Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass

Theses and Dissertations Graduate School

1996

Eighteenth Century Men's Civilian Waistcoats

Frances Burroughs Loba Virginia Commonwealth University

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List of Figures

Figure Page 1. Earl of Sandwich, "The Habitt taken up by King and Court of England November 1666 which They call a Vest,11 1666 ...... 12

2. The Humorous Diversion of the Country at Blindman's Bluff,1753 ...... 16

3. I1Industry and Idlene~s,~~Snuff Handkerchief (Detail), 1770-1785 ...... 18 4. Denis Diderot, "Tailor of , Actual Garments, Plate 4 ...... 19

5. George Stubbs, The Duchess of Richmond and Ladv Louisa Lennox Watching the Duke's Racehorse at Exercise (Detail), 1760 ...... 23

6. Garsault, "L'Art du tailleurIMplate, measurements illustrated for drafting of , waistcoat and , 1769 ...... 27

7. Garsault, "Man's , 1769 ...... 32

8. Ralph Earl, Ansus Nickelson and Family (Detail), 1790 ...... 35

9. Charles Bridges, Governor Alexander S~otswood, 1735-1740 ...... 38

10. John Singleton Copley, Nicholas Bovleston (Detail), 1769 ...... 40 11. George Stubbs, Havmakers (Detail), 1785 ...... 42

12. R. Dighton, "Trap Ball, Played at the Black Prince, Newington, butt^,^^ 1765 ...... 43

13. Joseph Wright, A Blacksmith's Shop, 1771 ..... 4 14. "The Famous Battle between Richard Humphrey and Daniel Mendoza, " 1788 ...... 45 G. King, "The Conclusion or Presenting of Both Arms," 1735 ...... *--.47 John Singleton Copley, Nathaniel Swarhawk, 1764 . . 50 L.-P. Boitard, "StandingIH1737 ...... 53 John Durand, Samuel Carr, 1774 ...... -54 John Singleton Copley, Paul Revere, 1768 .....58 Division of , National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Uncut Waistcoat , 1772-1780 ...... 65 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Uncut Embroidered Waistcoat Textile, 1785-1800 ...... 68 Division of Costume, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, White Embroidered Waistcoat, 1780-1800, Details . . . . . 70 National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, White Satin Embroidered Waistcoat, 1780- 1800, Details ...... 73 Victoria and Albert Museum, Desisn of the Eishteenth Centurv, Natalie Rothstein, 'A Silver and Silk Waistcoat' ...... 75 Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Silk Waistcoat, 1745-1750 ...... 76 Denis Diderot, Suwwlement a l'Encvclowedie, "Brodeur, Plate 1" ...... 77 Pierre Arizzoli-Clementil, ed., Brodes Modeles duXVIII, WaistcoatDesigns ...... 78 Denis Diderot, Suwwlement a l'Encvclowedie, I1Brodeur, PlateIIn ...... 80 Private Collection, Ladies Magazine (17781, "An Elegant Pattern for A Gentleman's WaistcoatI1 ...... 82 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Printed Waistcoat, 1770-1785, Detail ...... 83 Valentine Museum, Waistcoat Back (Detail), 1780-1785 ...... 104 Private Collection, Taupe Silk Woven Waistcoat (Detail), 1745-1760 ...... 106 Private Collection, Ivory Stripe Silk Brocade Waistcoat (Detail), 1760-1770 ...... 108 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Green Silk Sleeved Waistcoat (Detail), 1760-1775 ...... 109 Private Collection, Polychrome Embroidered waistcoat (Detail), 1790-1800 ...... 110 Private Collection, Red Stripe Waistcoat, Front and Back Views, 1760-1780 ...... 112 Valentine Museum, Waistcoat Interior Detail, 1765-1775 ...... 119 Private Collection, "Bizarre Silk" Sleeved Waistcoat, 1710-1720 (altered?), Front View ...... 123 Private Collection, "Bizarre Silkn Sleeved Waistcoat, 1710-1720 (altered?), Back View ...... 124 Self Portrait Jacob More, 1783 ...... 125 G. Morland (Artist), I .R. Smith (Engraver), "The Fern Gatherers," 1799 ...... 126 Denis Diderot, "Tailor of Suits, Details, Plate VII," Sup~lementa lrEncyclopedie ...... 128 Private Collection, "Bizarre Silk" Sleeved Waistcoat, 1710-1720 (altered?), Interfacing Detail .... 130 Private Collection, Gold Silk Embroidered Linen Waistcoat, 1700-1720, Left Interior View .... 132 Valentine Museum, White Silk Waistcoat, Interior Detail, 1750-1760 ...... 134 Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Red Waistcoat, Interior Detail, 1760-1770 ...... 135

Johan Zoffany, John Cuff and His Assistant, 1772 ...... 167 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Green Silk Waistcoat with Silver Trim, Side View, 1760-1780 ...... 168 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Green Silk Waistcoat with Silver Trim, Shoulder Detail, 1760-1780 . . 169 Private Collection, Gold Silk Embroidered Linen Waistcoat, 1700-1720, Pattern ...... 175 Private Collection, Gold Silk Embroidered Linen Waistcoat, 1700-1720, Front View ...... 176 John Closterman, Daniel Parke, c. 1705 . . . . . 177 Private Collection, Yellow Satin Sleeved Waistcoat, 1740-1750, Pattern ...... 180 Private Collection, Yellow Satin Sleeved Waistcoat, 1740-1750, FrontView ...... 181 Private Collection, Yellow Satin Sleeved Waistcoat, 1740-1750, BackView ...... 182 Robert Feke, William Nelson, 1740s ...... 183 Private Collection, Taupe Silk Woven Waistcoat, 1745- 1760, Pattern ...... 187 Private Collection, Taupe Silk Woven Waistcoat, 1745- 1760, FrontView ...... 188 Private Collection, Taupe Silk Woven Waistcoat, 1745- 1760, Back View ...... 189 Private Collection, Taupe Silk Woven Waistcoat, 1745- 1760, Side Vent Piecing Detail ...... 190 Private Collection, Taupe Silk Woven Waistcoat, 1745- 1760, Concealed Buttonhole Placket Detail . . . . 191 Private Collection, Taupe Silk Woven Waistcoat, 1745- 1760, Interior, Buttonhole Placket Detail . . . . 192 John Singleton Copley, Charles Pelham, c. 1753 . . 193 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Red Waistcoat, Woven "To Shape,I1 1750-1760, Pattern . 196 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Red Velvet Waistcoat, Woven "To Shape," 1750-1760, Side View . 197 William Shirley, Thomas Hudson, 1750 . 198 Private Collection, Ivory Silk with Silver Braid Waistcoat, 1760-1775, Pattern ...... 201 Private Collection, Ivory Silk with Silver Braid Waistcoat, 1760-1775, Front View ...... 202 Charles Willson Peale, The John Cadwalader Family, 1772 ...... 203 Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Red Wool Waistcoat, Pattern ...... 206 Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Red Wool Waistcoat, Side View ...... 207 John Durand, Thomas Newton, Jr., 1770 ...... Valentine Museum, Ivory Silk, Polychrome Tambour Embroidered waistcoat, 1770-1785, Pattern .... 211 Valentine Museum, Ivory Silk, Polychrome Tambour Embroidered Waistcoat, 1770-1785, Front View . . 212 Valentine Museum, Ivory Silk, Polychrome Tambour Embroidered Waistcoat, 1770-1785, Back View ... 213 John Singleton Copley, Elkanah Watson, 1782 . 214 Private Collection, Ivory Silk, Polychrome Tambour Embroidered Waistcoat, 1780-1800, Pattern .... 218 Private Collection, Ivory Silk, Polychrome Tambour Embroidered Waistcoat, 1780-1800, (A) Front View, (B) Back View ...... 220 Private Collection, Ivory Silk, Polychrome Tambour Embroidered Waistcoat, 1780-1800, Detail .... 221 Private Collection, Ivory Silk, Polychrome Tambour Embroidered Waistcoat, 1780-1800, (A) Collar, Right Side, (B) Collar, Left Side View ...... 223 97. Attributed to Charles Peale Polk, Adam Stephen Dandridse, Sr., 1782-1821 ...... 224 98. Private Collection, Brown Silk Brocade "To Shapen Waistcoat, 1790-1800, Pattern ...... 227 99. Private Collection, Brown Silk Brocade "To Shape1! Waistcoat, 1790-1800, (A) Back View, (B) Front View...... 229 100. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Unmade Silk Brocade Waistcoat, 1780-1795 ...... 230 101. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Brown Linen, 1795- 1810 ...... 233 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

Study Methodolosv A number of general studies of the history of eighteenth century men's have been written by authors such as Zilla Halls, Avril Hart, and Norah Waugh.' However, a cursory review of costume literature reveals a lack of academic study on specific men's garments and their history. This work focuses on documenting the development of eighteenth century men's waistcoats using the artifacts themselves. The purpose of using extant waistcoats is to study closely their construction and decorative details with close attention to the similarities and differences in the style, cut and assembly of the garments. Upper class men's waistcoats are often finely designed, ornate and artistic creations. Lower class waistcoats, which survive in very few numbers, are interesting for their function and utility. In addition to the artifacts, contemporary descriptions of men's and artwork were consulted to

'Zilla Halls, Men's Costume 1750-1800 (London: Her ~ajesty's Stationary Office, 1973); Avril D. Hart, Enslish Men's ash ion able Dress 1600-1799 Leaflet No. 2 (London: Victoria and Albert Museum) and Norah Waugh, The Cut of Men's Clothes 1600-1900 (London: Faber and Faber Ltd., 1964. illustrate the style of waistcoats worn in the American colonies. A history of the waistcoat is given, including the definition of terms used for the garment and explorations of how waistcoats were procured, and how and in what social contexts they were worn. The study of an object such as a waistcoat is multifaceted. In exploring the artifacts a system formulated by E. McClung Fleming and published in the article "Artifact Study, A Proposed Model1'was helpf~l.~ Major points of this model include: identification, the classification, authentication and description of the object; evaluation, the exploration of aspects of the artifact which are based on comparisons of it with other like objects; and the conclusion, which expresses the results of the study and suggest the meaning or significance of the artifact in relation to facets of the specific culture. In compiling documentation on waistcoats, Fleming's methodology was incorporated in the object analysis. The waistcoats were identified and classified, then evaluated based on the similarities and differences to the others in the sample. Taking into consideration conditions which make the study and dating of extant garments difficult, such as vagaries in object history and

2~.McClung ~leming, "Artifact Study, A Proposed Model, I' Winterthur Portfolio 9 (1974) : 153-173. alterations, other information such as artwork, contemporary descriptions and mercantile records were incorporated to describe the waistcoats.

Source Guidelines Virginia sources were used when at all possible. Some of the best information was found in the colony's records, including tailor's account books, county orphan accounts, wills, inventories, family and business correspondence, diaries, and advertisements for runaways, tailoring services, and millinery goods. Periodicals, dictionaries, autobiographies and fiction, as well as artwork, portraits, conversation pieces, engravings and sketches were consulted. Of the visual sources referred to, prints and portraits were the most likely to depict actual garments. Occasionally printed and sculpture provided visual collaboration of the written sources. Where images or information from Virginia were scarce, British material was used. Two translations of the French encyclopedia by Denis Diderot were referenced for construction inf~rmation.~As no such

3Eleanor Kelley Cabell, ed., Translation of Tailleur DIHabits and Tailleur De Corps from Encvclo~ediebv Diderot et dlAlembert. Paris, 1751-1772 Research Report Series (Williamsburg: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, June 1987) and R. W. Trump, Tailoring in DiderotlsEncvclopaedia. Lecture presented as part of the costume Symposium at the Institute for Theatre Technology, August 13, 1989, the translation was a companion piece to the Presentation.