Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 18 décembre 1887, 16e Année, No. 833: Toilettes de Mme Méry (...) 1887

Editor: This is an etching from 1887 by A. Chaillot titled "Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille..." and it depicts two women in elaborate gowns. The detailing is really beautiful; you can see the textures and patterns in the fabric. What stands out to you when you look at this? Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the materiality. Look at the layers of production happening here: from the textiles themselves, with their elaborate trimming, to the printing process required for mass distribution of these images. This wasn't high art destined for a gallery; it's a mass-produced fashion plate intended for everyday consumption. Editor: That's interesting. So, you see it less as a piece of fine art and more as, like, a proto-advertisement? Curator: Exactly! Consider the labor involved – the weavers, seamstresses, the engravers, and the printers. This image provides a snapshot of late 19th-century consumer culture, reflecting the complex social and economic networks that fuelled the fashion industry. The materiality isn’t just about the dresses themselves, but the whole production process. Editor: I never thought about it like that, focusing on the labour. I was too caught up in just thinking of the fancy dresses. Curator: Think about the implied consumer: the aspirational middle-class woman, eager to emulate the latest Parisian styles. These images shaped desires and fueled industrial production. Consider the materials too. The types of inks, the quality of paper; each decision made had a commercial intention. Editor: That totally reframes it for me. Seeing it as a document of production rather than just a pretty picture. Thank you! Curator: Indeed. It is in these details, often overlooked, that the real story resides.