Photo of “London Nomads” – Gypsies around the steps of a caravan. The group includes William Hampton and Mary Pradd, taken at Battersea by John Thomson.
Tag: John Thomson

Auguste Racinet. The Costume History by Françoise Tétart-Vittu.
Racinet's Costume History is an invaluable reference for students, designers, artists, illustrators, and historians; and a rich source of inspiration for anyone with an interest in clothing and style. Originally published in France between 1876 and 1888, Auguste Racinet’s Le Costume historique was in its day the most wide-ranging and incisive study of clothing ever attempted.
Covering the world history of costume, dress, and style from antiquity through to the end of the 19th century, the six volume work remains completely unique in its scope and detail. “Some books just scream out to be bought; this is one of them.” ― Vogue.com

Chinese female coiffure from Canton, Shantou, Ningpo and Shanghai.
Mode of dressing the hair in vogue among the women of Shanghai, Canton, Shantou and Ningpo. Photo by John Thomson.
Prince Gong. Yixin, Prince Gongzhong of the First Rank
PRINCE KUNG. Illustrations of China and its people: a series of two hundred photographs, with letterpress descriptive of the places and people represented by John Thomson.

Textilepedia. The Complete Fabric Guide.
The Textile Manual is an encyclopaedia of textile information, from material to yarn, from fabric structure to the finishing process. Encompassing practical tips for a range of textiles and detailed visuals, this ultra-accessible manual is the perfect companion for fashion aficionados and aspiring fashion designers.
Inhabitants of the south chinese city Xiamen at the end of the 19th century.
Amoy Women. The Small Foot of a Chinese Lady. Bound and unbound feet of two Amoy women. Male and Female Costume, Amoy.
View of the Yuenfu Monastery near Foochow (now Fuzhou), China 1871.
Yuen-fu Monastery Cave, Fukien province, China. THIS Buddhist monastery is remarkable rather for its romantic situation than for any historical associations. Illustrations of China and its people by John Thomson.
Amoy Harbour. The Port of Xiamen in 19th century.
Amoy, today Xiamen, Fujian Province China, was one of the earliest ports to which foreigners resorted.
The Abbot and Monks of Kushan Monastery about 1870.
The similarity between the Buddhist faith and the Roman Catholic churches may be traced even more minutely than this. “Buddhists everywhere have their monasteries and nunneries, their baptism, celibacy and tonsure, their rosaries, chaplets, relics, and charms, their fast-days and processions, their confessions, mass, requiems, and litanies, and, especially in Tibet, even their cardinals, and their pope.”
An old bridge in Chao-Chow-Fu, in Guangdong Province, Southern China.
Guangji Bridge (Chaozhou). Kwangtung province, China around 1870. Illustrations of China and its people by John Thomson.
Chinese Pagoda, Kwangtung Province, on the right bank of the Han river.
The one shown here stands on the right bank of the Han river, near Chao-chow-fu, and, like all the best examples of such edifices, the whole ground structure up to the first story is composed of stone.
Macao in 1834. The settlement of Chinese, British and Portuguese traders.
The occupation of Macao by a grant from the head of the celestial empire to the Portuguese, as a reward for their services against the pirates infesting the islands at the mouth of the Canton river, took place on or about the year 1586.

Auguste Racinet. The Costume History by Françoise Tétart-Vittu.
Racinet's Costume History is an invaluable reference for students, designers, artists, illustrators, and historians; and a rich source of inspiration for anyone with an interest in clothing and style. Originally published in France between 1876 and 1888, Auguste Racinet’s Le Costume historique was in its day the most wide-ranging and incisive study of clothing ever attempted.
Covering the world history of costume, dress, and style from antiquity through to the end of the 19th century, the six volume work remains completely unique in its scope and detail. “Some books just scream out to be bought; this is one of them.” ― Vogue.com

The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World Paperback – December 7, 2021
by Virginia Postrel (Author)
From Neanderthal string to 3D knitting, an “expansive” global history that highlights “how textiles truly changed the world” (Wall Street Journal)

Fashionpedia - The Visual Dictionary Of Fashion Design
FASHIONPEDIA is a visual fashion dictionary covering all the technical terms from style to material to production with illustrations and infographics. It encompasses rich, extensive information and yet is easy to read. Whether you are an industry insider or a fashion connoisseur, FASHIONPEDIA is all you will ever need to navigate the fashion scene.

Textilepedia. The Complete Fabric Guide.
The Textile Manual is an encyclopaedia of textile information, from material to yarn, from fabric structure to the finishing process. Encompassing practical tips for a range of textiles and detailed visuals, this ultra-accessible manual is the perfect companion for fashion aficionados and aspiring fashion designers.