Antique 1873 French Fashion Plate Early Bustle Era Hand Colored Engraving Le Journal des Dames Framed Victorian Wall Art

ANTIQUE c.1873 FRENCH FASHION PLATE — EARLY BUSTLE ERA TRIO
Hand-Colored Steel Engraving | Engraved by E. Préval
Le Journal des Dames et des Demoiselles, Edition Belge | Plate 1120B | Published circa 1873 | Larivière, Paris
A captivating 150+ year-old French fashion plate from the height of the Early Bustle Period, depicting two elegant ladies in elaborately tiered silk gowns alongside a small girl bearing a bouquet, set against an ornate interior with a balustrade and a dramatic plume centerpiece. The composition captures the unmistakable silhouette of 1873 Paris fashion — the cascading horizontal pleats, the swept-back overskirts, and the early bustle's architectural drape.
This plate dates to the early 1870s — the years immediately following the fall of the Second Empire, when Parisian fashion was reasserting its global dominance under the new Third Republic.
🖼️ MATCHING SET AVAILABLE
This print is one of FIVE antique Le Journal des Dames fashion plates currently in our shop, all in identical period frames. Perfect for creating a coordinated Victorian gallery wall. Visit our shop to view the full collection and qualify for multi-piece discounts (10% off 2, 15% off 3, 20% off 4 or more).
🎨 ABOUT THE EARLY BUSTLE PERIOD (1869–1875)
The First Bustle Period produced some of the most architecturally ambitious silhouettes in fashion history. Skirts were drawn upward and back into elaborate puffs and waterfalls of fabric, supported by horsehair-padded bustles and tournures. The horizontal pleated tiers ("volants plissés") seen on the central figure of this plate are a defining feature of 1872–1874 Paris couture — a technique requiring yards of carefully box-pleated silk and considered the mark of a high-end atelier. Original hand-colored plates from this exact moment are highly collectible among costume historians, theatrical designers, and Victorian/Steampunk decorators.
✒️ ENGRAVER'S SIGNATURE
The plate is signed in the lower-right corner by E. Préval, one of the master engravers who worked with Le Journal des Dames during the early 1870s. The presence of an engraver's signature on the plate itself authenticates this piece as an original period work — not a later reprint or photographic reproduction.
📜 DETAILS

Plate Number: 1120B
Publication Date: Circa 1873 (Early Bustle Period)
Engraver: E. Préval, signed lower-right
Publisher: Ad. Goubaud et fils, Éditeurs, Paris
Printer: Larivière, rue du Cherche-Midi 79, Paris
Edition: Belge (Brussels edition, distributed Rue Blaes 33)
Technique: Steel engraving with hand-applied watercolor
Subjects: Two ladies in elaborate Early Bustle gowns (white-and-burgundy pleated ensemble; teal-blue silk with ivory ruched trim) + small girl in pink-bowed costume holding a bouquet; ornate interior setting with balustrade and dramatic feathered plume centerpiece.

🔍 PLATE NUMBER DECODED
The "1120B" identifies this as the 1,120th plate in the journal's continuous numbering system, with the "B" suffix indicating the Edition Belge — the Brussels-distributed version of this Paris-published fashion journal.
🏛️ PERIOD ADVERTISEMENTS PRESERVED
Below the title, the original Parisian shopping references are preserved — a delightful time capsule of early-1870s luxury commerce:

À St. Joseph, rue Montmartre 117–119 (fabrics and novelties)
À la Ville de Lyon (ribbons and passementerie trim)
Malle des Indes, Passage Verdeau 24–26 (foulards)
Mmes De Vertus Sœurs, rue Auber 12 (the celebrated "Ceinture-Régente" corset belt)
Guerlain, rue de la Paix 15 (perfumes)
Pollack Schmidt & Cie, rue de Richelieu 30 (sewing machines)

The presence of the Ceinture-Régente — the patented shaping belt that defined the Early Bustle silhouette — and the Pollack Schmidt sewing machine reference together date this plate firmly to the 1872–1874 window. These advertisements make the plate a primary-source document for fashion historians, costume designers, and 19th-century commercial historians.
✨ PROFESSIONALLY CONSERVATION-FRAMED (2007)
This piece was museum-quality framed in October 2007 by Bellevue Art & Frame (Bellevue, Washington) — a respected Pacific Northwest custom framer:

Conservation-grade glazing
Acid-neutral conservation matting (cream linen-textured)
Quality dark wood frame with subtle gilt inner accent
Original framing label intact on reverse (Workorder #63224)

Nearly two decades of conservation framing have kept the hand-coloring vibrant and the paper structurally sound.
📐 DIMENSIONS

Frame (outer): 16" × 12" (40.6 × 30.5 cm)
Sheet: full original journal page with all margins
Image area: approximately 8" × 11"
Frame depth: approximately 0.75"
Total weight: 1 lb 13.3 oz

✨ CONDITION
Very good antique condition for a 150+ year-old plate. Hand-applied watercolor remains beautifully vivid — the burgundy ribbons, teal silk, and pink bow read as crisply as the day they were painted. The paper shows scattered foxing (small brown age spots) in the upper margins and around the title block, characteristic of Belgian-distribution plates from this era and consistent with original organic paper aging. These marks confirm period authenticity and are stable under conservation framing. Glass intact. Frame sound. Brass triangle hanger and original wire on reverse. Ready to hang.
📦 SHIPPING
Carefully packaged with corner protectors, glass-safe wrapping, and double-boxed for safe transit. Ships from Washington State, USA. Tracking and insurance included.
💎 ABOUT LE JOURNAL DES DAMES ET DES DEMOISELLES
Founded in 1841 and published until the early 20th century, this was one of the most influential French fashion journals of the Victorian era. The Edition Belge was distributed throughout Belgium and French-speaking Europe from Brussels (Rue Blaes 33). Original hand-colored plates from this journal — particularly those from the early bustle years — are now sought by costume historians, museum curators, fashion designers, and Victorian/Steampunk decorators.
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