Godey's Lady's Book, 38 issues, 1843-72, 5x8", about 100p each. $7.50 to $10.00 each.
Illustrated women's magazine with fiction, poetry, facts, fashion, engravings, music, receipts, projects, literary notices, &c. Usually, with one center-fold double page in color. Bound with ivory-colored, cover stock with a modified version of an actual front cover of harvest bounty and the four seasons, inside front with mail-order items, back cover of a Lady's Book advertisement, and a contents page on the inside back cover. The title and date are on the spine. Complete except for advertisement pages.
While they last, existing copies will retain the old colored marble cover design as well as the new cover inserted as an second, inside cover. Feel free to retain the old cover for better protection, or remove it for a period look.
Although the fashion plates started soon after the first issues of 1830, the early issues were shorter, with fewer work projects or fashion drawings. During the 1850's, numerous fact articles were printed, with a single page fashion plate in color. During the 1860's, the projects department got longer, with fewer fact articles, and the fashion plates went to a full double page. The page count got somewhat smaller in late 1864, as war-time inflation took its toll. After the war, large fold-outs appeared. All original multi-color plates are re-printed in color. Nearly all of the single color plates are also in color.
February, 1843: Pages 61-108, $7.50.
plus color fashion plate - woolen cloak, merino dress, velvet mantilla, silk dress, coat dress; color sketch of children; 2 B&W plates. Anecdote of time of Louis XIV, fashion column.
May, 1843: Pages 205-252 $7.50.
plus color fashion plate - silk dress, silk plaid dress, foulard dress; 2 B&W plates. The Resurrection of Nature, fashion column.
September, 1843: Pages 97-144, $7.50.
plus B&W fashion plate - 2 promenade dresses; color engraving of butterfly & rose a la Merian, 2 B&W plates. Lady Morgan's First and Last Work, fashion column.
July, 1853: Pages 1-96, $10.
plus color fashion plate - brocade & evening dresses; 2 blue knitting designs, 2 B&W plates. An iron works, papier-mache, opium trade, art of embroidery, dyeing, 6p projects - chemisettes, caps & undersleeves, boy's dress pattern.
September, 1853: Pages 193-286, $10.
plus color fashion plate - robe & walking dresses; blue broderie anglaise design, 3 B&W plates. New El Dorado, P. II, landscape gardening-public squares, dress as a fine art, purses past & present; 6p projects - bonnets, caps, chemisettes, young lady's jacket pattern; 3p other fashions - Paris designs from G. Brodie.
October, 1853: Pages 289-382, $10.
plus color fashion plate - walking, young lady's & child's dresses; blue lace pattern, 2 B&W plates. Artesian wells, woman's position in time of Elizabeth, New El Dorado, P. III, the wedding ring, bridesmaids & bridecake, ladies items from the Crystal Palace; 6p projects - caps, pattern for stays; embroidery patterns; 4p other fashions - mantles.
July, 1855: Pages 1-96, $10.
plus color fashion plate - 8 children's fashions; color knitting design, 3 B&W plates. Perfumes-P. I, Isabella-P. I, an arsenal, English advertising, last hours of a single gentleman, jellies; 12p projects - dress pattern, head-dresses, caps, undersleeves, knitted infant's frock; 6p other fashions - hats & caps, mantillas, slipper patterns.
August, 1855: Pages 97-192, $10.
plus color fashion plate - 2 dresses; blue knitting design, 1 B&W plate. Perfumes-P. II, hints for the ladies, Isabella-P. II, sewing machines, bedding, preserves & pickles; 12p projects - pattern for mantle, cassaques, infant's cap, fancy fair items, knitted mitten; 5p other fashions - embroidery patterns, holly watch-hook pattern.
September, 1855: Pages 193-288, $10.
plus color fashion plate - mother, 2 daughters & infant; color knitting design, 1 B&W plate. Perfumes-P. III, Isabella-P. III, hints for the ladies, toilet of a Roman lady, bed linen, care of the eyes, preserves; 10p projects - basque, caps, undersleeves, neck-tie; 6p other fashions - robe de chambre, collars.
October, 1855: Pages 289-384, $10.
plus color fashion plate - 2 dresses; basket design, collar design, 1 B&W plate. Holy land, Isabella-P. IV, lace, art, bed linens, housemaid instruction; 10p projects - morning wrapper pattern, bonnets, jackets, work-baskets; 8p other fashions - curtains, collars, fall children's fashions.
November, 1855: Pages 385-480, $10.
plus color fashion plate - carriage dress & cloak; color design-sachet, hood design, 1 B&W plate. Holy land, education of women, Isabella-P. V, care of hair & eyes, pressure cooker, ladies of the press, home comforts; 12p projects - caps & bonnets, children's dresses, undersleeves, book-markers; 8p other fashions - cloaks, child's frock body, child's winter collar, butterfly watch-hook.
December, 1855: Pages 481-572, $10.
plus color fashion plate - mother & daughter; color plate-purses, basket design, 1 B&W plate. Needles, Isabella-P. VI, Christmas customs, home comforts; 12p projects - young gentleman's cloak pattern, pendant pincushion, undersleeve patterns; 5p other fashions - curtains, capes & cloaks.
January, 1856: Pages 1-96, $10.
plus color fashion plate - bridal reception, pillow design in blue & gold, 2 B&W plates, Finger-rings, making wax fruit-P. I, following fashion, letter writing, potatoes & blancmanges; 12p projects - head-dresses, juvenile fashions, furs; 8p other fashions - infant's bib, child's dress.
August, 1859: Pages 97-192, $10.
plus color fashion plate - 4 women's dresses, cottage design in yellow, 1 B&W plate. Engraving-P. I, hair care and hair ornament making, cinchona, becoming colors, glass boxes, shadow-making, cut flowers, preserves, pies, & artificial teeth; 12p projects - watch pocket, hanging baskets; 9p other fashions - children clothing, bonnets, reticule.
September, 1859: Pages 193-288, $10.
plus color fashion plate - 4 women's dresses, patchwork design in blue, 1 B&W plate. Engraving-P. II, hair care & ornaments, juvenile libraries, fancy fair picture frames & boxes, work in which women are deficient, caprices of fashion, boiling animal food, pies & toothpaste; 13p projects - evening dress pattern, flower stands, candlestick mat, sampler pattern, needlework chess table; 10p other fashions - curtains, child's clothing, bonnets.
October, 1859: Pages 289-384, $10.
plus color fashion plate - 4 women's & 1 child's dresses, colored quilt design, 1 B&W plate. Butterfly vivarium, hair care & ornaments, fancy fair glass baskets, amusing tricks, shadow-making, boiling joints, ices & creams; 12p projects - bonnets, sleeves, evening dress pattern, crochet purse, letter cases; 9p other fashions - mantles, cloaks, hair style, evening hood, fancy alphabet.
November, 1859: Pages 387-478, $10.
plus color fashion plate - 4 women's dresses, colored doll clothes, 3 B&W plates. Rio de Janeiro, precious stones, female cooks, women & crime, fancy fair baskets, things a lady should know, stewing, puddings, cakes, sauces & tic doloureux; 11 p projects - caps, silk hair net, paletot, protection purse; 13p other fashions - girl's dresses, cloaks, opera cloak, netted shawl, underclothing.
June, 1860: Pages 481-574, $10.
plus color fashion plate - 5 lady's dresses, blue curtain border, 1 B&W plate. Art of swimming, draperies & curtains, how to adorn the person, Egyptian jewelry, Grecian oil painting, dressing a doll, preserving fruit; 12p projects - lady's & young lady's dresses, hair-work, fancy fair baskets; 9p other fashions - dresses, flouncing pattern, spring mantles, hats & caps.
July, 1860: Pages 1-96, $10.
plus color fashion plate - 3 women & 2 children's dresses, blue cushion & glove box, 1 B&W plate. Modern coaches, P. I, botany of Scotland, Grecian oil painting, costume in all ages, patching, the sewing machine, dressing a doll, preserving fruit, tomatoes, beverages; 12 projects - caps, dress pattern, pen wiper, lamp ornament, purse, fan; 9p other fashions - coiffures, fancy aprons, children's dresses.
January, 1862: Pages 13-106, $10.
plus dbl B&W fashion plate - 5 lady's & 2 children (original was B&W), 3 B&W plates. Simplicity of dress, barbarism, pins, colors in dress, air & exercise, carving & vegetables; 12p projects - fancy aprons, knitted mittens & cuffs; 9p other fashions - visiting & walking dresses, women's marine jacket & garibaldi shirt, fancy pocket-book.
February, 1862: Pages 115-210, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 lady's & 1 child, chair design in colors, 1 B&W plate. Jewels, bachelors keeping house, remaking and mending, bathing, cakes, puddings & food for invalids; 12p projects - complete nursery outfit, children's wear, bonnets, sash, needle-book, waistband; 10p other fashions - morning robes, zouave styles, fancy alphabet.
June, 1862: Pages 525-618, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 lady's dresses, 2 B&W plates. Influence of light on health, Little Jack Horner, the aged, preserving fruit & degrees of sugar; 12p projects - aprons, sleeves, hair-styles, head-dresses; 10p other fashions - children's fashions, cloaks, hats, capes.
July, 1862: Pages 13-108, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 women & 1 girl, 2 B&W plates. Eastern rambles, quack remedies, photography, summer health, rearing children, preserves & ices; 12p projects - baby's robe, corset patterns, invalids bedgown, crochet bag, blanket initials; 14p other fashions - young girl's dresses, zouave jackets, fancy waist, girl's Garibaldi costumes, tie, coronets.
October, 1862: Pages 319-414, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 women & 1 girl, 1 B&W plate. Air & ventilation, marrying well, colors, women in the post-office, improvements in dress patterns, pickles, cakes & puddings; 12p projects - caps & head-dresses, traveling dress, hunting vest, new crochet stitches, crochet Zouave jacket, fleurs-de-lis counterpane; 9p other fashions - dinner & home dresses, cloaks, bonnets, fancy alphabet.
November, 1862: Pages 423-516, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 4 women & 2 girls, lingerie designs. Water gardens, power of the husband over the wife, furs, pickles & care of house plants; 13p projects - caps, boy's coat, velvet hair net, girl's apron, knitted boa, night-dress; 13p other fashions - cloaks, wraps, beaded footstool, carriage wrapper, work-basket.
December,1862: Pages 529-618, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - bridal party, colored slipper design, color lingerie design from Nov., 3 B&W plates. Lace-making, colors, 2 Christmas stories, plum puddings & Christmas cakes; 10p projects - christening robe, waistband, gentleman's neck warmer, mouse pen wiper; 14p other fashions - coats, vests, cloaks, mantles, knitted under-shawl.
February, 1863: Pages 119-214, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 ladies & 1 child, color chair seat, 2 B&W plates. London Exhibition -fabrics & shawls, widows, P. II, woman's work & remuneration, the tea table; 11p projects - knitted counterpanes, herring-bone stitches; 14p other fashions - children's fashions, cloaks, jackets, new velvet coiffure, braiding patterns.
March, 1863: Pages 223-318, $10. plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 ladies & 1 child, colored headdress, 2 B&W plates. London Exhibition - precious stones, riding, widows, P. III, clothing girls, soups, cakes & puddings; 10p projects - infant's clothing, herring-bone stitches, bead basket, visiting pocket; 10p other fashions - travelling dresses, waistband bag.
May, 1863: Pages 417-500, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 ladies, 1 B&W plate. Precious stones, maids of honor to Mary Queen of Scots, cakes & puddings; 10p projects - military & Greek jackets, French waist, children's spring clothing; 9p other fashions - robes & dresses, head-dresses & coiffures.
August, 1864: Pages 103-186, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 women & 1 child, 1 B&W plate. New York Fair, hints for young wives, Paris items, cakes & puddings; 10p projects - Adolphe coat pattern, bonnets, woolen balls; 9p other fashions - jackets, morning robe, sea-side dress.
September, 1864: Pages 193-276, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 women & 1 child, 1 B&W plate. Cinderella (A play), rustic frames, Paris items, dining in the middle ages, iced liquors, gradations in mourning, cakes & puddings; 10p projects - woolen flowers, tape-work edgings; 10p other fashions - children's clothes, evening dresses, home jackets, bonnets, silk paletot.
October, 1864: Pages 283-366, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 6 women & 1 child, 1 B&W plate. Early rising and exercise, an item which every man should read, good manners, leap year, cakes, puddings & beverages for the sick; 10p projects - bonnets, knitted jacket, woolen flowers; 9p other fashions - paletots, children's dresses, bonnets, child's bib.
November, 1864: Pages 373-452, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 women & 1 child, blue housewife design, 1 B&W plate. Photographs, the Thanksgiving Holiday, winter bulbs, omelettes, cakes, puddings & preserving your teeth; 11p projects - bonnets, pereline cape; 9p other fashions - mantles, cloaks, crocheted jacket, shawl pattern.
December, 1864: Pages 477-556, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 women & 1 child, blue cushion design, 3 B&W plates. 2 Christmas articles, cakes, plum puddings & mincemeat; 12p projects - bonnets, traveling bag; 8p other fashions - cloaks, robes, baby's clothing, bonnets.
March, 1871: Pages 227-302, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 women's dresses & little girl's dress, fancy alphabet in red, extension sheet of costumes (p219-226), 1 B&W plate. Who Stole the Bird's Nest?, English governess in Siam, Are we too Silent?, soups, cakes & puddings; 8p projects - crocheted infant's boot, child's pinafores, basket design; 1p other fashions - promenade costumes.
June, 1871: Pages 511-584, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 women's dresses & boy's suit, extension sheet of costumes (p503-510), 1 black plate on green paper, 1 B&W plate. Punctuality, hints on dressmaking, language hints, woman telegraphers in England, vegetables, cakes & puddings; 8p projects - dressmaking hints, smoking cap, spool basket, knife & fork case, watch stand, fan design; 1p other fashions - children's clothing.
July, 1872: Pages 25-102, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - 5 lady's & 1 girl's dresses, extension sheet of costumes & bathing dresses, 1 black plate on orchid paper, foldout (After the Ladies), 1 B&W plate. Tyranny of temper, lady candidates for degrees, hot weather hints, hot Indian pickles, preserves & sweet jars; 8p projects - doll's tent, garden basket, knitting needle case, lady's polonaise ; 6p other fashions - bodices, chatelaines, fans.
December, 1872: Pages 483-554, $10.
plus dbl color fashion plate - bride and attendants, extension sheet of party costumes, stocking designs in brown, 4 Christmas B&W plates. Acting charade, stupid folks, advice to a daughter, carving & Christmas dinner; 7p projects - crochet jacket, cane & bead work-basket, gentleman's knitted shooting waistcoat; 4p other fashions - furs, cloaks, street dresses, rain wear.
For those who have not seen an original, unbound Godey's, they are slightly larger than these copies, with wider margins, printed on pure rag paper, with cover pages no heavier than the main text. The title, issue, and volume are printed on a paper tape on the spine. The pages are bound with two holes punched just in from the left edge and tied with linen thread. Like most magazines of the period, the pages were unslit - thus most unbound copies have ragged edges because the owner had to slit the joined pages. Hard-bound copies were not sold that way, but bound later by the owner.
Peterson's Magazine, 7 issues, 1861, 5x8", about 75 p each, printed at 95% of original size. $10 each.
Peterson's is very similar to Godey's: same layout, departments, and fashion plates. An issue of Peterson's is somewhat shorter, with fewer editorial pages at the back. Although sold at a lower price, it still has as much high fashion as Godey's. The most noticeable difference in 1861 is that Peterson's includes more children's clothing. Fiction, poetry, music, projects, receipts, games, fashion news, horticulture, health column.
March 1861: Pages 205-274,
plus color fashion plate - 2 carriage dresses, colored slipper design, 2 B&W plates, 6 pages other fashions - carriage & walking dresses, capuchin hood, head-dress, children's fashions, chemisettes. 9p projects - crocheted infant's hood, Berlin wool work, zouave jacket.
April 1861: Pages 289-358,
plus color fashion plate - carriage & walking dresses, basket designs in blue, 2 B&W plates, 8 pages other fashions - caps, children's fashions, infant's hood & robe. How to give a dinner, plant protectors; 9p projects - Polonaise traveling-dress pattern, crocheted baskets, watch-pocket.
May 1861: Pages 373-436,
plus color fashion plate - walking & evening dresses, bead mats in red, 2 B&W plates, 6 pages other fashions - work-bag pattern , children's fashions, belts & sashes. Waifs from the Wayside, lamb, vegetables, preserves; 10p projects - drawing-room card-basket in straw-work, netted D'Oyley.
August 1861: Pages 97-160,
plus color fashion plate - walking & zouave dresses, handkerchief design in red, 2 B&W plates, 6 pages other fashions - caps & bonnets, children's fashions. Use and abuse of colors in dress, house-keeping and help, female equestrianism - Part I, desserts, pickling; 8p projects - night-cap, hanging pincushion & needle-book, infant's hood & cap.
September 1861: Pages 175-238,
plus color fashion plate - evening & visiting dresses, collar & cuff in blue, 2 B&W plates, 6 pages other fashions - night-dress, cloaks, illustrated D'Oyley, new body style. Lady-like dress, female equestrianism - Part II, desserts, home-made wines; 8p projects - Watch-Case in Crochet, waist-pouches, fall paletot, children's fashions.
October 1861: Pages 253-316,
plus color fashion plate - carriage & house dresses, book-mark in blue, 2 B&W plates, 6 pages other fashions - children's fashions, cloaks. Making feather flowers; 10 p projects - children's fall dresses, loose jacket & waistcoat for boy patterns.
November 1861: Pages 331-402,
plus color fashion plate - carriage & home dresses, crib cover in red, 2 B&W plates, 6 pages other fashions - cloaks, bonnets, aprons, jackets, equestrian fashions. 12p projects - Demorest's prize hoop skirts, star-stitch knitted shawl, varieties in linens, the Knicherbocker suit.