#le follet

[achronalart]

I've been practicing doing digital color restoration on old fashion plates, and sometimes unexpected surprises turn up.

Like this 1841 plate from the French magazine "Le Follet."

The original plate, from the collection of the Los Angeles Public Library, is on the left. Their collection is superb, and the plates are in excellent condition. Even so, as you can see, the paper the plate is printed on has discolored over nearly two centuries and distorted the original colors.

My attempt at digital restoration is on the right. It's not exactly an attempt at a "like new" look. I have made the paper background a purer white than it would ever have been originally, mostly for the value of seeing the colors clearly.

And when I did that a bright lavender-purple blotch in the middle of the skirt on the right figure suddenly became visible.

I don't know for certain, but I hypothesize the original dress may have been painted with a fugitive lavender pigment that has changed over time. In the mid-nineteenth century there were exciting new pigments that were sometimes adopted by painters before their fugitive nature was fully understood.

So perhaps the dress on the right was originally bright lavender and over time it slowly changed to a sort of drab pinkish-brown, except for that one blodge.

As a side note, I mostly focused on this plate because I loved the rainbow-dyed ostrich feather on the right figure's bonnet, and I had some idea of posting this for Pride Month.

Then I cleaned it up and Surprise! Purple! 💜

[hargita1920]

[erinsvintageemporium]

Featured Plate: 1838-04 FOL667

Fashion plate 667 from Le Follet and the Court and Lady's Magazine Magazine united, unsigned.

Modes de Long-champs.

Chapeau en Pou de soie garni de dentelle des Mins. d'Alexandrine.

Capote en Gros de Naples — Chale en Organdi brodé de laine. Echarpe en tulle application de Mins. de Mme. Poller, r. Richelieu, 95 — Fleurs et Aigrettes de Chagot frères

~~~~~

English description from The Court Magazine and Monthly Critic, pages 368 & 369:

No. 8. Toilettes de Promenade. — Fashions for Long-Champs. Hat of pink poux de soie; the front large, coming low at the sides, where it is rounded off, low crown, trimmed with rich satin ribbon and blonde; a bouquet of white lilac is placed at each side, under the front of the bonnet. Dress of gros de Naples, plain, low corsage, tight sleeves, the bottom of the dress ornamented with three flounces. Arab Mantelet. — This we give, not for its beauty exactly, but to convince our fair readers that we give them the newest fashions, whilst still only adopted by the French court, consequently, months before such articles are to be seen commonly worn in Paris, or displayed in the shop windows. This mantelet or shawl, may be made of cashmere, satin, velvet, or even clear muslin for summer. At back, it has the appearance of a shawl, the point descends low, it is sloped out at the neck, so as to fit without a wrinkle: a small collar, rounded at back, adds much to its appearance; the shape of the mantelet in front can be easily cut from our plate. The guirlande, all round, is embroidered in floss silks or worsteds.

Second Figure. — Drawn capotte of gros de Naples, the front large, crown small and round; a bouquet of roses is placed a little at the left side, and retains an esprit. High dress of cashmere, with a single deep flounce, mantelet of filet, trimmed with blonde.

[pastlivesfinery]

‘Le Follet’, 1844

[hargita1920]

[hargita1920]

[hargita1920]

[erinsvintageemporium]

Featured Plates: 1837-01 FOL 556 and 567

Pair of fashion plates from Le Follet that were officially republished in the Lady's Magazine and Museum by Dobbs & Co. At some point this pair of plates and several others in my collection were in the collection of the Forbes Library in Northampton Massachusetts before being deaccessioned and ending up on ebay.

Tocque en Velours, Chapeau en Velours épingle de Mme. Dasse, r. Richelieu, 38.

Fichu à la paysanne en velours épinglé et marabous de Mme. Pollet, r. Richelieu, 95.

Dentelle en fil de Violard, r. de Choiseuil, 2bis.

Redingote en Satin velouté de Mme. Romain-Delanoue, r. Ste. Anne, 77.

Oiseau, Espirit Fleurs et Marabous de Chagot frères.

~~~~~

Description from page 58:

Toilette de Promenade. — Walking Costume. — Manteau mantelet of satin de laine richly broché in flowers. The corsage of the cloak is made in the style of a blouse, with a piece put in at top; it is taken into a belt at the waist. All the fulness of the cloak not, of course, being put into the corsage. Large open Venetian sleeves, cape en mantelet. This cape is cut precisely like the mantelets which have been so long in fashion (see plate), except that it is rather smaller, not reaching to the waist at back, and a good deal cut away towards the centre of the waist in front, which renders it much more becoming to the figure; the pans, or ends are very long, and tied together with bows of ribbon down the front. The collar of the cloak (see plate), and the trimming of the sleeves and mantelet, is of fur, to match the muff. The cloak is wadded throughout, and lined with plaid silk, that of velours epinglé. The front of the hat is excessively large and évasée, and is cut so as to descend at back in lieu of a bavolet, or curtain. (See plate.) The crown is neither remarkably high, nor is it low. A bow of rich wide satin ribbon is placed as if to retain a bunch of feathers on the right side; a second bow is placed low down at the left side; a branch with two or three roses, and buds, and foliage, is placed underneath the front of the hat, at the left side. Hair in long ringlets à l'Anglaise, lace frill, black shoes, white kid gloves.

The sitting figure gives the back of the hat and manteau.

~~~~~

1837-01 FOL566

Coiffure de Mr. Lecomte, rue Taitbout, 32.

Toilette du Matin. Robe en Mousseline brodée, Echarpe, Fichu et Volant en dentelle de fil.

Toilette du Sior. Robe en tulle garnie de Blonde d'argent des F'ques et M'ins de Violard, r. de choiseuil, 2.

Façon de Mme. Lallemand, r. St. Honoré, 343. _ Fleurs de Chagot fres.

~~~~~

Description from pages 57 & 58:

Ball Dress. — Dress of velours épingle, ornamented with pearls. The corsage, perfectly plain, and fitting tight to the bust; the waist longer at front, than at back, without, at the same time, being exactly à pointe. (See plate.) The sleeves are short, the top half being plain and tight to the arm, the lower half consisting of a single puff. The skirt of the dress is ornamented at bottom with three rows of pearls, placed close together, and retained at distances by bows of satin ribbon. (See plate.) Round the bosom of the dress is a blonde tucker, rather deep at back, and on the shoulders, and quite narrow in front, where it is finished with a bow of ribbon. Torsade of pearls round the waist; a row of pearls is round the sleeve, just above the puffing, and another above the blonde, round the bosom. The sleeves are like-wise ornamented with a small bow of ribbon, placed towards the front, or inner part of the arm, immediately above the puff. Hair dressed in fancy braids and coques: the front hair is quite plain, in smooth bands; the back in three coques or bows, retained by a thick braid, intermixed with pearls (see plate); out of this thick braid, appear a number of smaller pointed ones, which gives it somewhat of the appearance of a coronet (see plate): a small braid, after forming a kind of knot on each temple, where it is retained by three gold-headed pins on each side, crosses the brow, inter-mixed with a row of pearls. A bird of Paradise (or two long ostrich feathers) is placed in front of the coronet of hair.

Long white kid gloves, which reach but a short way above the wrist, the tops are trimmed with a ruche of tulle; pearl necklace, gold cross, antique fan, black satin shoes.

Sitting figure gives the back of the dress.

~~~~~

1837-01 FOL567