American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
A Dog-uerreotype, and the Purity of Plates and Film
Lol. Of course, a Daguerreotype of a dog is completely impractical. Avi here couldn't sit still for 10 seconds, let alone 10 minutes or 20 minutes. I'm having so much...
What If I Were, 1850
"What If I Were in California in 1850?" I've been wanting to try a digital recreation of a Daguerreotype for awhile now. They've always fascinated and creeped me out, and...
The Lady Sunbeam Vintage Hair Dryer - Controlled Heat Deluxe!
Last week I met a friend of mine at the Salvation Army Thrift Store, and we proceeded to giggle like idiots whilst scavenging for *really cool stuff*, which this particular...
Edwardian Footwear - Thrift Score!
It seems like every time I go in a thrift store lately (all two times in the past two weeks), I come away with some really great stuff. Both the...
Concept Sketch for an Irish Ensemble for Gold Rush Days
This coming weekend I will be wreaking havoc and eating candy at Gold Rush Days, one of my favorite events of the year, in Old Sacramento. The original plan was...
What If I Were...1950s
Continuing on with the historical photo project I talked about last time, I've played around with some 1950s style photos. The 1950s are an interesting time, because *everything* is stylized:...
The "What If I Were..." Historical Photo Project
As most of you know, I love photography. It's not only a very important aspect of presenting our work on our blogs, but it's also something we can have a...
Back from The Lake Tahoe Gatsby Festival, 2011
Sunday - picnic at the Pope Mansion, replete with vintage cars, great music, and wonderful costumes to oggle. The Lake Tahoe Gatsby is a lovely, miniature-version of the Oakland Gatsby....
Devonshire GiveAway WINNER!
Out of an incredible 283 entries, only one winner could be selected. And the winner is... !!! Laughing Girl (https://laughing-all-the-way.tumblr.com/) !!! My dear Laughing Girl, please e-mail me at lauren@american-duchess.com...
Mid-Victorian 1840s-to-1860s ReFashioning
The original, made last year. So you all think I haven't been sewing...and you would be sortof right. Little bits at a time, little projects (that turn into massive projects),...
How to Make a Quick and Easy 1920s Bathing Suit
In honor of the delightful 1920s events we've had this Summer, including the Lake Tahoe Gatsby coming up this weekend, I want to share with you a fun little project...
18th Century Shoe GIVEAWAY!
Want to *win* your very own pair of leather Devonshire 18th century shoes? Then help us spread the word about the pre-order going on right now! About the Prize: The...