Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 25 septembre 1881, 10e année, No. 508: Eventails de la Parfumerie Ninon (...) 1881

A. Chaillot produced this print for the Revue de la Mode in Paris, in 1881. Lithography, the printing process used here, depends on the simple principle that oil and water don’t mix. The artist draws an image on a flat stone or metal plate with a greasy crayon, then applies water. The water adheres to the bare stone, but not the greasy image. When ink is rolled onto the stone, it sticks only to the drawing. This allows for multiple, identical impressions to be printed. The popularity of lithography was tied to the rise of consumer culture and the fashion industry. It allowed for the mass production of images, fueling desires for new styles and tastes. Note the incredible detail in the dresses, the way the lithographer has simulated lace and the drape of fabric, the way the coloring process adds depth and richness. Without this kind of print technology, the fashion industry as we know it could simply not have existed. This print isn’t just an image of fashion; it is an instrument of it.