Soleless Stockings In some country districts footless stockings like these were common. These were hand knit woollen stockings and they were worn in ...
Fine Shawls Around the turn of the century plaid shawls were the popular dress of poor women in country areas. The finest shawls such as these were ...
Straw Costume In some counties in the west of Ireland it was the custom for a young boy dressed in this kind of straw costume to escort the bride to ...
Mourning Beads The Victorians took mourning the dead very seriously. Ladies would have worn only black clothes for a year after a husband’s death and ...
Mourning Brooch Women in mourning also wore special brooches which were designed to hold either a lock of hair or a photograph of their loved-one.
Albert Watch Chain Gentlemen usually had pocket watches which they kept in a small waistcoat pocket. A decorative Albert watch chain was commonly attached ...
Albertina Watch Chain Ladies had their watches attached to Albertina watch chains. They were smaller and much more decorative. A lady’s watch chain would ...
Ear Rings Victorian ladies had their ears pierced. Their ear rings all had fine metal loops rather than the straight bars and butterfly clips ...
Celtic Jewellery Towards the end of the 19th century there was a revival of medieval arts and crafts in Ireland. These brooches were worn by ladies and ...
The Rural Poor This 1899 photograph of a female potato picker in Co. Fermanagh gives us some idea of the dress worn by the rural poor in the mid 19th ...
