Plate No. 15 by Casmir

Plate No. 15 by Casmir

C. 1880

Lithograph

Capturing the understated elegance of late 19th-century Parisian design, this monochrome commercial fashion plate showcases a refined day ensemble from the high Victorian era. Published under the artistic direction of Casmir, whose signature is printed in cursive in the lower right of the image, the piece is labeled as No. 15 in the lower margin and is printed by the lithographer Imp. Frick Fles. Paris. The illustration centers on a single female figure standing in profile beside a simple metal balustrade, modeling a tailored walking dress structured to emphasize intricate textile trim over bold color. The garment features a form-fitting bodice with decorative lace or embroidered banding running down the center closure, along the cuffs, and framing the shoulders. This decorative trim cascades down the edge of an asymmetrical overskirt, which is gracefully draped over a heavily pleated underskirt at the hem, all complemented by an ornate, bowed bonnet resting low over her brow.

Fashion plates produced by prominent Parisian lithographers like the Frick firm during the late 1870s and early 1880s served as vital conduits for global style transmission. Operating in the heart of Paris, these printing houses collaborated with fashion designers and illustrators to distribute highly detailed plates that dictated haute couture standards to dressmakers and elite consumers worldwide. The presence of pencil inscriptions in the upper margin of this particular sheet—bearing the name Mrs. J. Eldridge and the address 199 Bowen St.—highlights the direct lifecycle of these prints as practical tools imported by localized dressmakers or high-society clients in America to commission custom apparel. This lithograph holds significant historical importance as both a record of the shifting, narrower bustle silhouettes of the period and an unvarnished artifact of transatlantic fashion commerce, illustrating the exact mechanisms through which European luxury design was commercialized and individualised across the Atlantic.

Dimensions: H 13 ⅜” x  8 ¼” W

Condition: In very good condition