Identifier: twocentsofcostu01earl (find matches)
Title: Two centuries of costume in America, MDCXX-MDCCCXX
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Earle, Alice Morse, 1851-1911
Subjects: Clothing and dress
Publisher: New York, The Macmillan company London, Macmillan & co., ltd.
Contributing Library: Getty Research Institute
Digitizing Sponsor: Getty Research Institute

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lbeit abright yellow brocaded satin would seem rathergorgeous attire for a girl of her years. The boy isher kinsman, Daniel Ravenel, and was then aboutfive years old. He wore what might be termed afrock with spreading petticoats, which touched theground ; there is a decided boyishness in the tight-fitting, trim waistcoat with its silver buttons and lace,and the befrogged coat with broad cuffs and wristruffles, and turned-over revers, and narrow lineninner collar. It is an exceptionally pleasing boysdress, for a little boy. A somewhat similar but more feminine coat isworn by Thomas Aston Coffin ; it opens in frontover a white satin petticoat, and it has a low-cutneck and sleeves shortened to the elbow, and wornover full white undersleeves. Other portraits byCopley show the same dress of white satin, whichboys wore till six years of age. Copleys portrait of his own children is given ona later page. This family group always startles allwho have seen it only in photographs; for its colors
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Mrs. Theodore Sedgwick and Daughter. The Dress of Old-time Children 289 are so unexpected, so frankly crude and vivid. Theindividuals are all charming. The oldest child, thedaughter, Elizabeth, stands in the foreground in adelightful white frock of striped gauze. This isworn over a pink slip, and the pink tints show inthe thinner folds of whiteness ; a fine piece of texture-painting. The gauze sash is tied in a vast knot, andlies out in a train ; thisis a more vivid pink,inclining to the tint ofthe old-rose damask fur-niture - covering. Shewears a pretty little netand muslin cap with acap-pin like a tiny rose.This single figure is notexcelled, I think, by anychilds portrait in for-eign galleries, nor is itoften equalled. Norcan the exquisite ex-pression of childish loveand confidence seen onthe face of the boy,John Singleton Copley, Junior, who later becameLord Lyndhurst, find a rival in painting. It is anunspeakably touching portrait to all who have seenupturned close to their own ey

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