A Most Beguiling Accomplishment

Last year, I invested in the Kickstarter for Marion McNealy's annotated reprint of the 1924 Corset Cutting & Making , by William D. F. Vincent. And I'm very glad I did, because it's here and it's wonderful! The book starts with an introduction explaining the context of the original - it was probably started before World War I, then set aside for several years, lightly updated, and published - and the amount of work McNealy had to do to turn the rather slapdash content into a useful book. This is followed by a section on the materials and construction methods used in corsetry in the early twentieth century, the latter mostly taken from Vincent's own text. Because the original was intended to be published earlier than 1924, most of the patterns are pre-war. (I don't believe they were dated in the original, but McNealy's dating appears to be very sound.) All in all, the book contains patterns for: 2 fashionable corsets between 1900 and 1910, 3 fa...

December 1835 RECEIPTS. WINE MARROW PUDDING. Boil half a pound of the finest and freshest marrow in a pint of new milk, with a bit of lemon peel, cinnamon, and half a leaf of laurel. Pour it over the sliced crumb of a three penny loaf, or the same quantity of French bread; and, covering it up, let it stand till quite cold. Beat up well, in the mean time, six yolks with three whites of eggs, a quarter of a pound of powdered loaf sugar, two ounces of blanched and pounded almonds, and a little orange-flower water; add this mixture to the cold marrow and milk, and bake it in a dish with puff paste around it. Washed and picked currants, with syrup of cloves or nutmegs, a little brandy, and some slices of candied citron and orange peel, with any other sweetmeats, may be added, if required to be very rich. The marrow, too, instead of being boiled with the milk, may be minced very small, and strewed over the French bread; or rather on Naples biscuits. Marrow puddings made in either ...

November 1835 RECEIPTS. BROWN AND WHITE VERMICELLI SOUPS. Boil two ounces of vermicelli in three quarts of beef or veal stock, for about twenty minutes; skimming it, and seasoning to palate: this will be sufficient for preparing the common brown vermicelli soup. White vermicelli soup, however, should be made in the following manner: -- Blanch two ounces of vermicelli, in the usual way, by putting it over the fire in cold water; and, on its boiling up, strain it off, and throw it into fresh cold water; for, were it to continue draining in the sieve while hot, it would become lumpy, and not again dissolve. After straining it, when quite cold, dry from the water, boil it in three quarts of veal stock, or broth, for a quarter of an hour; rub it through a tammy; season it to palate; and make a leason of four eggs, and half a pint of boiled cream gradually added, with or without a table-spoon of béchamel. Put the leason to the soup, off the fire, stirring it all the time: then set...

October 1835 FASHIONS FOR OCTOBER. Hats are mostly made of India silk, the colour according to fancy - dresses to please the taste of the wearer, made after the manner of the engraving. - Artificials are mostly used, thought some prefer feathers. Yes, that is all they give to explain this plate.

September 1835 RECEIPTS. EAU DE BOUQUET. Take of sweet scented honey water 1 oz., eau sans pareille,* 1 1-2 do., essence de jasmin, 5 drachms, syrup of cloves and spirit of violets, each, 4 dr., calamus aromaticus,* long rooted cyperus,* lavender, each, 2 do., essence of neroli,* 1 scruple.* Mix. Some add a few grains of musk and ambergris: it is sweet scented, and also made into a ratafia with sugar. * Eau sans pareille , "unequalled water," is another perfume, made with citrus fruits; you can see some recipes here . Calamus aromaticus is Acorus calamus , or sweet flag, and Asian plant historically used in medicine and perfumes. Cyperus  is a genus containing hundreds of species of plants; I don't know which is meant here. Neroli is bitter orange. A scruple is 1/24 of an ounce. ESSENCE DE JASMIN. The flowers are stratified with wool or cotton, impregnated with oil of behu, or nut oil, in an earthen vessel, closely covered, and kept for some time in a wa...

August 1835 THE TOILET. - No. 11 FOR CHAPPED HANDS. Take three drachms of bole ammoniac* - three drachms of myrrh, and a drachm of white lead - incorporate these with a sufficient quantity of goose-grease; and with this anoint the parts affected; and wear worsted gloves. * A drachm is a unit of weight, during this period referring to either 1/16 or 1/8 of an ounce. Bole ammoniac is Armenian bole, an iron-rich clay from Armenia ANOTHER. Take myrrh, one ounce; litharge,* one drachm; honey, four ounces; wax, yellow, two ounces; oil of roses, six ounces. Mix the whole in one well-blended mass for use. OBS. -- When the hands are chapped, avoid putting them in water. * lead oxide FOR CHAPPED LIPS. Take two tea-spoonfuls of clarified honey, and a few drops of distilled lavender water, or any other agreeable scent. Mix them together, and anoint the lips frequently. If the hands are affected, anoint them all over at going to bed, wearing gloves during the night. Wash ...