Costumes of British Ladies by [A Lady] - 1840: From the Time of William the 1st to the Reign of Queen Victoria

Very good complete copy of this scarce collection of English women's fashions from the 11th to the 19th centuries.

With calligraphic and floral frontispiece and 48 mounted hand-coloured lithographs, some heightened with gold, each with caption listing the source of the design, including manuscripts, effigies, tapestries, portraits, prints, literary descriptions, etc.

Lacking the list of subscribers, which contained only 171 names, and this must surely have been the extent of the entire issue since copies are extremely scarce.

First published in 12 parts, it was published in 1840 in one volume after "obtaining the patronage of the highest rank and best taste in the United Kingdom."

The anonymous author, a Lady, had originally collected and drawn the images over a period of more than twenty years without any view to publication. She was however, persuaded to publish in this age of illustrative drawings, as the "Public might not be altogether unwilling to receive them."

In half green leather, five raised bands and gilt title on spine, green cloth boards with bumped corners, interior fresh and bright with some slight wrinkling to the mounts, spotting to the tissue guards, but with finely and delicately hand-coloured plates.

Joseph Dickinson (1780-1849) was a print-seller and stationer who had a fine art business at 114 New Bond Street with his sons William, Lowes and Gilbert.