Impractical Collection

Les Invisibles, 1810 (hand-coloured engraving)
708888 Les Invisibles, 1810 (hand-coloured engraving) by Gillray, James (1757-1815); Private Collection; (add.info.: Satire on the restrictive fashions of Napoleonic period in France)

The Chromium Shaving Chair, detail from How to Live in a Flat
STC269997 The Chromium Shaving Chair, detail from How to Live in a Flat, published 1936 (litho) by Robinson, William Heath (1872-1944); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English

Punch cartoon: woman wearing a wide hoop skirt struggling to get into a carriage (engraving)
6034714 Punch cartoon: woman wearing a wide hoop skirt struggling to get into a carriage (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Punch cartoon)

White elephant, page from a manuscript on elephant training (w / c on paper)
LIT389920 White elephant, page from a manuscript on elephant training (w/c on paper) by Thai School; National Library, Bangkok

Furniture Made to Measure, from How to Live in a Flat
STC269998 Furniture Made to Measure, from How to Live in a Flat, published 1936 (litho) by Robinson, William Heath (1872-1944); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

German cartoon on the fashion for crinoline (litho)
3646233 German cartoon on the fashion for crinoline (litho) by German School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: German cartoon on the fashion for crinoline)

Punch cartoon: Mr Punchs Latest Addition to the Last Book of Euclid - Victorian womens fashions (engraving)
6034778 Punch cartoon: Mr Punchs Latest Addition to the Last Book of Euclid - Victorian womens fashions (engraving) by English School

Chromium Comfort, detail from How to Live in a Flat
STC269996 Chromium Comfort, detail from How to Live in a Flat, published 1936 (litho) by Robinson, William Heath (1872-1944); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Poor Steel, detail from How to Live in a Flat, published 1936 (litho)
STC269995 Poor Steel, detail from How to Live in a Flat, published 1936 (litho) by Robinson, William Heath (1872-1944); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

The Smallest House in England - Wavertree, Lancashire
The Smallest House in England - Wavertree, Liverpool, Lancashire - situated at No. 95 High Street, the house is only 6ft wide and was occupied until 1925

Imaginary Flight of Hensons Ariel, 1843, (1944). Creator: Day & Haghe
Imaginary Flight of Hensons " Ariel", 1843, (1944). William Henson and John Stringfellows 1843 design for steam-powered flying machine

The Longest Beard on Record, 1896, (1910). Valentine Tapley now holds fifth place for the Worlds Longest Beard. The Pike County farmer

Crinoline Difficulties 1860s
A lady goes to extreme lengths to wear the widest, most fashionable crinoline skirt during the 1860s when the fashion was at its height. Date: 1865-70

Lebanon - Married Druze Woman with Tantour hat
The traditional vertigious tantour hat of a married Druze (a monotheistic religious community) woman of Lebanon (sadly not an example of the popular trend to replicate the landscape of late 19th)

Women and Girls in Rational Dress, 1882
Engraving showing a group of women in types of Rational Dress, shown at the Exhibition of Hygienic Costume, 1882. In the 1880s the Dress Reform Movement

Greek Man in ebullient rich local costume
Greek Man in traditional ebullient rich local costume, featuring silver briads, tassles, daggers white stockings and various medallions and metal plates. Date: circa 1910s

The Perils of High Collar fashion by Fish
Amusing cartoon by Annie Fish showing the fictional Tatler gossip columnist, Eve, struggling with the practicalities of wearing the fashionable high collars of the day

Guillaume IV Hainault
GUILLAUME IV, comte de HAINAULT ruler of the county of Holland 1337-1345. Wearing an amazing assortment of practical armour and impractical footwear and dangling bits and bobs. Date: ? - 1345

Floral Staircase at The Parade, Bridlington, Yorkshire
Floral Staircase at The Parade, Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire Date: circa 1920

German Motor Cycle
A German girl from Spreewald rides on the back of a motorcycle in rather impractical tradtional dress! Date: early 1930s

Paper House at Pigeon Cove, Massachusetts
Pigeon Cove, Rockport, Massachusetts - the interior of the Paper House - made entirely of newspapers. Built by Mr. Elis F

Dangerous fashions in the street
The dangers of impractical fashions in the street. The reintroduction of the trained skirt, even for walking dresses, proves inconvenient and possibly fatal! Date: 1871

Crinoline Bus Accident
A lady wearing a large crinoline knocks over a man as she attempts to board a London bus. Two ladies in bonnets look on in amazement. Title: Cause and Effect

Bathing Costume 1899
A highly decorative but thoroughly impractical bathing costume of fine red serge trimmed with silk, braid and fringed edging

FRENCHWOMAN 1780 - 2
Frills and tucks galore on this impractical gown, worn by a lady of Louis XVIs court shortly before the Revolution

Bakst Hobble Skirt
Hobble skirt costume designed & drawn by Bakst & made by Paquin. The skirt is cut-away at the front creating a split to enable the wearer to walk. N.B incongruous ruff

C18th Century Revival
Fine feathers in wartime: dress designers attempt to counter the practical move of wearing shorter, fuller skirts by employing impractical styles of previous centuries

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Step back in time and witness the impracticalities of the past. From crinoline difficulties in the 1860s to Les Invisibles of 1810, these historical hints showcase a world where practicality took a backseat. In the realm of fashion, women donned wide hoop skirts that proved to be quite the challenge when attempting to board carriages. As depicted in an engraving from Punch cartoon, even simple tasks became arduous endeavors for those trapped within their voluminous garments. The obsession with crinolines reached its peak as seen in a German cartoon, highlighting how this trend dominated society's attention. But little did they know that such fashion choices would later be deemed utterly impractical. Moving beyond clothing, we stumble upon The Chromium Shaving Chair - an extravagant contraption detailed in How to Live in a Flat. While it may have exuded luxury and sophistication, one can't help but question its true purpose amidst everyday life. Meanwhile, Furniture Made to Measure promised convenience and comfort but often resulted in bulky pieces that occupied excessive space within cramped living quarters. This ironic twist on functionality is captured beautifully through lithographs published during that era. Venturing into other realms of absurdity, we encounter Poor Steel - another peculiar invention showcased by How to Live in a Flat. Its intricate design might have seemed innovative at first glance; however, its actual usefulness remains questionable even today. As if these examples weren't enough proof of humanity's penchant for impracticality, we come across The Smallest House in England located in Wavertree, Lancashire. A charming curiosity indeed but hardly suitable for modern-day living standards. And let us not forget about Imaginary Flight of Hensons Ariel - an imaginative creation dating back to 1843 yet reimagined by Day & Haghe during World War II. This whimsical depiction reminds us that sometimes our dreams can take flight while leaving practicality far behind.