The Scottish Tartans

[Mikilt]

Wow 1939 is much later than the styles seen in the illustrations would indicate.

I know that with many Scottish publications I've seen, such as pipe music books, they stay in print for decades or even a century, oftentimes with no updating.

By 1939 even the most recent styles of dress shown would have been out of date by 30 years or more.

My earliest Highland Dress catalogue, from the 1920s, shows fully modern Highland Dress.

It's just the signature that appears to be dated 1939. I suppose the book itself could be older.

[Mikilt]

...By 1939 even the most recent styles of dress shown would have been out of date by 30 years or more.

Are you saying Erskine (As seen in the first post of this thread) appears to be characteristic of turn of the century rather than the 30s? I have so much to learn.

[MacEanruig]

Amazing gift! I am sure you will treasure it. Don't be afraid to share more page scans with us.

[OC Richard]

Are you saying Erskine (As seen in the first post of this thread) appears to be characteristic of turn of the century rather than the 30s? I have so much to learn.

That's a rare exception, because he's in the then-current Evening Dress, which hasn't changed much over the years.

In flipping through the book, the illustrations can be more or less divided into categories like

1) historical Highland Dress

2) ornate c1860-1910 Highland costume, with trimmed doublet etc (the majority)

3) Day Dress, which I might guess to be the sort current c1900-1910

4) modern Evening Dress, Erskine being the only example, which could represent any time between c1900 and today (though long hair sporrans were spoken of as being old-fashioned by the 1920s)

5) female costume, Murray of Athole being the only example

There's a blurry line between the obviously historical illustrations and the ones showing late Victorian costume, as many of the illustrations show an odd timelessness, combining c1860-1910 Highland costume with settings suggestive of the 18th century (or earlier) clan wars etc for example Chisholm, showing a man raising the crann tara with a late Victorian style mustache, large lace collar, and late Victorian long horsehair sporran.

The one female costume is probably our best guide to the period of the illustrations, because as we all know that changes more rapidly than male costume and particularly Highland male costume.

I just googled female fashions of various periods and what I see places the Murray of Athole woman in the same 1900-1910 range I was guessing based on the male costume. Especially interesting is this



with the short jacket in 1907, and the overall profile of that period, matching the Murray of Athole woman.

Here's that short jacket and general 'look' in 1900 (though the 1907 woman above is an overall better match)



Taken together, I'll guess c1900-1910 as the date the illustrations were done.

When I speak of the 'ornate Highland costume" in which most of the men are shown, here is what I mean, on the left. This sort of doublet, fully trimmed in metallic lace (braid), had a fairly short window of popularity. It's rare in The Highlanders of Scotland but evidently was at the height of popularity when the illustrations in question were done. It resembles a military doublet but has an open collar.

Second left is the same doublet but plain. The vast majority of the vintage photos I see show the plain one, not the one with full lace.

[freddie]

I got that book for Christmas and I love it. I also have a copy of the later version published in the 1950's (my version is a re-print from 1964) where the pictures are far more 'modern'.