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Overview
'Vanity was the beginning and end of Sir Walter Elliot's character... he considered the blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing of a baronetcy,' wrote Jane Austen in Persuasion. Yet, as John Woodforde so amply demonstrates, it is not only the fictional who throughout history have been concerned with the trappings of vanity and who have sought to make themselves more pleasing to others. This book looks at the history of vanity and the ways in which people have endeavoured to retain youthfulness and virility from Roman times to the present day. Lightly written and the result of much research, The History of Vanity is both entertaining and informative. The various aspects of vanity are considered, from dress and disguise of the body, and the use of false calves, cod-pieces and stays, to cosmetics, including the practice of using white lead and belladonna juice to enhance facial features during the Middle Ages, and attitudes towards speech and conduct, such as that of Lord Chesterfield who in 1853 felt it necessary to warn his son against 'illiberal and so ill-bred' laughter. Other chapters discuss the dandy; cosmetic surgery; false teeth and teeth transplants; wigs, wig-making and hair-fashions; heels and boots, and the wearing of hats. The book also looks at the trades and services which grew up to serve the needs of the vain, such as those of wig- and wig-box makers. The book is illustrated with over fifty photographs, paintings and line drawings showing the uses and abuses of vanity through the centuries. In an age in which every third advertisement in America is for plastic surgery, The History of Vanity has never been more pertinent and, packed with anecdote and little-known historical detail, it will intrigue the social historian and the general reader alike.Editorials
Booknews
A witty and informative history of how people have tried to retain their youth and vitality from the Roman era to the present. False calves, cod-pieces, cosmetics, wigs, false teeth, high heels, and the perpetually thriving business of advice, are among the methods discussed and illustrated. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)Book Details
Published
June 6, 1992
Publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
Pages
135
Format
Hardcover, 1992
ISBN
9780312086053