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DOLLY VARDEN POLONAISE

Design
1870-1889 (made)
Artist/Maker
Preval, E (printer)
Deschamps, E. (printer)
Carbonneau, Jean-Baptiste-Charles (printer)
Preval, E (publisher)
Deschamps, E. (publisher)
Carbonneau, Jean-Baptiste-Charles (publisher)
Place of origin
France (made)

This is a rare pattern with an interesting story attached. It is for a type of gown known as a 'Dolly Varden'. There was a fashion craze in the 1870s for this type of gown named after the character from Charles Dickens's 1839 historical novel Barnaby Rudge set in 1780. The 'Dolly Varden' gown was an 1870s version of the polonaise gown of the 1770s and 1780s. In addition, the pattern has numerous fashion plates on the reverse. The pattern was a gift from a mother in Lyme Regis to her daughter, a 'Miss M. Case', in Notton, Dorset on 'Saturday 16th May 1889'


Object details

Categories
Designs
Clothing
Fashion
Fashion Plates
Prints
Accessories
Day Wear
Evening Wear
Hats & Headwear
Children's Clothes
Object type
Design
TitleDOLLY VARDEN POLONAISE (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Line-block and wood-engraving, printed on paper
Printing Ink
Paper
Wood-Engraving (Process)
Line-Block
Brief description
Design, pattern print for a 'Dolly Varden' polonaise gown, about 1889.
Physical description
A large pattern to be cut out to make a gown on one side and the other side is covered with fashion plates.

Pattern on one side printed in line-block with fashion plates printed in wood-engraving on the other side on paper
Dimensions
  • Height: 112.9cm
  • Width: 80cm
Production typeDesign
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'I. Front of Polonaise. / II. Side Piece of Polonaise. / III. Back of Polonaise. / IV. Upper Part of Sleeve. / V. Under Part of Sleeve / II. Side Piece of Polonaise. / Part of Back Folded Over. / V. Under Part of Sleeve. / IV. Upper Part of Sleeve. I. Front of Polonaise. / III. Back of Polonaise / Front Gore.'
  • 'from Mother / Lyme Regis / May 16 th [forward slash] 1889 / Saturday'
  • 'Miss M Case / Notton, Dorset'
Production
The design was made in France probably for export to Britain.
Subjects depicted
Brides
Bridesmaids
Bonnets (Hats)
Fancy Dress
Shawls
Caps (Headgear)
Capes (Outerwear)
Collars (Neckwear)
Places depicted
Notton
Lyme Regis
Summary
This is a rare pattern with an interesting story attached. It is for a type of gown known as a 'Dolly Varden'. There was a fashion craze in the 1870s for this type of gown named after the character from Charles Dickens's 1839 historical novel Barnaby Rudge set in 1780. The 'Dolly Varden' gown was an 1870s version of the polonaise gown of the 1770s and 1780s. In addition, the pattern has numerous fashion plates on the reverse. The pattern was a gift from a mother in Lyme Regis to her daughter, a 'Miss M. Case', in Notton, Dorset on 'Saturday 16th May 1889'
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.421-2010

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Record createdApril 14, 2010
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1157877/dolly-varden-polonaise-design-preval-e/
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