This year’s theme was “Gilded Glamour and White Tie”. The theme honours a period of rapid prosperity, industrialization and growth in the US from 1870 to 1890. Due to the innovation of steam-power looms and electricity, fabric was produced quickly and inexpensively. This meant women’s dresses often featured a combination of many textiles, like satin, silk, velvet, and fringe, all adorned with over-the-top textures like lace, bows, frills, and ruffles.

46 artworks
Winter
Image credit: City of London Corporation

Winter c.1876

Alfred Emile Léopold Joseph Victor Stevens (1823–1906)

Oil on canvas

H 76 x W 25 cm

City of London Corporation

Reverend John Shepherd Birley (1805–1883)
Image credit: Her Majesty's Court Service, Preston Crown Court

Reverend John Shepherd Birley (1805–1883) c.1876–1877

Daniel Macnee (1806–1882)

Oil on canvas

H 240 x W 120 cm

Her Majesty's Court Service, Preston Crown Court

Autumn
Image credit: City of London Corporation

Autumn c.1876

Alfred Emile Léopold Joseph Victor Stevens (1823–1906)

Oil on canvas

H 76 x W 25 cm

City of London Corporation

Woman in White
Image credit: Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

Woman in White 1872

Alfred Joseph Woolmer (1805–1892)

Oil on canvas

H 53.3 x W 43.1 cm

Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

The Artist's Wife, Ellen Moxon (c.1854–1917), Lady Orchardson
Image credit: National Galleries of Scotland

The Artist's Wife, Ellen Moxon (c.1854–1917), Lady Orchardson 1872

William Quiller Orchardson (1832–1910)

Oil on canvas

H 191 x W 119.5 cm

National Galleries of Scotland

Edward Howes (1813–1871)
Image credit: Norwich Civic Portrait Collection, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery

Edward Howes (1813–1871) 1872

Frederick Sandys (1829–1904)

Oil on canvas

H 113 x W 89 cm

Norwich Civic Portrait Collection, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery

Portrait of a Woman 1872–1875

Berthe Morisot (1841–1895)

Oil on canvas

H 56 x W 46.1 cm

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

George Herbert and His Mother
Image credit: Bridgeman Images

George Herbert and His Mother 1872

Charles West Cope (1811–1890)

Oil on canvas

H 74 x W 61 cm

Gallery Oldham

The 3rd Earl of Bradford (1819–1898)
Image credit: Trustees of the Weston Park Foundation

The 3rd Earl of Bradford (1819–1898) 1872

Frederick Sargent (1837–1899)

Oil on canvas

H 29 x W 23 cm

Weston Park

Yes or No?
Image credit: Walker Art Gallery

Yes or No? 1872

Charles West Cope (1811–1890)

Oil on panel

H 76.8 x W 63.8 cm

Walker Art Gallery

Judith
Image credit: The Whitaker

Judith 1872

Marcel Johann Zadorecki (active 1872–1939)

Oil on canvas

H 96.5 x W 71.1 cm

The Whitaker

Hearts are Trumps
Image credit: Tate

Hearts are Trumps 1872

John Everett Millais (1829–1896)

Oil on canvas

H 165.7 x W 219.7 cm

Tate

Miss Helen Faucit (1814–1898), Actress
Image credit: Royal Shakespeare Company Collection

Miss Helen Faucit (1814–1898), Actress 1873

Rudolf Lehmann (1819–1905)

Oil on canvas

H 134.6 x W 101 cm

Royal Shakespeare Company Collection

Ellen Dana Conway (1833–1897)
Image credit: Townley Valuation Services Ltd.

Ellen Dana Conway (1833–1897) 1873

Arthur Hughes (1832–1915)

Oil on panel

H 62 x W 43 cm

Conway Hall

Cache-cache 1873

Guglielmo Innocenti (active c.1872–1887)

Oil on wood

H 33.7 x W 26.7 cm

York Museums Trust

Charlotte Marion Baird (1851/1852–1937), Countess of Enniskillen
Image credit: National Trust Images

Charlotte Marion Baird (1851/1852–1937), Countess of Enniskillen 1873

Henry Richard Graves (1818–1882)

Oil on canvas

H 127.5 x W 101.5 cm

National Trust, Florence Court

Mrs Gilbert Farquhuar Davidson
Image credit: Brighton & Hove Museums

Mrs Gilbert Farquhuar Davidson 1873

Jules Louis Machard (1839–1900)

Oil on canvas

H 136 x W 100.5 cm

Brighton & Hove Museums

The Toilet
Image credit: Sheffield Museums

The Toilet 1870

William Powell Frith (1819–1909)

Oil on canvas

H 78.9 x W 64.5 cm

Sheffield Museums

Reading
Image credit: Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum

Reading 1871

Alfred Joseph Woolmer (1805–1892)

Oil on canvas

H 38.5 x W 29 cm

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum

Jean Milne Home
Image credit: The Paxton Trust

Jean Milne Home 1870

Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens (1829–1915)

Oil on canvas

H 125.8 x W 100 cm

The Paxton Trust

Ideal Portrait of Lady Macbeth
Image credit: Walker Art Gallery

Ideal Portrait of Lady Macbeth 1870

Thomas Francis Dicksee (1819–1895)

Oil on canvas

H 128.2 x W 102.5 cm

Walker Art Gallery

Mrs Spencelayh
© the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Bridgeman Images

Mrs Spencelayh c.1875

Charles Spencelayh (1865–1958) (attributed to)

Oil on canvas

H 39 x W 34 cm

Guildhall Museum, Rochester

Blonde and Brunette
Image credit: Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum

Blonde and Brunette 1870s

Henry Guillaume Schlesinger (1814–1893)

Oil on canvas

H 64 x W 52 cm

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum

Lady Ida (1848–1936), Viscountess Newport, afterwards Countess of Bradford
Image credit: Trustees of the Weston Park Foundation

Lady Ida (1848–1936), Viscountess Newport, afterwards Countess of Bradford 1870

unknown artist

Hand-tinted photograph

H 7 x W 5.7 cm

Weston Park

Dr J. C. Cookworthy
Image credit: The Box, Plymouth

Dr J. C. Cookworthy 1870

Francis Lane (active 1864–1870)

Oil on canvas

H 90 x W 69 cm

The Box, Plymouth

The Right Honourable Jesse Collings (1831–1920)
Image credit: Birmingham Museums Trust

The Right Honourable Jesse Collings (1831–1920) 1881

Jonathan Pratt (1835–1911)

Oil on canvas

H 127.5 x W 101.3 cm

Birmingham Museums Trust

The Honourable Anne Elizabeth Weld-Forester (1802–1885), Countess of Chesterfield
Image credit: National Trust Images

The Honourable Anne Elizabeth Weld-Forester (1802–1885), Countess of Chesterfield 1874

Frederick Percy Graves (1837–1903)

Oil on panel

H 58.5 x W 47 cm

National Trust, Hughenden Manor

Alice Burford Rawlings, née Pardoe (1814–1885)
Image credit: Nantgarw China Works Museum

Alice Burford Rawlings, née Pardoe (1814–1885) c.1837

Henry Spurrier Parkman (1814–1864)

Oil on canvas

H 74.5 x W 62.3 cm

Nantgarw China Works Museum

Katharine Jex-Blake
Image credit: Girton College, University of Cambridge

Katharine Jex-Blake

Herman Herkomer (1863–1935)

Oil on canvas

H 75 x W 62 cm

Girton College, University of Cambridge

Naughty Pet
Image credit: Birmingham Museums Trust

Naughty Pet

Henry Wyatt (1794–1840)

Oil on canvas

H 35.6 x W 28 cm

Birmingham Museums Trust

Juliana Pole-Carew (1812–1881), Lady Robartes
Image credit: National Trust Images

Juliana Pole-Carew (1812–1881), Lady Robartes 1839

Robert Thorburn (1818–1885)

Oil on canvas

H 71 x W 54.5 cm

National Trust, Lanhydrock

Lady Skating on Ice
Image credit: Government Art Collection

Lady Skating on Ice 1882

Ludovico Marchetti (1853–1909)

Oil on panel

H 25 x W 20 cm

Government Art Collection

Mrs Park Yates
Image credit: Southampton City Art Gallery

Mrs Park Yates 1881

George Elgar Hicks (1824–1914)

Oil on card

H 21 x W 17.2 cm

Southampton City Art Gallery

Young Lady in a Feather Hat
Image credit: Kelmarsh Hall

Young Lady in a Feather Hat 1881

Jan van Beers (1852–1927)

Oil on mahogany panel

H 32 x W 22 cm

Kelmarsh Hall

After Marriage
Image credit: The New Art Gallery Walsall

After Marriage 1881

Arthur Howes Weigall (c.1836–1894)

Oil on canvas

H 89 x W 68.5 cm

The New Art Gallery Walsall

Saskia van Uylenburgh (1612–1642)
Image credit: National Trust Images

Saskia van Uylenburgh (1612–1642) 1881

Charles François Felu (1830–1900)

Oil on canvas

H 77 x W 61.5 cm

National Trust, Kingston Lacy

The First Born
Image credit: Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum

The First Born 1881

Josephus Laurentius Dyckmans (1811–1888)

Oil on panel

H 49.5 x W 38 cm

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum

The Umbrellas
Image credit: The National Gallery, London

The Umbrellas about 1881-6

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919)

Oil on canvas

H 180.3 x W 114.9 cm

The National Gallery, London

Mrs William Lawrie
Image credit: National Galleries of Scotland

Mrs William Lawrie 1881

William McTaggart (1835–1910)

Oil on canvas

H 90.8 x W 60.4 cm

National Galleries of Scotland

Flora St Clair Paint (d.1905), Mrs Samuel Theodore Mander
Image credit: National Trust Images

Flora St Clair Paint (d.1905), Mrs Samuel Theodore Mander 1881

George Frederick Chester (c.1840–1913)

Oil on canvas

H 75 x W 63 cm

National Trust, Wightwick Manor

Phyllis
Image credit: Gallery Oldham

Phyllis 1880

George Clausen (1852–1944)

Oil on canvas

H 65 x W 30 cm

Gallery Oldham

Schoolgirls 1880

George Clausen (1852–1944)

Oil on canvas

H 52.1 x W 77.2 cm

Yale Center for British Art

Lady in White Dress Holding Flowers
Image credit: Southampton City Art Gallery

Lady in White Dress Holding Flowers 1880

George Elgar Hicks (1824–1914)

Oil on card

H 36.8 x W 26 cm

Southampton City Art Gallery

Julia Neilson-Terry (1868–1957), FRAM, as Drusilla Ives in 'The Dancing Girl'
Image credit: Royal Academy of Music

Julia Neilson-Terry (1868–1957), FRAM, as Drusilla Ives in 'The Dancing Girl' 1891

John Collier (1850–1934)

Oil on canvas

H 233 x W 145 cm

Royal Academy of Music

Mary, 7th Countess of Sandwich
Image credit: Hinchingbrooke House

Mary, 7th Countess of Sandwich

Henry Richard Graves (1818–1882)

Oil on canvas

H 79 x W 66 cm

Hinchingbrooke House

Florence Mary Ann Fane, Mrs Albert Bankes
Image credit: National Trust Images

Florence Mary Ann Fane, Mrs Albert Bankes 1877

Henry Richard Graves (1818–1882)

Oil on canvas

H 90 x W 60 cm

National Trust, Kingston Lacy