New Look for My Blogs using Regency Beauties from Ackermann's Repository

I updated the look of my blog page to celebrate my finding an amazing assortment of 

Regency Era images in the pages of Ackermann's Repository.  

I will blog a bit about it here on this my "Muse" blog and also there will be lots 

of images posted on my main blog http://ekduncan.blogspot.com/

This is my favorite image out of all the Ackermann's Repository fashion plates.

 

And this was another favorite in a similar colored gown.

I used her on my "Muse" blog with the first lady.

I used this Gentleman (flipped) on my main EKDuncan blog along with 

the Lady looking in the Mirror.  I wanted both blogs to look similar but not 

exactly alike, so there are slight differences.

Click HERE to see what his original image looked like before I removed his background.

The Original Ackermann's Repository fashion plates had to have their backgrounds

removed so that the ladies and gent, stood out on their own.  

Now I have several great png images that can be used in a variety of way.

I created the background pattern in Photoshop. 
I love multi-colored patterns and this marbling effect reminded me of the inside
covers you find in antique books, so for me it tied in that Regency feel.

 

Put them all together...

 This is the new look for my "Muse" blog

It has a greenish blue tone with two Regency Ladies.
 
(update - several months later I removed the two ladies and just used the marbled background)

This is what My Fanciful Muse blog background looked like  after I removed the ladies

 I just thought the simpler cleaner look worked better for this lower-key blog

 and this is the new look for my main "EKDuncan" blog

It has a more Blue Gray look with a Regency gent looking at his lady.

 I even created a new "Title Topper" for my EKDuncan blog

using an Ackermann's Repository Curtain

(I changed the color of the original to make it work for my application)

I'm currently in the process of posting more of these amazing 

vintage images from Ackermann's Repository over on my main blog page 

so pop on over and check them out.

http://ekduncan.blogspot.com/

Have a Creative Day - Evelyn

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Amazing Images from the pages of Ackermann's Repository

I've been fortunate to have discovered a treasure trove of 200 year old Regency images in the pages of an old British publication called Ackermann's Repository.  There are fashion plates, furniture pieces, curtains, houses, buildings, scenery and more... Oh, it's been so much fun to browse through all 20 years of the publication. (1809 - 1829)

I'm currently in the process of saving these amazing images to my computer and will be posting them on my main blog  http://www.ekduncan.blogspot.com/ all summer long.  I'm starting with the fashion plates, then will do curtains, furniture and finally some of the scenes, buildings and manor houses; to give well rounded examples of what Ackermann's was all about.  Oh, and they also published needlework patterns, so I'll be get around to publishing those too just for the grins and giggles of it.

Example of an Ackermann's Repository Fashion Plate

 Not only are the fashions lovely but the faces are so sweet; 

making the Ackermann' fashion plates some of the best from this time period.

Example of an Ackermann's Repository Furniture Plate

The Ackermann's furniture plates sometimes showed just a single piece of furniture, 

a set of furniture, a window treatment or like this example a room or partial room.

(by using a digital editing program this partial room can become a whole scene)

Click HERE for previous post on how this image was used to create a room

Example of one of the many extras found in the pages of Ackermann's Repository

Ackermann's Repository would introduce a "series" and continue it on for several issues.  They spent a few years showing a fancy deck of pictorial playing cards and in several issues they showed phaetons and carriages.  Since the publication was for both ladies and gentleman, they needed to depict items that would be appealing to both sexes in it's pages.

Example of Places, Building or Scenery found in Ackermann's Repository

 Ackermann's Repository has wonder full colored plates of scenery all through its issues.  They constantly had some series going that included places, buildings and scenery of all types. They had a series' called "Views of London"  & "Country Seats".
One year they showed all the Churches and public buildings in London.  There are scenes of gardens, public parks and various streets and neighborhoods from all over London in the pages of Ackermann's Repository. 

I found these types of scenes to be fascinating.  

I read a lot of Regency romances and now I have a much better idea 

how certain places in and around London looked during this time period.

Example of Needlework Patterns from Ackermann's Repository

Many of the Ackermann's repository issues had a decorative pattern in them.

They are not in every issue but fairly close.  Sometimes they had patterns for 

painting or inlay work; however most of them are needlework patterns 

like this one from one of their last issues.

Too see more great images from Ackermann's Repository

keep checking my main blog at

http://www.ekduncan.blogspot.com/

I'm currently in the process of listing all the fashion plates Ackermann's Repository 

published in its 20 year run; then I'll start listing other great images from it's pages.

Once all those images have been posted;
I'll show how the various images can be altered 

in Photoshop to create fun new digital scenes that are reminiscent of old "toy theaters"

Thanks for dropping by 

- Evelyn

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Create a Room - Regency era image - Ackermann's Repository

I've found and fell in love with images from the Regency Era publication 

Ackermann's Repository.

My fanciful muse has been stirred into motion to save images from it's pages
and then create digital art with them.
I love the idea of giving new creative life to these 200 year old images.

On my regular blog http://www.ekduncan.blogspot.com/ 

I've previously posted about my love of "Toy Theaters" and 

creating digital artwork that has a similar look.

I have been hunting for antique curtain designs for a long time and in the process
of my search I was fortunate enough to discover Ackermann's Repository and their
huge quantity of images including rooms, furniture and yes... curtains.

A room I created digitally using a partial Ackermann's image - "New Room"

 Here is an example of a room I created digitally using a partial image 

I found in Ackermann's Repository. 

I duplicated the original image, flipped it to create a mirror image, merged the two 

and did some clean up to blend them together.

Now I have a simple room that I can use as a base and add other elements to 

and create a fun Regency style scene.

This is the original Ackermann's image - partial room

By taking the above "new room" and continuing the digital mirroring process 

I have another expanded look for my room.

I expanded the new room by continuing the mirroring process in Photoshop

I enjoy manipulating images in Photoshop to see what new combinations I can achieve.
Here is what my new room expansion looks like after I continued the mirroring process
using the original curtain portion of the room.

And if I don't like the original color of the room...

I can change that too!

Peach and Coral version

Pink Version

Brown and Gold Version

Black and Gold Version

Blue and Gray Version

My Muse likes to play with color changes, so I could keep doing this for days 

but I'll stop here since I know you get the point.

So, this is just a bit of fun I'm having with my newly discovered 

Regency images from Ackermann's Repository.

If you are like me and can't get enough of them...

I'll be posting and blogging about these finds for the whole summer, 

and maybe longer since there is so many wonderful images to share.

So visit my main blog over at http://www.ekduncan.blogspot.com/

to see all the great images from the pages of Ackermann's Repository.

Thanks for dropping in and seeing what my Muse has taken a fancy to this time.

- Evelyn

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