Vanda, My Dahlink

Ah, Vanda.  How I love you.  Actually, that's V and A.  As in Victoria and Albert.  Not the monarchs.  The museum. 

Saying that, I have never actually been to London (unless you count a truly soul-destroying layover I had at Heathrow once) so I haven't been in the museum in person.  But I know that it is heaven on earth.

The Victoria and Albert Museum has an online image library and then they also have an online print shop, where you can order prints.  This source has some really nice images.  The online library does too, but it's a bit more of a slog to find something.  Sort of just depends on if you’re cruisn' for eye-candy or looking for something more in-depth.

And not only do they provide this embarrassment of riches, they also participate in DailyLit.com by providing the lovely "Shoes, Bags and Tiaras" for free.  Awesomeness.

Speaking of which, some random samplings:

silk  shoes, 18th C.

 Mary Quant boots, 1967miniature with dress-up overlay

 Liberty Dress, c. 1930

 Liberty dress, c. 1885

 silk dress, c.1870

And last but not least, something I actually personally owned (until my miserable children caused my feet to swell like sponges at the beach):

Docs, 1982

And from the fabulous Print Shop:

 Barbier illustration

 

Bernier illustration

Heideloff and Ackermann illustration

 

And that’s just from the fashion illustration section. 

Vanda.  You hav to luv it, dahlink.