#historical medieval to 19th century

[ya-world-challenge]

Book Review: The Conqueror's Saga by Kiersten White (🇷🇴  Romania)

[image 1: book trilogy covers: And I Darken, Now I Rise, Bright We Burn. On each cover a spear slashes through an object: a flower, a necklace, a pomegranate; image 2: map showing modern Romania; image 3: the view from Poenari castle in Romania - the walls of a stone fortress drop away to a steep mountainous landscape covered in green; source: wikimedia]

And I Darken; Now I Rise; Bright We Burn

Author: Kiersten White

YA World Challenge for 🇷🇴 Romania

I've seen some criticism of this series by Romanian reviewers, one of which is Lada's name (which I agree is odd), and others that are to be expected when you take a national hero (Vlad the Impaler), gender-flip him, and write him in love with the leader of an empire that oppressed your nation for centuries. So it's important to acknowledge this series as pure fiction. It did have me flipping through Wikipedias of the the real historical characters mentioned, many of whom I had never learned about before.

While much of the series (1 and 2 especially) take place in the Ottoman Empire (modern Turkey), the series follows the point of view of two siblings from Wallachia, a historical region of the modern state of Romania.

Review

Lada and her brother Radu are left as hostages of the Ottoman Empire as children to keep their father "loyal" as a vassal. I loved Lada's character from the beginning: strong-willed, possessive, brutal even as a child, and "ugly". The character-building was expert and the way the author weaves relationships and motivations in a complex tapestry, against a backdrop of a rich world.

And I Darken builds the siblings' relationship with the future sultan Mehmed, setting up that messy love triangle, and a scheme to get Mehmed on the throne. While Radu falls for Islam, Lada is never not wholly dedicated to Wallachia.

With Now I Rise, oh lord, the gay angst!... dear Radu. With Lada gone off to find support for her kingdom, Radu is left with his angst. We see the battle of Constantinople, and interconnected politics around Eastern Europe as Lada raises her army and searches for allies.

Bright We Burn, and Lada is ready to go full-on Impaler. The action was great, until... the entire climax and ending. I felt the finale really cheated Lada and did not serve her character. I didn't feel that book 3 lived up to its title. (And god, what a cringe epilogue!)

I have such mixed feelings about this series because it is incredibly well-written and engaging throughout, with an epic world and depth of character. But I dislike the ending the more I think about it. Without spoilers, I can just say that I think the whole feminist theme built up through the book fell apart in the end.

Books 1-2 I would have rated 4.5 stars, but Book 3 ultimately pulled the rating down.

Other reps: #muslim #gay #m/f #lesbian side characters #orthodox christian

Genres: #alternate history #drama #romance #adventure #war

★  ★  ★    3 stars

SPOILER rant under the cut:

In Book 2, the gunpowder lady said something to Radu - that Lada would be the type to go out with fire. With a title called Bright We Burn, I fully expected to see Lada going down as brightly and destructively as a meteorite, taking herself out with everything. What a disappointment.

The ending and Lada's forced 'submission' to Radu, by him taking away every last thing she had, under the guise of *compassion*, quite rankled me. It took away all the independence of her character that the series had built up from the beginning, and replaced it with nothing.

And. The. Kid. That epilogue. No, just no. I hate that such a promising series had to end with the cisheteronormative notion that "you must bear progeny to have a legacy". Fuck that. It completely threw away everything that Lada was just to have this "oh cute she acts like her mother" moment. 🤮 That and Radu vandalizing the church floor with his weak, misogynist scratchings.

It could have been so much better.

#book review #ya world challenge #romania #and i darken #now i rise #bright we burn #historical medieval to 19th century #historical fiction #romance #drama #adventure #war #alternate history #m/f #gay #lesbian #muslim #orthodox christian

[yaworldchallenge]

🇧🇯 Benin

Region: West Africa

Thread of Gold Beads

Author: Nike Campbell-Fatoki

422 pages, published 2012

Original language: English

Native author? Author is Nigerian

Age: Teen

Blurb:

Amelia, daughter of the last independent King of Danhomè, King Gbèhanzin, is the apple of her father’s eye, loved beyond measure by her mother, and overprotected by her siblings. She searches for her place within the palace amidst conspirators and traitors to the Kingdom. Just when Amelia begins to feel at home in her role as a Princess, a well-kept secret shatters the perfect life she knows. Someone else within the palace also knows and does everything to bring the secret to light.

A struggle between good and evil ensues causing Amelia to leave all that she knows and loves. She must flee Danhomè with her brother, to south-western Nigeria. In a faraway land, she finds the love of a new family and God. The well-kept secret thought to have been dead and buried, resurrects with the flash of a thread of gold beads. Amelia must fight for her life and what is left of her soul.

Set during the French-Danhomè war of the late 1890s in Benin Republic and early 1900s in Abeokuta and Lagos, South-Western Nigeria, Thread of Gold Beads is a delicate love story, and coming of age of a young girl. It clearly depicts the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversities.

Other reps: #christian

Genres: #royalty #romance #historical, 20th century #historical, 19th century

My thoughts:

Historical novel about a princess in late 19th century Benin, then know as Danhomè. Palace intrigue and escapes to exile!

Review to come.

Kindle link

#benin #africa #ya world challenge #african authors #poc authors #booklr #historical 20th century #historical medieval to 19th century #royalty #romance #west africa

[lionofchaeronea]

Hellelil and Hildebrand (The Meeting on the Turret Stairs), Frederic William Burton, 1864

#art #art history #Frederic William Burton #historical painting #Middle Ages #medievalism #Irish art #19th century art #Victorian period #Victorian art #watercolor #gouache #watercolor on paper #National Gallery of Ireland

[belle-primrose]

The Queen of the Tournament by Philip Hermogenes Calderon, 1874

#new post #aestethic #historical #art #artwork #oil painting #painting #philip hermogenes calderon #medieval fantasy #medieval aesthetic #1870s #queens #knights #19th century #19th century art #late 19th century #oil on canvas #old paintings #british painter #salford #victorian art

[livyamel]

Have you ever thought a piece of art was so dang beautiful you were determined to waste precious time tracking it it down no matter what?

... Just me?

Lol ok

Anyway this painting was so fricking pretty I did just that. I wanted to find more reference images of escoffions and saw this pretty picture:

But it was so low res and just would not do. And I thought it looked cropped. So I searched more and discovered that in fact it had been cropped:

But that was still low res, plus all that was coming up was a cover for a certain book about medieval clothing, so I worried that the piece was a modern one commissioned by a specific person for their book. But I kept looking and lo and behold, it's a whole glorious mural!

It's called Lady Reading Tristan and Isolde and is from the 19th century.

I love it much. Also her escoffion is fabulous.

These are the efforts of my useless labor, but I thought it was so pretty you guys might want to see it's beauty also.

#lol why am i like this #neurodivergent rabbit hole #escoffion #medieval fashion #mural #German school #german art #19th century #1800s #19th century art #medieval lady #lady #painting #historical fashion #history #free image

[alesuggestprompts]

Historical periods that should be the setting of more stories - but are sadly ignored in the mainstream

Disclaimer: I'm European and have received an European-centric education. Sadly, I know it influences this list and I'm sorry for that: there are plenty of historical times and places that were amazing but I haven't had the chance of knowing due to the european gaze in telling history. I'm trying to learn more 💜.

If you want, add the historical times/places I'm missing in the comments or suggest me in the asks and I'll learn more about them + I'll make a post

Ps: they're in chronological order and only mentioned, if you want to know more about some of them you can ask

Babylon (before colonization)

Ancient Greece circa 500bc

Magna Graecia/ South Italy circa 200bc

North Africa around 300 (ad)

Arabic Spain between 700 and 1000

Mongol Empire 1200 circa

Timurid Empire around 1400

Pre-colonization America

Netherlands in the 17th century

Austria and Prussia in the 18th century with illuminated monarchs

Russia under Catherine II (1762-1796)

Thailand under Taksin (1767- 1782)

Ottoman Empire

France under the comune

Germany in 19th century and its unity

Italy in the Unitarian process

Meiji Japan (late 19 th century)

Events revolving around the Silent Parade of 1917 in USA

Weimar Republic, Germany 1918-1933

India 1950s

Italy in 1950s and 1960s

#story prompt #writing #writing prompt #history #historical places #historical periods #historical fiction #babylon #ancient greece #medieval #17th century #18th century #19th century #20th century

[willakin]

10 new listings in my Etsy shop! Here’s a small selection: medieval and Tudor pottery shards, special pieces with crystal embellishments, and my current favourite piece, a classic mudlarker’s clay pipe (the 18th and 19th century version of a cigarette butt), gilded and turned into a beautiful and unique pendant. Check all of these out and more at LarkReborn on Etsy!

#my life #my crafts #etsy #larkreborn #lark reborn #mudlarking #handmade #medieval #tudor #18th century #19th century #20th century #historical #antique #vintage

[spatsandcravats]

New persona/aesthetic: chronologically challenged time traveller

#look i just find my questionably historical 19th ish century breeches and medieval tunic to be very comfy #spats in spats

[akakay31]

So much for Legends Celebi or B3W3, lmao.

But for real, before anyone starts theorizing about ultimate weapons or ancient wars in Pokémon Legends ZA, there are a few important things to consider first:

1. The game will be set entirely in Lumiose City.

A bit disappointing, though Lumiose is already a big place, and it’ll only be bigger now that it’s the central focus. A smaller scope will also probably mean a higher-quality product in the end, too. Though it does makes me wonder how catching wild Pokémon will work within an urban city. Maybe the game will be more battle-focused, as opposed to the catching-focused Legends Arceus.

2. The game will (almost certainly) not be about the events of 3,000 years ago.

If it wasn’t already obvious by the limited setting, Legends ZA will most likely have little to do with the events of the ancient war and ultimate weapon. If it’s anything like Legends Arceus, Legends ZA will instead be set in a period based on the latter half of the 19th century, soon after the invention of Poké Balls. Anything set before this period would predate the invention of Poké Balls, and thus have to have drastic changes to its gameplay, which is something I just don’t see happening.

And we know that Legends Arceus is set during the mid-to-late 1800s because of the events it is based on, i.e. the Japanese annexation of Hokkaido in 1869, as well as the subsequent colonization efforts.

Similarly, we can guess that Legends ZA will be set during this same period because of the event it is seemingly based on, Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s renovation of Paris from 1850 to 1870.

For those unaware, Haussmann’s renovation was an urban renewal project, commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III, that included the demolition of old medieval neighborhoods, the annexation of surrounding suburbs, the construction of new sewers, etc. The renovation was extremely unpopular, what with the whole bulldozing thousands of houses and replacing them with standardized streets and buildings thing, resulting in Haussmann’s dismissal in 1870. However, work on his plans continued until 1927, and ultimately are what made Paris what it is today.

While Legends ZA likely won’t go too far into the nitty-gritty of the real-world events, knowing what the game will be drawing from is essential for any speculation on what we can expect to see.

In fact, using this same method, we can probably even guess what future Legends games will be like by looking for historical events during the mid-to-late 1800s period. Take Unova, for example, which could…

Oh.

Oh no.

#honestly this could all be just blatantly wrong #but it was still worth it for the setup #pokemon #pokemon legends #pokemon legends za #pokemon legends z-a #pokemon legends zygarde #pokemon legends arceus #game freak #nintendo #theory

[vinceaddams]

Top 5 historic clothing items we should bring back into style (stockings on men, big cuffs on coats etc.)

Well I am very biased, because my everyday clothes are mostly 18th century menswear inspired, but for a list as short as 5 it's good to narrow it down!

1. 18th century shirts. Big puffy soft linen shirts. Best shirts. Comfiest shirts. Though tragically, since they get softer with more washing, they're at their absolute most comfortable right before they wear out.

(This one's from the post where I copied the tiddy-out violinist painting.) Besides being the nicest softest comfiest, they're also the most economical, being made entirely from rectangles. And they're versatile, they look good with lots of different garments! Someday I will do a very detailed youtube tutorial for my machine sewn shirt method. I've done so many now that I think I've finally got it down.

2. Adjustable waistbands. Why did this ever stop being a thing? 18th century breeches have lacing at the back, then in the 19th century trousers have a buckle tab. Now they do not, even though we're all still humans with bodies that change. (These are my orange silk breeches)

Do you know how many hours of my life I've spent taking in or letting out the waist seams of modern trousers? I don't know either, but I've been an alterations tailor since 2019, so it's got to be a fair amount.

All that waist altering wouldn't be necessary if they still made them adjustable! Waistlines fluctuate, so too should waistbands!!

3. Shoulder capes attached to coats. This was a thing in the late 18th century, and in the 19th, and I think into the early 20th too. It adds extra protection from the rain and snow, and it looks cool.

(c. 1812, The Met.)

(c. 1840-60, MFA Boston. The cape on this one is detachable)

You can make them long or short, and stack them up like pancakes or just have one. I've got 2 small ones on my corduroy coat, and one on my dark blue wool. Both cut from almost the same 1790's-ish pattern.

I also want to give a shoutout to fitted sleeves! I love me some two piece sleeves with a distinct elbow! And the coat pockets were bigger back then.

4. Indoor caps. I don't care what era or how fancy you go with it, I just want people to wear caps indoors when it's cold! This one's super simple, it's just a tube of linen tied with a ribbon.

(Detail from Le Marchand d’Orviétan ou l’opérateur Barri by Etienne Jeaurat, 1743.)

If it's cold in your apartment you need slippers for the feets and a cap for the head. Speaking of which.

5. Medieval hoods. This one is wayyy outside my usual era, but the wintery below-freezing weather has just started here and the knit hat I've been wearing isn't quite long enough to cover my ears. I want to make a simple hat with ear flaps, but I also wouldn't be opposed to trying to work something vaguely similar to this into my wardrobe. It looks so warm!

(Image source. Also she has a printable pattern available!) I actually made one of these once, an entire decade ago. But it was scratchy blanket wool and I've since given it away.

That's some of the main things I think we should bring back! There are lots of other things too, like men's nightgowns, and waistcoats with little scenes embroidered on them, but for this list I tried to be mostly practical.

#ask #ask meme #clothing #fashion #18th century

[givemearmstopraywith]

the idea of a white jesus arose primarily in the 19th century, with the emergence of theories that claimed him for an "aryan race" and claimed he was, among other things, of nordic or germanic extraction. of course, medieval european depictions of jesus also show him to be rather lean and fair, but this is arguably less originating in what we understand as contemporary racism and more from a lack of context, a reliance on the known and familiar. how easy it is to erase a heritage. to know what jesus would have looked like we need to think of his mother. mary was from first century palestine. historical evidence suggests that jews of this period were biologically closest to iraqi jews. so she would have been dark-skinned- she was working class and would have known the sun. her olive complexion would be deeper and darker than contemporary art renders her. her black hair would have been oiled and parted, with the part perhaps painted with henna. she would probably have had a nose ring and earrings. she would have spoken aramaic in a broad galilean accent that her son would have also taken on- looked down on by more sophisticated city-dwellers, but nimble enough that jesus, a carpenter in a port town in a colonized territory, would have probably picked up a little latin and greek from the docks too. jesus would have had short hair and a beard in the fashion of philosophers. he would have had mary's black hair and dark skin. they would both have been short- no more than five feet, five inches. jesus walked everywhere, worked his body hard: he was probably lean-bodied. nicephorus callistus in the fourteenth century said mary's eyes were bright, with pupils like shiny olives, and strong eyebrows. i don't know where callistus gets this information, but i like it. i like the idea of jesus and his mother having arched, black brows, dark skin, dark eyes. when we call him jesus christ we call him yeshua the anointed, yeshua whose head has been touched with olive oil pressed from the olive groves of the palestinian countryside.

#p

[ya-world-challenge]

Book Review: Travelers Along the Way (🇵🇸 Palestine)

[image 1: book cover: two figures in medieval clothing stand atop a stone archway. One has their head and face covered and wields a bow and arrow; Image 2: a map showing the Levant/Crusader States area circa 1165, including the Kingdom of Jerusalem; Image 3: a Templar-built tunnel near Akko (Acre, modern Israel); modern lighting casts yellow glow on an ancient stone tunnel with brick walls]

Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix

Author: Aminah Mae Safi

I read this at the beginning of the year and it's taken waaay too long to review. But this was such a fun book! Let's call it a medieval comedy adventure, and I invite you to try it even if historical isn't your thing.

Rahma al-Hud and her sister Zeena are fresh from being sent away from the siege of Akko, where they were defending the city from Crusader armies. When Rahma accidentally steals the Queen of Jerusalem's horse, she finds sudden notoriety as the "Green Hood". And, well, why not take on a life of noble thievery and mischief after that? Their merry gang eventually expands to include a Mongolian horsewoman, a Jewish scientist, and a stray English chaplain, as they get up to such antics as lowering a gang of drunk unconscious Templar knights out a second-story window, to going up against Queen Isabella herself.

This was a fun historical romp that isn't afraid to be silly, while also tenderly prying open the complex relationship between Rahma and her sister. Its characters are a mishmash of faiths and cultures, with a super cute sapphic couple as well.

Genres: #adventure #historical, medieval #comedy

Other reps: #muslim #wlw #m/f #jewish #christian #interfaith

★  ★  ★  ★  ★   5 stars

#book review #booklr #palestine #historical fiction #robin hood #ya world challenge #historical medieval to 19th century #adventure #lesbian #interfaith #muslim #jewish #christian #middle east

[yaworldchallenge]

🇬🇪 Georgia

Region: West / Central Asia

The Girl King

Author: Meg Clothier

336 pages, published 2011

Original language: English

Native author? No

Age: Teen-Adult

Blurb:

Georgia, 1177 For twenty years King Giorgi has defended the throne of his fragile kingdom against all comers. Now on the threshold of old age he faces a grave new threat: he has no son to succeed him. There is only his daughter, Tamar; a clever, indomitable and fearless girl. When a revolt threatens her life, Tamar is sent to live in the mountains, disguised as a boy, until a devastating betrayal places her in the hands of her enemies. Her courageous escape convinces Giorgi she should be his heir, but the nobles are outraged - no woman will ever rule them. While her father is alive, Tamar has some protection from the hostile forces that surround her, but once he is dead, she is truly alone. She must find the strength to control the bitterly warring factions at court. She must win the respect of her friends and the fear of her enemies. And she must marry a man of whom the elders approve. But her heart belongs to a reckless boy from the mountains - a poor match for a queen. With rebellion brewing at home and powerful foes circling her borders, Tamar must make a terrible choice between the man she loves and the land she adores ...

Other reps:

Genres: #historical, medieval to 19th century #royalty #political #romance

My thoughts:

Historical badass girl and palace intrigue! Seems to be out of print, though?

Review to come.

OpenLibrary link | Amazon link

#georgia #ya world challenge #diverse books #historical fiction #meg clothier #the girl king #historical medieval to 19th century #royalty #political #romance #central asia #asia

[lionofchaeronea]

The Two Crowns, Frank Dicksee, 1900

#art #art history #Frank Dicksee #Sir Frank Dicksee #historical painting #Middle Ages #medieval #religious art #Christian art #Christianity #British art #English art #19th century art #Victorian period #Victorian art #oil on canvas #Tate Britain

[ranimotia]

╭┈◦❥ • Dark Paradise

Having Goth! Malleus Draconia as your lover includes..

・❥Pairing: Malleus Draconia x reader

・❥Content warning: Goths (lol), GN! Reader, POC friendly, inaccurate to timeliness of game, reader with stereotypically feminine interests

・❥Authors note: ik this isn't too different from normal mal but I liked the idea, Romantic Goth Malleus 🗣🗣🗣

Goth Malleus who's... Medieval-gothic style room gets invaded by a couple of cute and fuzzy plushies you keep at his place for when you stay over.

Goth Malleus who... Treats the plushies with immense care; tucking them into bed and keeping them as clean as possible. After all, they remind him of you.

Goth Malleus who... Often takes you out on historical museum dates, guiding you by the waist through each gallery, whilst rambling on about each object displayed.

Goth Malleus who... Responds to the cute sticky notes you leave for him with long, heartfelt poems detailing your beauty.

"Make sure you unload the drier :) love you xx"

"I adore you beyond comprehension. You consume my every thought, both whilst awake and asleep, you are my moon, sun, stars and more, you are love itself and you consume my mind, body and soul and I'm more than content with letting you consume more of me each passing day-"

You get the idea..

Goth Malleus who.. Lulls you to sleep by reading you historical writings; ranging from 19th century literature to ancient epics. When doing so, he likes having your head rested carefully on his chest. He caresses your cheek every so often.

Goth Malleus who... Wakes up earlier than you and makes you breakfast almost every morning, presenting you with a silver plate of pancakes, sliced fruit, and a mazer of homemade juice when you finally stumble downstairs after waking up.

Goth Malleus who... Owns an impressive jewellery collection of silver chains decorated with either red, green, or purple jewels, accompanied with ornate designs of either roses or dragons. Despite his extensive collection, his favourite piece of jewellery is one you gifted him; a hello kitty ring you had jokingly proposed to him with.

Goth Malleus who... Sends you a bouquet of a dozen red roses tied together with a silk ribbon, alongside a hand written letter detailing your dinner reservations- sealed with a matching black seal adorning a dragon symbol embedded into the wax each morning of your anniversary.

Goth Malleus who... One night on one of your regular nightly strolls, presents you with a gold ring embedded with a raw cut gem of your birthstone in a velvet box. Asking to be yours till the day he dies.

Goth Malleus who... Lets out a sigh of relief at your acceptance, knowing the baggage of being a prince's spouse isn't appealing to most people, promising you he'd repay you for taking up such a tedious role.

Goth Malleus who... Doesn't miss a beat when it comes to wedding planning, already having some some drafts on what your wedding would be like thanks to countless ramble sessions with Lilia.

Goth Malleus who... After months of planning and organising, managed to set your dream wedding, a surprisingly simple affair- taking place in a flower field near an old victorian mannor right as the sun was setting.

Goth Malleus who... Believes you to be the most beautiful person in the world in your wedding attire; which consisted of long custom made floral lace, in a soft shade of your signature colour with matching gold jewellery, complementing your undertones. His own attire consisted of 14th century style robes, black in colour with roses embroidered onto it.

Goth Malleus who... Seals your vows by placing a flower crown on your head and you doing the same to him- a much more intimate break from the traditional kiss.

Goth Malleus who... Only has his closest companions at the wedding; his guardian since childhood, and his two closest guards. You too, are with your two closest friends, even having Grim as your ring bearer.

Goth Malleus who... Dances with you in the field under the moonlight once the party was over and everyone had retreated to their rooms. His arms wrap around you in a warm, loving embrace whilst swaying to a familiar tune he hums.

Goth Malleus who... Takes you to a cottage in the countryside for your honeymoon, holding your hand as you both walk though hidden forest pathways admiring the beauty of nature.

Goth Malleus who... Preserves your wedding bouquet, keeping it on display in your shared room; yet another symbol of your love displayed throughout your home.

Goth Malleus who... After all the years your spend together, still keeps the hello kitty ring you gave him.

Goth Malleus who... Each year of your wedding anniversary, takes you stargazing in the exact field you got married in.

"Look Malleus!"

Malleus' eyes darted to where your finger pointed in the deep sea that was the sky; a shooting star, leaving as fast as it came.

"A shooting star, did you wish?" You asked, gaze not breaking away from the illuminated sky and your hand not leaving his.

"No, I didn't have time" He simply stated, staring at the space were the star previously was.

"And there is somthing you wish for?" You asked, now with your eyes ripped away from the veiw and on him, pooling with curiosity.

"Yes," He replied to your inquiry, still not satisfying your curiosity as you continued to stare at him. "I wish," He spoke with a sudden pause, taking a moment to lift your intertwined hands and admire your matching rings, "To continue being your husband, even in the life after this one."

Lifting your hands further to his lips, he pressed a soft kiss against your knuckle. A burning sensation made its way onto your face as you felt your stomach flutter- gosh, who's life did you save to be blessed with a man so loving? You hoped to continue being his spouse in the life after this, too.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #malleus draconia x reader #riddle rosehearts x reader #azul ashengrotto x reader #leona kingscholar x reader #genshin impact #idia shroud x reader #kalim al asim x reader #Malleyuu #malleus x reader #malleus draconia #disomnia x reader #lilia vanrouge x reader #silver x reader #sebek zigvolt x reader

[cy-lindric]

Hey! I'm a big fan of your historical work (especially your sewing!) and thumbed through your pinterest awhile ago (thank you for linking it at some point) and was wondering if you have any reference books for period fashion that you like! Not any period in specifics, just any literature or media that you've found helpful, or return to often! Thank yeww

Hello ! I've listed a few books that were useful to me to understand construction on historical clothing in this post, but I've used those books more in my little historical costuming hobbies than for design.

When it come to character design historical references, my main sources are portraiture and contemporary illustration and I find most of it on archives or museum's online ressources. The only physical book of that type I sometimes use is Racinet's Costume History. I have a few books for napoleonic uniforms that sometimes come in handy including a few from the Men-at-Arms series of Osprey.

I think my main hubs for design references are probably the online collection of the V&A and Gallica BNF (the online ressource of the french national library).

For medieval stuff, I like to look at digitized versions of heavily illuminated manuscript like Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry in the collection of the castle of Chantilly ( loads of colourful XVth century fashion) or the lovely Manesse Codex on the website of the Heidelberg University Library (14th century, some of these are the cutest stuff you've ever seen).

These days, for my revolutionary calendar project, I'm using a lot of illustrations from the Gallica digitizations of several "Cris de Paris " street studies, esp the ones by Vernet and Poisson, for reference of commonfolk clothing from the late 18th century and early 19th.

For 16th-17th century stuff, it's even earsier ; paintings from the early modern era depict garments very realistically both in upperclass portraiture and in scenes that represent lower class people like tavern scenes and the like. For these I honestly just rely on wikisource for high res files of classic european masters stuff.

To be fair I usually hang out on Pinterest, try to find stuff that looks credible and matches the vibe of whichever project I'm working on and work backwards looking for the sources if I don't know them already. A lot of old fashion plate books and manuscript can be found fully digitized online, no need for an expensive library and acres of shelf space ! Hope this helps !

#replies #olibheare #historical clothing #character design