Book Review: A Pictorial History of Costume by Wolfgang Bruen

A Pictorial History of Costume: A Survey of Costume of All Periods and Peoples From Antiquity to Modern Time Include National Costume in Europe and Non-European Countries

by Wolfgang Bruen (391 qBru)

 

A Pictorial History of Costume: A Survey of Costume of All Periods and Peoples From Antiquity to Modern Time Include National Costume in Europe and Non-European Countries by Wolfgang Bruhn, a German art historian and Max Tilke, a German costume designer, ethnographer, historian of fashion design, illustrator, and Kabarett artist.

 

This is definitely a book for one who likes to “read pictures’ about fashion. Included are 500 drawn illustrations mostly in color that include approximately 1900 distinct costumes that demonstrate clothing and dress styles from two thousand years of clothing, up until and including the 19th century. The artist, Max Tilke, was both an artist and a scientist, interested in ethnography as well as costume design. He uses the illustrations to show both the details of costume and accessories, and their relationship to the humans wearing them.

 

Interestingly, this is a book of very few words. There’s a paragraph of introduction, in several languages, a table of contents, and at the back, a description of the plate appearing on each page.

 

It’s an oversized volume with many illustrations large enough to fill a page. For costuming, there’s plenty of inspiration, but it is sorely lacking in labeling and defining. The way it is set up, with the descriptions at the back of the book rather than accompanying the illustrations, makes it difficult to ascertain dates and regions for the costumes. The information that is there seems rather vague and unimpressive. On the other hand, the illustrations themselves are fascinating. The illustrator has gone to much detail work to describe with his drawing tools, the finer points of each outfit, showing both the front and the backside of costumes from similar time periods. A student of fashion design, with experience in drawing patterns, might enjoy the challenge of discerning how these items are made.

 

Being a visual person who enjoys “reading pictures”, I did enjoy reading this book and I can see using it as a resource if I were brainstorming ideas for my next sewing project, but without text, I don’t see sitting down with it to gather information and to learn about different periods or styles. It feels rather like watching TV with the sound muted and no subtitles. Interesting, but without the words to guide you, it’s not as engaging as it could be.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try What people wore : a visual history of dress from ancient times to twentieth-century America by Douglas Gorsline, The complete history of costume & fashion : from ancient Egypt to the present day by Bronwyn Cosgrave, or Costume by L. Rowland-Warne.)

 

Recommended by Carrie K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Services

 

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