Petticoats Collection

Maypole Soap

Silk lace petticoat, given by Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) as a wedding gift to Frances Nisbet (1761-1831)
MMM5468858 Silk lace petticoat, given by Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) as a wedding gift to Frances Nisbet (1761-1831), 1787 (silk lace); National Maritime Museum, London

Man giving a piggyback to a lady in petticoats to cross a gutter after a thunderstorm in Paris
FLO4656914 Man giving a piggyback to a lady in petticoats to cross a gutter after a thunderstorm in Paris. The cobbled street is a river of filth

Woman in large black felt hat with a poppy-red ribbon, caraco jacket, violet corset, and black and poppy petticoats
FLO4671780 Woman in large black felt hat with a poppy-red ribbon, caraco jacket, violet corset, and black and poppy petticoats, white fichu and falbala, 1787

A young man hands a pretty young woman into a wherry which a young waterman
1000956 A young man hands a pretty young woman into a wherry which a young waterman, who is apparently standing in the water on the further side of the boat, holds against the landing-place

Fashionable woman in Dorothy hat, era of Marie Anoinette
5893594 Fashionable woman in Dorothy hat, era of Marie Anoinette.; (add.info.: Fashionable woman in Dorothy hat, caraco jacket over petticoats, era of Marie Anoinette)

Fashionable woman in drape skirt, era of Marie Antoinette
5893586 Fashionable woman in drape skirt, era of Marie Antoinette.; (add.info.: Fashionable woman in drape skirt over petticoats, era of Marie Antoinette)

Costumes of the common native people of Concepcion, Chile. The man in a poncho and hat
FLO4722061 Costumes of the common native people of Concepcion, Chile. The man in a poncho and hat, the woman in shawl and skirt with petticoats

Spanish commandant and a woman of Concepcion, Chile, in full skirts with petticoats, plaited hair and shawl
FLO4721958 Spanish commandant and a woman of Concepcion, Chile, in full skirts with petticoats, plaited hair and shawl. Illustration by Gaspard Duche de Vancy From Jean Francois de Galaup

British womens fashion - 1850s
3783186 British womens fashion - 1850s; (add.info.: British womens fashion - 1850s. Wearing hooped petticoats. The Bookman 1932. May p. 119); Lebrecht History

A Victorian picnic
3772337 A Victorian picnic -; (add.info.: A Victorian picnic-c. 1860. The women are wearing bone hoop skirt petticoats and pantalets. The English at Table by John Hampson); Lebrecht Authors

Woman of Schweinfurt, Bavaria, Germany, 19th century. She wears a tall hat trimmed with lace and decorated with ribbons, a white fichu tucked into a lowcut bodice and skirt in the same fabric

Julie Ring music hall dancer. In dancing pose holding skirt to reveal petticoats. Black stockings and strap shoes with Cuban heel. Date: circa 1902

Marie Lloyd music hall singer and comedienne 1870-1922
Marie Lloyd (Matilda Alice Wood) music hall singer and comedienne with a reputation for sauciness. In suggestive pose, hands on hips and showing petticoats

Can Can Dancers, Lostwithiel, Cornwall. March 1990
An evening of song and dance held in Lostwithiel church hall culminated in a Folies Bergere routine by St Mabyn Young Farmers

Winston Churchill as a baby
Winston Churchill as an infant in petticoats, c.1875. Date: c.1875

Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, originally a private enterprise with women teachers, closed to men. Date: 1907

Young Woman in Undergarments, c. 1910-11 (oil on canvas)
5188341 Young Woman in Undergarments, c.1910-11 (oil on canvas) by List, Wilhelm (1864-1918); 126.1--57.5 cm; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, MN

Dancers at the Jardin de Paris (b / w photo)
3101204 Dancers at the Jardin de Paris (b/w photo) by French Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Dancers at the Jardin de Paris)

Young woman of the Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, 19th century. Her dress is notable for the thick troche or bourrelet
FLO4657817 Young woman of the Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, 19th century. Her dress is notable for the thick troche or bourrelet hat, and her footless stockings

Betrothed girl of Marken Island, North Holland, Netherlands, 19th century
FLO4657881 Betrothed girl of Marken Island, North Holland, Netherlands, 19th century. In traditional costume that is unchanged since the 13th century

Single woman of Bern in distinctive straw hat decorated with flowers, Switzerland, 19th century
FLO4657766 Single woman of Bern in distinctive straw hat decorated with flowers, Switzerland, 19th century. Her chemise is embroidered with her initials, E.B

Young woman of the Canton of Aargau, near Baden, Switzerland, 19th century
FLO4657846 Young woman of the Canton of Aargau, near Baden, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears a toquet in blue, black and white, and a similarly bizarre costume

Girl of the Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, 19th century. Her straw hat is decorated with ribbons and bows
FLO4657825 Girl of the Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, 19th century. Her straw hat is decorated with ribbons and bows. She wears a ruff over a laced bodice, apron and short petticoats

Woman of Salamanca, Spain, 19th century. She wears a hat over a veil tied at the throat, fitted bodice
FLO4658195 Woman of Salamanca, Spain, 19th century. She wears a hat over a veil tied at the throat, fitted bodice, striped petticoats and embroidered apron

Young woman of the vallee d Aure, France, 19th century. She wears the Pyrenean capulet or hood over her head
FLO4658293 Young woman of the vallee d Aure, France, 19th century. She wears the Pyrenean capulet or hood over her head and shoulders, fichu, apron and petticoats

Woman of Schweinfurt, Bavaria, Germany, 19th century. She wears a tall hat trimmed with lace
FLO4658166 Woman of Schweinfurt, Bavaria, Germany, 19th century. She wears a tall hat trimmed with lace and decorated with ribbons

Young girl of the Canton of Basel, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears a silk tricolor cap, fichu, laced bodice
FLO4657961 Young girl of the Canton of Basel, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears a silk tricolor cap, fichu, laced bodice, embroidered bib, apron, and petticoats

Young woman of Frick, Switzerland, 19th century. Her costume features deep green, blue, daffodil and black
FLO4657821 Young woman of Frick, Switzerland, 19th century. Her costume features deep green, blue, daffodil and black. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Georges Jacques Gatine after an

Young girl of the Canton of Glarus, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears a lace bonnet with butterfly wings
FLO4657761 Young girl of the Canton of Glarus, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears a lace bonnet with butterfly wings and notched band

Girl of Paganica, Kingdom of Naples (now L Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy) 19th century
FLO4658304 Girl of Paganica, Kingdom of Naples (now L Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy) 19th century. She wears an embroidered kechief, jacket with gold braid

Young girl of the Canton of Uri, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears a straw hat decorated with ribbons
FLO4657895 Young girl of the Canton of Uri, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears a straw hat decorated with ribbons, a fichu worn like a scarf, laced bodice, apron and petticoats

Fisherwoman of Bordeaux, France, 19th century. She wears a tall bonnet of fine organdy cotton for special occasions
FLO4658239 Fisherwoman of Bordeaux, France, 19th century. She wears a tall bonnet of fine organdy cotton for special occasions, bodice with openings at the waist to reveal the shirt, fichu, apron

Young girl of the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, 19th century. A chambermaid in town has modified her rural costume
FLO4657933 Young girl of the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, 19th century. A chambermaid in town has modified her rural costume with a shorter skirt and ruched sleeves

Betrothed girl of the Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears an elegant toque, ruff, jacket
FLO4657858 Betrothed girl of the Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears an elegant toque, ruff, jacket, black apron and strawberry petticoats

Peasant girl in festival dress, Upper Carniola, Slovenia, 19th century. She wears a silk headdress, a lace gorge
FLO4657984 Peasant girl in festival dress, Upper Carniola, Slovenia, 19th century. She wears a silk headdress, a lace gorge, and many ribbons and bows on her shirt

Young woman of Guggisberg, Canton of Bern, Switzerland, 19th century. Her hair braids are tied over her toquet
FLO4657831 Young woman of Guggisberg, Canton of Bern, Switzerland, 19th century. Her hair braids are tied over her toquet

Dance - The Naive Ones, 1898 (oil on board)
MNK129639 Dance - The Naive Ones, 1898 (oil on board) by Mehoffer, Jozef (1869-1946); 26x37 cm; National Museum in Cracow

The Sleeping Cat (hand-coloured etching & aquatint)
868611 The Sleeping Cat (hand-coloured etching & aquatint) by Icart, Louis (1888-1950); 30x28 cm; Private Collection; Photo © Christies Images

Woman of the city of Puebla, Mexico
6339103 Woman of the city of Puebla, Mexico by Belgian School, (19th century); (add.info.: Woman of the city of Puebla, Mexico. She wears a long shawl, white chemise, long skirt over petticoats)

English huntsman in hunting pinks and boots examining a fox in a cage by candlelight, 19th century
6337302 English huntsman in hunting pinks and boots examining a fox in a cage by candlelight, 19th century by Leech, John (1817-64) (after); (add.info)

La Troupe de Mademoiselle Eglantine, 1895 (brush, crayon and spatter litho, printed in four colours on paper)
995917 La Troupe de Mademoiselle Eglantine, 1895 (brush, crayon and spatter litho, printed in four colours on paper) by Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri de (1864-1901); 61.7x80.4 cm; Art Gallery of Ontario

The Late Riser, humorous stereoscopic card, c
473258 The Late Riser, humorous stereoscopic card, c.1900 (sepia photo) (see also 473257) by Rau, William Herman (1855-1920); Private Collection; (add.info.: Humorous depiction of two young women)

The Late Riser, humorous stereoscopic card, c
473257 The Late Riser, humorous stereoscopic card, c.1900 (sepia photo) (see also 473258) by Rau, William Herman (1855-1920); Private Collection; (add.info)

Victorian Christmas card (chromolitho)
731668 Victorian Christmas card (chromolitho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Victorian Christmas card)

Comic postcard, Scottish boy in a kilt Date: 20th century

Make Not Your Sail Too Large For Your Ship (colour litho)
3095625 Make Not Your Sail Too Large For Your Ship (colour litho) by Browne, Gordon Frederick (1858-1932); Private Collection; (add.info.: Make Not Your Sail Too Large For Your Ship)

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"Petticoats: A Journey through Time and Empowerment" Step into the world of petticoats, where history intertwines with fashion and societal norms. From the delicate lace-trimmed undergarments of aristocratic ladies in the 18th century to the vibrant can-can dancers of Cornwall in 1990, they have played a significant role in shaping women's lives. Imagine Maypole Soap advertisements showcasing impeccably dressed women with their voluminous petticoats peeking out from beneath their elegant dresses. These images captured not only cleanliness but also femininity at its finest. Even Winston Churchill, one of history's most influential figures, had his humble beginnings as a baby swaddled in soft cotton petticoats. Little did anyone know that this tiny bundle would grow up to become a legendary statesman. In an era when education was limited for women, institutions like the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania emerged as beacons of progress. With female teachers leading the way, these establishments challenged gender stereotypes and paved the path for future generations. But it wasn't just about breaking barriers; petticoats brought joy too. Comic postcards featuring adorable babies adorned in frilly garments spread laughter across communities. And let's not forget Julie Ring and Marie Lloyd—music hall performers who captivated audiences with their talent while donning glamorous costumes complete with layers upon layers of ruffled petticoats. As time progressed, so did society's acceptance towards revealing more skin. Paintings like "Young Woman in Undergarments" showcased how fashion evolved during the early 20th century—a transition from heavily layered ensembles to lighter undergarments that allowed freedom of movement. However, not all stories are glamorous or empowering. The image depicting a man looking at a girl with her lifted petticoat reminds us that objectification has plagued societies throughout history—an unfortunate reminder that some saw petticoats as a means to exploit rather than celebrate femininity.