Kirjahaku

Exploring a lost world of glamour and privilege: that of the Debutante.Until the middle of the last century, London’s social calendar was dominated by ‘the Season’, a round of social events and parties during which the daughters of the upper classes made their ‘debuts’. Debutantes and their families descended on the capital from all over Britain to take part in this elaborate process that in its blend of glamour, great privilege and archaic and sometimes comic ritual is emblematic of a world now lost. From the preparations and formalities of court presentation to the exhausting round of parties that followed, Debutantes and the London Season is a detailed look at a phenomenon that was central to the lives of generations of privileged young ladies.

An exploration of coronations from before the time of William the Conqueror through to Elizabeth II’s glorious coronation in 1953.The monarchy has made many concessions to the modern age, but the affirming rituals of the coronation – the pageantry, the theatre and the symbolism – are centuries old. Looking at the British coronation from its beginnings, Lucinda Gosling takes the reader on a thematic journey through the history and meaning of these elaborate ceremonies. She reveals the finely tuned planning involved, explains the symbolism of the regalia, and reminds us that past coronations did not always go according to plan. She also looks at the increasing public involvement in the coronations of the twentieth century, from street parties to the advent of television, showing how the event evolved into the glorious global celebration of 1953 and became an internationally recognised expression of Britain’s heritage and national identity.

William Heath Robinson remains one of Britain’s best-loved illustrators and has embedded himself into English vernacular, inspiring the phrase ‘it’s all a bit Heath Robinson’ to describe any precarious or unnecessarily complex contraption. Born in London, he originally had ambitions to be a landscape painter, but would establish his artistic reputation as a book illustrator during the genre’s so-called golden age. It was his association with weekly illustrated magazine The Sketch that was to launch and cement his legacy as a humorous artist. Combining a distinctive draughtsmanship with a curious and ingenious mind, the advent of the First World War inspired Heath Robinson to dream up a series of increasingly outlandish and bizarre military inventions with which the opposing armies would try to outwit each other. From the kaiser’s campaigning car or a suggestion for an armoured bayonet curler, to post-war ‘unbullying’ of beef, his cartoons are a fantastically absurd take on wartime technology and home-front life. Sadly, his inventions were rejected by a (fictitious) ‘Inventions Board’, but the charm and eccentricity of his ideas was loved by the public and he remains to this day one of the finest exponents of humorous British art.

The much-loved Captain Bruce Bairnsfather was the most popular cartoonist of the First World War, who captured the spirit and stoicism of the typical British Tommy in his cartoons for The Bystander magazine. Portraying a series of ‘types’ ranging from nervous raw recruits to his famous creation – the wise-cracking, walrus-moustached grump ‘Old Bill’ – Bairnsfather’s trench humour was a morale-boosting tonic during the darkest of times. The wit and wisdom of his characters found an instant fan base among the magazine’s readership, both at the front and among civilians at home, and soon his pictures were being published as portfolios known as ‘Fragments from France’, later reproduced on a vast range of merchandise. Old Bill became a star of the stage and the silver screen, while Bairnsfather was created Officer Cartoonist by the War Office and invited to work his magic for the French, Italian and American armies. A Better ’Ole brings together more than 100 of Bairnsfather’s Great War cartoons from The Bystander, which forms part of The Illustrated London News archive, and examines the remarkable career of a man who General Sir Ian Hamilton declared had ‘relieved the strain of war’ and ‘drawn a smile from sadness itself by his skill in poking fun at tragedy’.

During the First World War a knitting craze swept across Britain, as women everywhere wanted to ‘kit out’ their Tommies with socks, mittens, balaclavas, vests, jumpers and all manner of knitwear - some more graciously received than others! Millions of socks were sent from the home front to the fighting fronts in a bid to wage war on the dreaded ‘trench foot’ and thoughtful knitters would often tuck a love note or simple message into parcels to offer extra cheer to the soldier far from home. Knitting for Tommy explores the knitting craze through magazine adverts, postcards, cartoons and photographs of the day, as well as offering a guide to kitting out your own First World War Tommy using original knitting patterns.

For the first half of the twentieth century, the artist Fortunino Matania captured some of the world’s most memorable and iconic moments. From the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 to the coronations of three British monarchs, this Italian-born illustrator recorded almost every major event as ‘special artist’ for popular illustrated magazine The Sphere. The apogee of his prolific output was during the First World War when he produced paintings on a weekly basis, recording in breathtakingly realistic detail the multifaceted nature of the conflict and often visiting the front in order to gather material for his pictures. The breadth and quality of Matania’s work takes in scenes of trench life, the war at sea, the heat of battle and the war effort at home. Meanwhile, his most famous picture, 'Goodbye, Old Man', quickly became one of the most emotive images of the war. Admired by some of the finest artists of the period, and familiar to millions around the world, over 100 of Matania’s pictures are brought together for the first time in this compilation, introducing the power of his work to a new generation to mark the centenary of the First World War

In the nineteenth century, the phenomenon of 'going abroad' was born. Beautiful Mediterranean towns, the luxurious spas of Mittel-Europe and the golf courses of France became the playground of the idle wealthy. Until foreign travel became more accessible, the picturesque towns and smart hotels catered only to an elite mix of royalty, celebrities and high society. This was where the great and glamorous could relax, mingle, see and be seen – where rules could be broken and routines forgotten. Drawing on the Mary Evans Picture Library's archives and contributions from Galleria L’IMAGE, Lucinda Gosling traces the growth of some of Europe’s most exclusive and desirable holiday destinations – from Monte Carlo and Maidenhead, to Biarritz and St Moritz – and explores the lives of the privileged holidaymakers who travelled there. Revealing a world of gossip and glamour, Holidays and High Society tells the story of travel in a golden age through its fashions, faces and places, using evocative vintage travel posters, brochures, fashion spreads and more. The ultimate form of escapism for anyone with a passion for the past.

The declaration of war in August 1914 was to change Britain and British society irrevocably as conflict came to dominate almost every aspect of civilian life for the next four years. Popular weekly magazines such as The Tatler, The Sketch and The Queen, recorded the national preoccupations of the time and in particular, the upper-class experience of war. Targeted at a well-heeled, largely female audience, these magazines were veteran reporters of aristocratic balls, the latest Parisian fashions and society engagements, but quickly adapted to war-like conditions without ever quite losing their gossipy essence. Fashion soon found itself jostling for position with items on patriotic fundraising, and Court presentations were replaced by notes on nursing convalescent soldiers. The result is a fascinating, at times amusing and uniquely feminine perspective of life on the home front during the First World War.

Take a walk back in time with this collection of fascinating and evocative photographs of one of the world's great cities. For those who love to reminisce or are fascinated by the changing times in which we live, Retro London depicts the development of the city and the life of its people from the start of the 20th century to the Swinging Sixties. Beautifully presented in hardcover format with more than 300 unique images, Retro London takes a look at different aspects of life through the century that witnessed so much change. From the war years, sporting history and changing fashions, this book details it all.

Fashion takes the reader on a journey along the ever-changing road of what we wore, from the turn of the 20th century to the 1980s. Packed with over 400 images, the volume charts the contrasts and rapid evolution of style across the decades from the lush dance dresses of the pre-WW1 era to disco divas of the 1970s, the trusty Burberry trench coat to the space age creations of the sixties.

During the early twentieth century, John Hassall was one of Britain's best-known and most high-profile artists. Working across a variety of disciplines, he was a prolific book illustrator, a humorous artist for postcards and magazines, an art school founder and teacher, a painter in oils, consummate clubman, and a designer of toys, figurines, pottery and nursery decor. But it was through his commercial illustration for travel companies, political causes, theatre and well-known brands that he made his name in an age when advertising hoardings were known as the, 'poor man's art gallery'. Hassall’s natural affinity for poster art, and the popularity of his creations, was to earn him the title, ‘The Poster King'. Employing bold line, flat colours and an engagingly cheery style, Hassall's designs had immediate impact with many creations, notably his famous, 'Skegness is SO bracing' poster, becoming embedded in popular culture. Drawing on previously unpublished artwork and sketches along with letters, diaries and photographs, this lavishly illustrated book seeks to explore the full scope of John Hassall’s body of work, and to celebrate the life of this extraordinary artist a century on from his heyday.

Take a walk back in time with this collection of evocative photographs of one of the world's great cities. Full of historical images from the Mary Evans Picture Library, Retro London reflects the development of the city and the life of its people from the start of the 20th century to the peace-loving hippie counterculture years of the 1970's. Beautifully presented with more than 500 unique images, Retro London depicts the city's key moments of the last century including War Years, Night Life, London at Leisure, Street Life, Transport, London at Work and Historic Events.