From the first half of the nineteenth century, American clothing designers used printmaking technology to mass market their pattern and tailoring offerings, giving us some insight into what companies thought would appeal to people and how they attempted to shape sartorial preferences. As we find ourselves ensconced in the fall season and quickly approaching winter, I was inspired to look for cold weather fashions in our collection of historical prints and was drawn in by one image in particular. The 1903 chromolithograph below features primarily men’s fashions for the 1903 and 1904 fall and winter season, and its density of detail is common for prints of the period.
Modern fashions. Fall & winter, 1903-1904. Print by Rude (A.D.) & Son, 1903. https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.45097
It’s not easy to tell from a digital scan viewed on a computer or phone screen, but this print measures over two feet wide and nearly two feet tall. If you were to see it in person, you’d find it easy to zero in on a particular area of the print for more intensive study. The high-resolution digital scan allows us to approximate that process by zooming in on the various vignettes showing men in different environments.
The scene below features two men standing side-by-side, although not obviously interacting, and looking toward a building across the street. One wonders if they are thinking of purchasing it. Both men wear bowler hats, but their outfits otherwise differ. The man on the left wears a long, closely fitting coat in gray tones, and the man on the right wears what appears to be a grass-green tweed suit.
Detail from Modern fashions. Fall & winter, 1903-1904. Print by Rude (A.D.) & Son, 1903. https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.45097
The men in the scene below are dressed for a formal occasion, with the man on the left in tails, and the man on the right in a shorter length. They both wear white shirts, bowties, and gloves, and also vests that button at the lower torso. The background shows an elaborate interior staircase with ornate metal railings.
Detail from Modern fashions. Fall & winter, 1903-1904. Print by Rude (A.D.) & Son, 1903. https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.45097
This scene includes the only woman featured in the print. She wears a high-necked dress, a long tan coat, and a striking red hat. Like nearly every figure in every scene in the print, she wears reddish gloves. It seems noteworthy that she’s the most active figure in the print, calmly clutching the steering lever of this very early car, perhaps reflecting growing acceptance of women’s independent participation in public activities. It would be nearly twenty years before the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote nationally.
Detail from Modern fashions. Fall & winter, 1903-1904. Print by Rude (A.D.) & Son, 1903. https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.45097
Learn More:
- Read these past Picture This posts featuring images from the Popular Graphic Art collection:
- Explore the Prints & Photographs Division’s popular graphic art prints using this research guide: Popular Graphic Art Prints at the Library of Congress (1600s-1970s)
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