Figure 1.--This colorized CDV depicts aboy wearing a light blue cut-away suit with matching bloomer knickers. While not a color portrait, we believe that the colorizers generally tried to reproduce the colors (if not the shade) of the main garments the subject wore. The portrait is undated, but looks like the late-1860/early-70s to us. Note the toy pull horse. This is clearly a boy toy. Also notce the white stocking. Some sources suggest colorful striped stockings at mid-century, but we do not see them commonly until the 1870s. The studio was Henry Morton in Westerham and Blackheath.

Color of course is a difficult topic for 19th century clothing, one of the few topics than can not be addressed because of the black-and-white photography. There are, however, some sources of information. We do not yet have much information on the color of English cut-away jacket suits. We suspect that they were the same as those popular in America. The trends of course were set in Britain, it is just that more information is available on America because of the greater prevalence of photography in the United States. We suspect that the lighter colors may be light greys and browns, but we note a colorized CDV with a light blue suit. While not a color portrait, we believe that the colorizers generally tried to reproduce the colors of the main garments worn. The dark colors were also probably blue, brown, and grey. We also think that there were black suit. We are less sure about other colors or how popular they were.

Sources

Color of course is a difficult topic for 19th century clothing, one of the few topics than can not be addressed with its black-and-white photography. There are, however, some sources of information. There are painted portrait, but not all that many. More common are coloruzed photographs. While not a color photograph, we believe that the colorizers generally tried to acurately reproduce the colors of the main garments worn. If parents were paying for coloization, nost mothers would have wanted it done accurately. Catalogs are also usful sources of information. but we do not have much English catalog information. And for much of he 19th century, catalogs were fairly limited. The English colorizing seems very well done.

Garments

We do not yet have much information on the color of English cut-away jacket suits. We suspect that they were the same as those popular in America. The trends of course were set in Britain, it is just that more information is available on America because of the greater prevalence of photography in the United States. We do have a few colorized images wwhich provide some basic informtion. The colorized images we have found so far show cut away jacket suits with the jacket, vest, and pants all done in the same color. So far the light colored suits are light blue, grey, and white. We are not yet sure bout the dark colored suits.

Trim

We notice light colored suits, grey, light-blue, and white, with contrasting dark trim.

Colors

The black and light photogrphy fo give us some hints as to color an of course whote and black can often be detected. We suspect that the lighter colors may be light greys and browns, but we note a colorized CDV with a light blue suit. The dark colors were also probably blue, brown, and grey. We also think that there were black suit. We are less sure about other colors or how popular they were. The colorized images give us the ability to test out out black and white assessments.

Created: 6:02 AM 10/29/2012
Last updated: 11:35 AM 7/20/2016