#le follet

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.

L'Art du coiffeur, no. 3, 15 décembre 1833, Paris. Le Follet Courrier des Salons. Supplement au Voleur. No. 17. Bibliothèque nationale de France

On s'abonne à la Direction du Follet, Boulevart St. Martin. No. 61.

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.

Le Follet magazine