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Another series deal with "Achievements" One of these of special interest to HBC as the one on clothing and costume. The text does a wonderful job of summarizing developments so that children can understand major trends. The artist was unfortunately not careful to depict children along with the adults in each illustration plate. Only a few of the illustrations show children's clothes. As the book is a children's book I an mot sure why this was. The fact that specialized children's clothes are a nodern development may have been a factor. A HBC reader remembers getting a copy of this book as a boy. He notices a definite middleclass outlook.
The book was published in 1964. It was written by Richard Bowood.
Another series deal with "Achievements" One of these of special interest to HBC as the one on clothing and costumne. The text does a wonderful job of summarizing developments so that children can understand major trends. The preface read, "Here is a fascinating book to show youwhat people have worn from the days of Stone Age skins to the modern mass-produced clothes. The well-written text and superb colour illustrations add interest to history, and help towads a greater understanding of the past.
The book provides information on many historical times, down to modern times or at least the 1960s when the book was published. We have include some of the sample text and well as comments we have about the different pages. The text very nicely summarizes developments for young readers to basic trends.
The Ladybird book began with prehistoric man. The text read, "Why do we wear clothes? The msain reason is, of course, to keep warm and dry. But that is mot all. If you went to school one morning with nothing but a bear skin wrapped around you, you would be beautifully warm. But you would cause a sensation in the streets and you doubtless be sent home at once to dress properly. We wear thecsame kind of clothes as everyone else; we follow the fashion. The fashion in clothes is always changing, and finding out what people wore at different times in history is very interesting. It is also very useful. If you are reading history, say the story of the Norman invasion of 1066, King Henry V at Agincourt in 1415, or Guy Fawkes in 1605, you can understand it much better if you know what the people at the time looked like. The story of clothes helps you to understand the past. People who live in hot countries do not have to bother much about clothes to keep them warm. But in Britain it can never have been comfortable going about without any clothes, excpt sometimes in the Summer. Clothes were essential. The first clothes worn by the earliest people in Britain must have been the firs and skins of the animals they killed for food."
Queen Victoria was one of Britain's longest reigning monarchs. She reigned from the late 1830s through to the beginning of the 20th century. Many important boys' fashions originated during the Victorian era--several within Queen Victoria's own family. Fashions changed sunstantially during this period. The Ladybird books gives us a view of a well-to-do familythe 1890s during the Gay 90s. The text begins, "Our picture shows a family party at the theatre about the year 1890--a period called the 'Gay Nineties'. They are wearing their best clothes for the occasion." HBC has some differences as to the accuracy of the illustration.
The Edwardian era theoretically was the years during the reign of King Edward VIII (1901-11) who followed his moher Queen Victoria. The fashion trends can actually be expanded before his mother died and after Edward died at least to the beginning of World War I (1914) although the end of the War (1918) is probably a better definituion. Edward perhaps more impact on children fashions than any other person in history because of the clothes his parents chose for him. He also as an adult had a major impact on men's fashion. The era pictured here by Ladybird is the oinset of World War I. The text begins, "In 1914 a terrible war broke out, which we cal World war I, and when itvended in 1918 nothing was qite the same. The people watching the procession in 1913 belong to an era that was soon to end."
The last page shows modern fashions, at least modern fashions in the early 1960s. Interestingly the scene could have easily been mistaken for a ddepiction of an American family. In fact the illustration may well be a more accurate depictin of an American than a British family. The Ladybird text reads, "The main characteristics of modern dress are comfort and good colours. The family in the picture show how easy and gay the clothes are. Father's jersey and
scarf are essentially comfortable, though if he works in an office in the city he may go off in the morning in a black coat and waistcoat, black shoes and a bowler hat--and carry an umbrella.
The illustrator was unfortunately not careful to depict children along with the adults in each illustration plate. This is disappointing because children are curious how children were dressed in each historical era and thus a good teaching device. Only a few of the illustrations show children's clothes. As the book is a children's book I an mot sure why this was. The fact that specialized children's clothes are a nodern development may have been a factor. Children are, however, depicted in a few of the illustrations. The illustrator was Robert Ayton. We have begun to collect information on illustrators, but do not yet know anything about this illustrator.
A HBC reader remembers gertting a copy of this book as a boy. He notices a definite middleclass outlook. He writes, "I've been up in the atttic and have found some stuff which may be of interest. Like I told you my grandparents always
bought us clothes at Christmas but my uncle would normally buy me a book. It was normally a small book – Ladybird – as we had to carry them back down to London. This one is not typical – other books I have from him are exciting historical accounts like “Oliver
Cromwell”,”Christopher Columbus” and such. I was dissapointed at getting this at the time but I suppose it was interesting. Most of the book only discusses adult clothing – which is why I found the book disappointing as a kid. The illustration here (figure 1) was the only picture I liked as a kid. It also
shows children in the later pages – Victorian,Edwardian and Modern hinting that before that children's clothes were the same as adults so didn't need portraying seprately. That's why I didn't really like the book as a kid – I did like that bear though. I always thought of the clothing company when I saw the Ladybird symbol getting both clothes and books with the same name. He gave me this book the same year my grandmother bought me the white socks and bow tie so I thought there was some sort of conspiracy ! - but as things turned out I think not – kids, eh?. My book is signed 'To Bill. Christmas 1969 ,From Uncle Richard' (I loved him for that - calling me Bill rather than William
like my Grandmother did) but the book is dated 1964 so it is a reprint. I didn't really notice it at the time but these Ladybird books are aimed at middle-class kids - here : all that talk of Bowler hats and working in the City and even a family having a car! Not around my way. Another example of published material not necessarily being reliable," Bill
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