(Click on Pictures Above to go Directly to the Book.)
THE HISTORY OF COSTUME
By Braun & Schneider - c.1861-1880
The "History of Costume" or "Zur Geschichte der Kostüme"
was printed from 1861 to 1880 in Munich by the publishing firm of Braun and
Schneider. It was originally published as individual plates in a German magazine
titled "Münchener Bilderbogen". Later, these plates were collected
and bound into book form. The total publication consisted of 125 pages, with
four pictures per pages, for a total of 500 costume designs. These plates
consisted of historical dress from antiquity to the end of the 19th century.
This book is an excellent source for students who are studying the history
of fashion and for costume designers. One must be aware though, that these
illustrations have a Victorian perspective to their designs. The last 35 pages
consists of contemporary folk dress (c.1880) from most European, Asian, and
African countries. These provides a source for researching plays which take
place during the Victorian period, such as "The King and I" or "The
Sea Gull". The original book was published in German, so at times, the
English translation is confusing. This is especially noticeable in the contemporary
folk dress plates where many of the countries mentioned now have different
names or no longer exist. If you wish to obtain additional information on
the original book, Dover Publications
has an excellent reproduction of the printing entitled "Historic
Costume in Pictures" by Braun and Schneider. ISBN #0-486-23150X