Fancy Dresses Described

“But what are we to wear? This is the first exclamation on receipt of an invitation to a Fancy Ball, and it is to assist in answering such questions that this volume has been compiled”. The fourth edition of Ardern Holt’s “Fancy Dresses Described” is a book published in 1887 that contains an extensive selection of dress descriptions as well as color and black and white illustrations.

Background

About the Author

Ardern Holt was a British writer of the late 19th and early 20th century who wrote columns on society and fashion, primarily for Queen magazine.

Historical Context

When Victorian ladies of society were invited to Fancy Dress Balls (Costume Parties), they would review the contents of this book and select a costume for the evening.

Tradition of Costume Parties

During the 19th century, costume gatherings extended beyond Halloween parties. Particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, "fancy dress" soirées were immensely popular and held year-round. Hosts organized elaborate parties or balls where attendees were expected to dress in costume, occasionally adhering to historical or modern motifs, or simply requiring any costume. These gatherings often became the highlight of the social calendar and were extensively covered in newspapers and periodicals.

Naturally, when a monarch initiates extravagant costume balls, it's logical that other elite individuals would emulate this trend. Consequently, costume balls became a prestigious avenue for a society hostess to assert her status and leave an impression, with numerous events documented in local newspapers. The season extended over a considerable period, prompting attendees to frequent as many costume balls as feasible, aspiring to gain access to the upper echelons of society. It was common for attendees to alter their costumes for each ball, aligning them with the specific theme of the event.

During that era, there were no Halloween stores springing up nor pre-packaged costumes readily available in standard sizes for last-minute purchases. Costumes had to be crafted from scratch, and given the desire to make a striking impression at the season's premier event, considerable effort was invested in each fancy dress ensemble. To aid individuals in their pursuit of the ideal costume, various publications provided comprehensive descriptions of concepts along with instructions for achieving the desired appearance. "Fancy Dresses Described" by Ardern Holt was particularly renowned, being reprinted multiple times during the 1880s and 1890s due to its popularity.

Debenham & Freebody

Debenham & Freebody is noted as being the publisher of Fancy Dresses Described. Debenham & Freebody, a traditional British department store, can trace its origins back to a draper's business founded in 1778 in London. Initially established as 'Clark and Debenham' in 1813 through a partnership between William Debenham and Thomas Clark, the store evolved over the years. After Mr. Clark's retirement, William Debenham was joined by his son William and his brother-in-law Clement Freebody, leading to the business being renamed 'Debenham, Son and Freebody' in 1851. Following William Sr. 's retirement, the enterprise adopted the name 'Debenham and Freebody' in 1863.

The original London draper's shop underwent a significant transformation in 1905, becoming the first of over 60 nationwide department stores. By 1935, Debenham and Freebody had established a reputation for offering fashionable model gowns, emphasizing their commitment to “Distinction in Dress at Moderate Cost” in their advertisements.

Usage

This book contains no marginalia, which allows for the assumption that this book was not one that would be read as a novel, but rather browsed as one might use a catalog. Absence of markings in this book suggests that, within other editions, individuals may have resorted to dog-earing pages. Despite being characterized as a catalog, it distinguishes itself from disposable magazines. Positioned as a frequently utilized resource for a broad audience, defacement appears inappropriate. Moreover, its systematic organization in alphabetical order facilitates effortless section location, further discouraging the inclination toward marking or dog-earing pages.

Since this book was published by a Department Store called Debenham and Freebody, it can be assumed that it was kept at the store in a dress making shop for easy access browsing for customers that wanted a dress made for a ball.

Textual Analysis

Paratext

At the start of the book, there's a section called "Preface." This book is the fifth edition. Within the introduction, a statement reveals the rationale behind this new edition: "The fourth edition of Ardern Holt's 'Fancy Dresses Described' being exhausted, we have made arrangements for the publication of the Fifth Edition with such corrections as experience dictates, and a very large addition to the number of characters detailed." The term "exhausted" carries nuanced implications, suggesting that the array of options presented in the fourth edition may have been insufficient. Moreover, the cyclical nature of fashion and its intertwining relationship with costume, further support this notion of "exhaustion". Fashion trends evolve, rendering previous styles obsolete or less desirable. Hence, the exhaustion of the fourth edition could imply that the dresses delineated therein may have fallen out of vogue or relevance. Conversely, the emergence of a fifth edition suggests a refreshment of options, potentially featuring attire that aligns more closely with current tastes and trends at the time. Thus, the concept of "exhaustion" not only underscores the need for new content but also hints at the dynamic nature of fashion, wherein popularity and relevance constantly fluctuate.

Body Text/Navigation

In "Fancy Dresses Described," alphabetical order serves as the backbone of organization, providing readers with an efficient means of navigating the catalog of imaginative attire. This methodical arrangement begins with the "List of Illustrations," meticulously divided into two categories: "Coloured" and "Uncoloured." Within these sections, the names are neatly arranged alphabetically, offering readers a clear path to their desired references.

The importance of alphabetical order becomes even more evident in the absence of a comprehensive table of contents beyond the "List of Illustrations." Instead, the introduction sets the stage, emphasizing the book's purpose: to address the perennial question of "But what are we to wear?" at Fancy Balls and similar events. This introductory passage underscores the practical utility of the volume, positioning it as a trusted resource for those seeking inspiration for their attire.

As readers delve into the content, they encounter a structured layout where each turn of the page unveils a new visual and textual representation of fanciful attire. The alphabetical organization facilitates seamless navigation, enabling readers to swiftly locate specific characters, themes, or places relevant to their costume aspirations. Whether one seeks inspiration from historical figures, literary characters, or thematic concepts, the systematic arrangement ensures accessibility and ease of use. This catalog-like functionality aligns with the needs of its target audience, primarily ladies preparing for extravagant events where attire serves as a form of self-expression and social currency.

In essence, alphabetical order serves as the cornerstone of organization in "Fancy Dresses Described," empowering readers to navigate its contents with precision and efficiency. By adhering to this methodical arrangement, the book transcends its role as a mere publication, emerging as an indispensable tool for those embarking on the exhilarating journey of costume selection for grand occasions.

Images/Chromolithography

Within the book there is a distinction between colored and uncolored illustrations. The uncolored illustrations are printed in a sepia tone and they are printed on regular paper as the written text (printed in black) is. However, the colored illustrations are very unique in that they are printed in very bright colors and have extremely intricate details. The color illustrations differ because they are printed on much thicker paper and the side they are on is textured. These illustrations are produced by chromolithography.

Material Analysis

The cover of this book is made of thick cardboard and covered with a piece of blue paper that would be used decoratively to give the book an elegant feel. Over the endpaper, one can see this blue paper folded under it seemingly wrapping the cover, as one would wrap a gift. On the cover, the lettering is embossed with a gold foil. In looking at the pages, there are gatherings, such as F1, F2, F3… until 8. This book is a codex and is an octavo, there are gatherings of 8. The object is bound and is a more recent book because it is bound in gatherings and the covers are made of cardboard while the pages are made of paper. Additionally, on the endpage, there is a little sticker that says “Bound by Wynman & Sons 74&75 Gt Queen ST W.C.”

Definitions

Receipt books, also known as recipe books or cookbooks, are guides of how to make domestic creations. Though today such books predominantly convey information about how to prepare food, when recipe books first circulated among housewives in the sixteenth century, this was not strictly the case. Whether manuscript, or later, printed, receipts offered instructions on how to prepare meals, beverages, medications, cosmetics, household products, lotions, toothpastes, wines, perfumes, paints, inks, and other ingredient-based creations. Receipts did not always explicitly state the exact list of ingredients needed or quantities yielded after preparation.

Historical Context

Given that this manuscript was composed in early nineteenth century England, it exists as part of a rich history of recipe book production. From 1575-1650, England reigned as the most prominent place of cookery publication in Europe. During this period, men wrote recipe books in order to disseminate their elite knowledge on how to transform festive dishes for noble feasts into everyday meals, as well as how to create potions capable of curing various illnesses. Unlike the case in other countries in the region, these books were marketed to affluent women, offering them the opportunity to oversee a wide range of household-knowledge based skills called “housewifery,” which included food preservation, water purification, textile production, and the cultivation of medical remedies.

With new domestic responsibilities, women learned to prepare surprise dinners, create practical and stylish beauty products, and write their own food-poems. They also played with ingredients in order to make culinary dupes, such as manipulating sugar paste and natural dyes in order to prepare faux bacon and eggs. Interestingly, since both recipes for food and medicine were kept together in such books, many recipes explored the health benefits of different dishes. For example, a recipe for strawberry jam might be included not simply for its delicious taste, but because eating it could help alleviate temporary and permanent ailments, such as an ague or hot liver.

Though initially read by an elite group of literate women, as literacy rates increased across classes during the seventeenth century, cookbooks reached women on lower rungs of the social ladder, like servant’s wives. Even more, in the eighteenth century, housekeepers and mistresses became the target audience of recipe books. By the mid-eighteenth century, recipe books evolved to focus less on food's medicinal properties, and instead, prioritized cuisine. They also moved away from citing the sources of their recipes and filled this space instead with descriptions of their practical expertise. It is within this evolutionary shift of the cookbook that Ms. Codex 2142 came into existence.

Material Analysis

Substrate

On the front pastedown of this book, there is a pocket, highlighting that such books could be used as a form of storage. In this pocket, the author included a few additional loose recipes, such as ones about what to put in flower vases in the winter, recipes for lemonade, and recipes for lemon cheesecakes. The paper on the pastedown and fly leaves are a light green, while the paper used for the rest of the book is a light brown. On this brown paper, we can see the chain lines formed from when the paper was made, and on the green paper, we can also see the chain lines as well as faint horizontal lines, which might have come as a result of the wires used to make this paper as well.

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  Inside pocket on the front pastedown of the book

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  Lemon Cheesecakes recipe insert

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  Illustration of different colored paper and chain lines

Format and Binding

This object is an oblong shaped codex. The book’s dimensions are 8 x 21 cm, so it is much longer horizontally than it is vertically. As this manuscript was originally a blank notebook, the book itself could have been made by the household, or it could have been bought from a stationer. The shape of this book lends itself well to hand carrying, easily able to fit into the pockets of women’s dress’ so that they could write down new receipts as they stumble upon them. On the spine of this book, we can see that it is composed of four gatherings, with twenty-six leaves per gathering. This book is bound in quarter leather, and the covers seem to be made out of pasteboard. The binding appears to be the original one, as there is not an excess of flyleaves or other indications that it might have been re-bound.

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  Depiction of oblong shape

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  Illustration of binding

Navigation

Interestingly, the handwriting of the pagination of the book in the first 15 pages is different from that of the rest of the book. According to Franklin Library’s metadata, it is clear that the creator of the text wrote in the page numbers from p. 1-14, while the cataloger supplied the rest (p. i-xxi, 15-160). Additionally, on the bottom of the pastedown, there seems to be a shelfmark written in pencil; it reads “Ms. Codex 2142,” which lines up with the current call number in Franklin’s catalog, indicating that this library identifier might have been written relatively recently.

Aside from these more formal navigation cues, each recipe in this book contains a header about what recipe it is, like whether it is a recipe for how to prepare an “Elixir for the Toothache” or “A Rich Cake.” Each recipe is not necessarily on its own page, as the author might include two recipes on one page in order to avoid wasting space. In these cases, the recipes might be separated by a line or merely by a new header. This manuscript also does not seem to be organized so that medical recipes are separated from ordinary food recipes and does not always include exact measurements needed to prepare a given recipe.

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  Elixir for the Toothache recipe

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  Illustration of recipes separated by a line

Paratexts

In the beginning of this book, there is a preface which begins the creator’s handwritten copy of William Fleetwood Varley’s “A few observations on art with notices relative to the various exhibitions, repositories of art, etc.” (p. i-xxi). This copy includes recipes for different colored ink, offering instructions on how to prepare purple grays and warm greens. Given that this copy is written on the first pages of this manuscript, it is possible that this manuscript began as a book about art techniques and was later adapted into a recipe book. The fact that a book containing Varley's observations could be easily repurposed as a recipe book speaks to the way that recipe books at this time were not limited to food, but rather served as encompassing guides on how to prepare anything that might be useful in the domestic realm. For instance, given this creator’s interest in Varley’s work, she might have been an aspiring artist and would have needed these recipes for ink in order to exercise her artistic abilities in her free time.

Additionally, throughout this copy the creator of this book seems to have listed the name of the person from whom she learned a given recipe in order to give them credit for it. For example, on page 77, the creator attributes a beef recipe to a woman named Elizabeth Elley.

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  Image illustrating the inclusion of Varley's copy

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  Image of Varley's ink recipes

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  Illustration of attribution to Elizabeth Elley

Image of doodle

Marginalia and Marks

This book has been entirely written by its creator, with the exception of the cataloguer’s pagination and shelfmark. The creator’s handwriting, though beautiful, is also hard to read, and begins to get sloppy when she tries to squeeze in a word on the page, perhaps demonstrating that this copy was mostly used for personal use.

On page 157, there is a pencil drawing of a person in the middle of a recipe. Given the creator’s interest in art, this is not surprising, as she might have flipped to a blank page to doodle, and then later needed to use that page to write down a new recipe. Other than this doodle, there do not seem to be any more annotations.

Significance

This manuscript recipe book is significant as a historical example of a receipt book, shedding light onto the way that recipes were communicated and documented in the late eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries. The recipes themselves offer insight into the kinds of meals the English prepared, medical remedies used to heal the sick, and household products needed to keep a clean home during this period. As such, while these recipes might appear so mundane they might not be worth saving, it is important to recognize that these everyday documents provide historians today with a cultural archive of the past. Additionally, given that these books were mostly made by and for women, recipe books offer a glimpse into the lives and domestic roles of women at this time. Such personal, manuscript, female-authored documents also enable historians to access the largely overlooked lives of these women, as these recipes often serve as their only legacy. As a result, these recipes are not only significant for their insights into the products used at the time, but they also provide important documentations of identity, family traditions, and instances of female creativity as women took agency over their domestic roles.