The Eternal Masquerade H. Dennis Bradley 1923 T. Werner Laurie Antique Costume History Fashion Book Clothes Philosophy Vintage Hardcover

The Eternal Masquerade by H. Dennis Bradley, published in London by T. Werner Laurie, Ltd., 1923. This is the ninth printing, "Fifty-first thousand," so the book was a real bestseller in its day. Bradley's book is a witty, irreverent history of English clothes and manners. He hangs a philosophy on a clothes-peg and takes it from the Garden of Eden through the Picts, the Tudors, James I and George IV, up to the fashions and follies of the 1920s. It is arranged in three parts: Book I: Sartor Sardonicus Book II: Sartor Historicus Book III: Sartor Modernus Chapters cover finance, racing, snobbery, the theatre and dinner. He argues that a nation's clothes tell you more than its wars do. Bradley later became known for his books on spiritualism. The book itself Slate blue-grey linen-textured cloth, with the title and a black-printed "tree of Eden" illustration on the front board Script title and author lettering on the spine T. W. L. publisher's roundel on the rear board Printing history page listing all nine printings, and a woodcut vignette on the title page No dust jacket Condition: Good, a solid reading and display copy The spine cloth has sunned and faded to tan. The spine ends are lightly bumped and frayed, with a little edge and corner wear. The boards show light rubbing and toning. The pages are toned with age, as is typical for 1920s paper. The text is clean, and the binding is intact. Please see all photos, which are part of the description. From the Chapter & Vintage collection — old things, new chapters. Carefully packed and shipped with full insurance.