Picture Day Friday

'Bridal Dress' from No 6, Volume 1, Ackermann's Repository, June 1816:

"A frock of striped French gauze over a white satin slip; the bottom of the frock is superbly trimmed with a deep flounce of Brussels lace, which is surmounted by a single tuck of byas white satin, and a wreath of roses; above the roses are two tucks of byas white satin. We refer our readers to our print for the form of the body and sleeve: it is singularly novel and tasteful, but we are forbidden either to describe it, or to mention the materials of which it is composed. The hair is dressed low at the sides, and parted so as to entirely display the forehead: it is ornamented with an elegant aigrette of pearls in front, and a sprig of French roses placed nearly at the back of the head. Necklace, earrings and breacelets of pearl. White kid gloves, and white satin slippers."

The Ackermann's Repository of Arts, Literature, Commerce, Manufactures, Fashion and Politics was published for 20 years (1809–1829) by Rudolph Ackermann. According to Hibiscus-Sinensis, Ackermann was a German carriage designer by trade when he moved to London 1783. By 1800, he was the leading publisher of the Regency era, publishing well over 300 books, plus innumerable prints and periodicals over his career. Ackermann was more than just a printer. A major patron of the Arts, he ran a drawing school, employed his own artists (Thomas Rowlandson worked constantly for him over three decades) and also manufactured art supplies such as watercolor paints. His shop was technologically advanced for 1811, for he had gas lighting installed at the premises at 101 The Strand. The quality of his prints were second to none, using the Alois Senefelder's process of lithography, which he patented in England in 1817.

Georgette Heyer's London

The Telegraph has a wonderful article on walking around in London's luxe Mayfair area following places mentioned in Georgette Heyer's books.