Edinburgh - payment for small research

[Hackstaple]

I would like to invite a Rootschatter from Edinburgh to do some basic research for me involving perhaps an hour or so.

For this I am able to pay £25.00. This is a commercial enquiry.

It involves a visit to the National Library of Scotland, Reading Room at Geo. IV Bridge. They have a copy of John Sobieski Stuart's "Costumes of the Clans", a 171 page large book with 34 illustrated plates.

I have 19 of those plates and need to identify the subjects. I would provide a list of the plate numbers involved.

If you feel you could help me please PM your reply.

[platinum]

Hi there

Historical and genealogical research is what we do. If you are not already fixed up contact us at Scots Family  at:

http://www.scotsfamily.com/query.htm

But if you're already sorted , no worries, you can bear us in mind for next time

best

Dr Brian Thomson
   

[waiteohman]

Hello Hackstaple

This book is also available in England at the National Art Library in London and the John Rylands University Library in Manchester.

Author Stuart, John Sobieski Stolberg, 1795?-1872.
Title The costume of the clans : with observations upon the literature, arts, manufactures, and commerce of the Highlands and Western Isles during the middle ages : and on the influence of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries upon their present condition / By John Sobieski Stolberg and Charles Edward Stuart.
Publisher Edinburgh : J. Menzies; [etc., etc.], 1845.
Physical details vi, lxiii, 171, [5] p : XXXI (i.e. 36) pl ; 57 cm.
Subject Costume - Scotland - Highlands.
 Clans.
 Scotland - Antiquities.
 Location: Reference - Deansgate
 
Maybe these locations are accessible to you? or maybe another fellow rootschater. In the University library it is a reference copy; however, in the National Art Library it is in the general collection so and interlibrary loan may also be available to you through your public library. Then you could see the whole book yourself.

Linda

[Hackstaple]

Linda

Thank you for taking this trouble. I accessed Copac to locate copies and it did not turn one up in London. I have now found that the V&A catalogue is not very intuitive and I had to preface my search for "Costume of the Clans" with  "The".
This will be a convenient library for me to access. 

Brian

Thank you for the offer but I saw your reply and Linda's at the same time. I noted that your rates were not very expensive.   

[waiteohman]

Most welcome Hackstaple. Sounds like an interesting book. Just curious, what are your plates of.

BTW, must be a cataloguing error in the way the title field was input in the library catalogue you searched. If entered correctly you do not have to include beginning words in the title such as A, The, An etc.

Linda

[Hackstaple]

The "Stuart" brothers were essentially conmen but quite benign. They claimed descent from Bonne Prince Charlie through a mistress, a Princess Sobieski. Incidentally the real Stuarts had Sobieski blood and Sobieski is one the great revered names of Polish history, quite rightly.

They professed to have a 17th century book showing the traditional tartans of the clans. Clan chieftains beat a path to their door to find out what their tartan should be. There had been no formalisation of tartans before then. They produced two books, one of tartan patterns and this one being actual historical figures shown in tartan dress. Later, they were exposed as bogus but their paterns were already firmly in use.

I acquired 19 of the 34 plates from The Costume of the Clans for my little hobby business. The plates have no name identification but 14 of them had pencilled notes on the reverse. As some of the tartans are at variance with more current tradition I want to see the confirmation of these by Plate numbers.  They are really rare plates with vivid original hand colouring , selling at up to £85 each but hardly ever seen on the market.

I am going to try to put one image here, but it is a big file.

[trish251]

Hi Hack

you will notice a large number of reads but few answers on your query - like myself, I assume many were interested re the book - thankyou for the explanation & picture

Trish

[Hackstaple]

Hi Trish

I did not expect a flood of replies. I have this little business which always makes a small profit but which sells items that fascinate me and which I love to handle.

The illustration is a quarter of real size! They are quite formidable plates.

Hack   

[Guy Etchells]

I know of two copies of "Costumes of the Clans" for sale but they are expensive.
Both around the 2 thousand pound mark.
Cheers
Guy