Wiener Werkstätte in Vienna.  Founded by architect Josef Hoffmann and painter Kolo Moser in 1903.  The company consisted of artists and craftsmen and is better know for their furniture, accessories, fabrics and interior design than for their fashions.  In fact their fashion house, established in 1910, was an offshoot of the hand-painted and hand-printed textiles that had been produced for many years.  The fabric designs were so original that they attracted the attention of the Paris designers and even the great Poiret bought their fabrics, beginning in 1911.

 

Above is a photograph of the dining room in the Palais Stoclet designed by Josef Hoffmann with a frieze painted by Gustav Klimt.

And, here is an illustration by Mela Koehler that I own, of a wonderful gym or exercise outfit that probably dates to the late teens or early 1920s.  Though there is no description with the illustration you can see the matching printed knickers peeking out from below the skirt that falls just above the knee.  Both the dress and knickers are trimmed in solid black with print fabric at the yoke, short sleeves, encircling the waist on on the knickers.  And, don't you just love those shoes with the wrap ties?  What I wouldn't give to find the outfit to go along with my illustration!

Military Inspired Bill Blass Dress & Jacket

This lovely dress and jacket have a simplicity of design and are oh so easy to wear. The dress is a fitted sleeveless sheath fashioned of dark navy wool gabardine with front pockets. The jacket is double breasted with a simple collar and chain belt.

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Vintage 1950s Persian Lamb Karakul Stole & Matching Muff

A gorgeous wrap to top off any vintage or contemporary outfit. This Karakul stole features a back bow treatment setting it apart from the rest and, it comes with a matching zippered muff/purse, just right for keeping your hands warm with a zippered top opening for keeping essentials handy.

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Antique Chantilly Lace & Horsehair Wide Brim Flapper Cloche

This elegant 1920's wide brimmed ladies hat is made of horsehair crinoline with an overlay of black Chantilly lace. The deep fitted cloche style crown is encircled with a wide black satin ribbon band and is lined with a delicate layer of black tulle.

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1920s Gold Lamé Chemise Style Evening Gown

The discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922 sparked a craze for all things Egyptian. The influence of Egyptomania was reflected in interior design and fashion, not the least of which was the design of fabrics for both uses. This gold lame features a woven pattern of lotus blossoms, the Egyptian symbol of the sun and re-birth.

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Opulent Vintage 1920s Orientalist Lamé Tunic Dress

In the first quarter of the 20th century many of the most sought after fashion designers were influenced by orientalism, a movement to adapt the exotic flavor of the east to western fashions. Embellishment was at its height and textile arts were heavily influenced as seen in this gold lamé tunic dress dating to the mid 1920's.

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Gorgeous 1920s 1930s Art Deco Gold Lamé Evening Gown

Dating to the late 1920's or very early 1930's this art deco inspired gown is made of a mauve and gold lamé in a swirling paisley pattern. The skirt falls from the dropped waist and is tiered from the center front and back in panels that fall progressively longer to the sides of the dress.

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Delightful 1870's Victorian Dolly Varden Style Polonaise Dress of Harriet Augusta Richardson

This bright and beautiful cotton polonaise dress is made in the Dolly Varden style, of leaf printed cotton and would have been worn by a young Harriet Augusta Richardson of Billerica, MA. The Dolly Varden style came into fashion in 1872. Named for a Charles Dickens character from Barnaby Rudge, a historical novel set in 1780.

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