Colour Plate & Illustrated
HUTTON, Catherine.
[A large collection of costume plates collected by Catherine Hutton in eight folio volumes]
Birmingham, [1795-1805]. Folio, 8 volumes, (Vols I-V [first series]: 42.5 x 27.5cm; Vols I-III [second series]: 38.5 x 24cm) over 1400 mounted engravings, woodcuts, many hand coloured, and aquatints, each engraving numbered and captioned by Hutton, contemporary diced russia gilt, wear to extremities, some strengthening to joints, a.e.g..
A remarkable collection of cut-outs from prints and books illustrating the history of costume from the medieval period to the beginnning of the nineteenth century. Catherine Hutton (1756-1846) wrote three novels as well as a biography of her father, William Hutton (1723-1815). She was an avid collector of autograph letters and also corresponded with many famous contemporaries. Of her works, "there is also a great deal that remains in manuscript, including a comprehensive 'History of fashion'" (Audrey Duggan, A lady of letters: Catherine Hutton, 1757-1846 (Studley, 2000), p.95). Certainly these volumes would have served as an aid during Hutton's researches into the history of dress, and seen in this light they can be viewed as an attempt at a serious catalogue rather than simply a drawing-room diversion. Prepared over many years, the DNB records them as "several folio volumes of fashion-plates with curious annotations". Where known, the artists represented were noted by Hutton and include: Durer, Bonnart, Melchior Lorch, Hollar and Van Sichem. Each image is numbered, indexed and accompanied by often copious manuscript notes in Hutton's hand concerning the costumes and customs of the time represented. She also coloured many of the prints herself. In the manuscript preface to the volume of "English dresses", dated November 14th 1805, she writes: "I have been, from my infancy, an observer of manners, language and dress; and have noticed the variation that time or place have occasioned in each ... A regular succession of English habits, from the earliest time to the present, has always appeared to one most desirable, and I have often wondered it has not been attempted ... My collection of English dresses has many charms. Had I been in good health I would have inriched it with another journey to London, but I must sit down with what I have done. I have formerly dived into every hole in every alley between Aldgate and Tyburn that exhibited a print in its window. Now I could neither breathe the air or bear the fatigue". However, the collection does not only contain examples of English costume, but a broad selection of different national dress. The volumes are titled thus: First series, volumes I-III: "English dresses"; IV: "Northern Indian and Chinese dresses"; V: "Turkish, Spanish, Dutch, Flemish and French dresses"; Second series: I: "Turkish, Greek, Persian and other dresses"; II: "French dresses"; III: "German and Italian dresses".
Price: £ 25000
US Dollar Price: $ 37570
Stock Number: 50863