Empire of Fashion: The Barreto Lancaster Collection of Napoleonic & Regency Dress | London

Date: 11th Feb, 2025 14:00 GMT+1/BST
Catalogue: Download PDF catalogue
Lots: 127

 

This is arguably the finest private collection of Napoleonic and Regency period dress in the world. It stands out not only for the range of clothes (1790s to 1820s) but also for the individual beauty of the garments and the remarkably good overall condition.  Cristina Barreto and Martin Lancaster have painstakingly put together this collection over the last two decades, their interest sparked by the discovery of fashion plates from ‘Costume Parisien’ and later the same day finding garments of the same period in a flea market.  

‘Our collection started because we wanted to fully understand the clothes that people wore in the Napoleonic and Regency period. Each dress tells a story about the owner, the activity and the time of day it was used. The collection grew larger as we tried to incorporate items that represented the development of cut and methods of construction during the period from 1795 to 1820’,

This is the first auction dedicated to the clothing of this era, ranging from adapted transitional post French revolutionary dress of the 1790s to the French first empire (1805-1815) and the period in England when Prince George ruled as Regent (1811-1820). The majority of these exceptional garments have been exhibited across Europe and the USA in the past, 

Cristina Barreto and Martin Lancaster, whilst sad to see their collection dispersed, state: ‘Our passion for the clothing and fashions of this fascinating period of history is undiminished, but we hope that the new caretakers of these historic artefacts, be they people with a passion, collectors or institutions, will take care of them and love them as much as we did’.

 

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Clients who prefer to bid via Invaluable still have this option and can access the catalogue here. Please note the charge for bidding online via the Invaluable platform is 3% plus VAT. Clients who prefer to bid via Drouot still have this option and can access the catalogue here. Please note the charge for bidding online via the Invaluable and Drouot platforms are 3% plus VAT. We strongly advise that you register to bid in advance of the auction and not the day of, as we cannot guarantee approval once the auction has begun.
 

Thursday 6th February, 9:30am-5:00pm

Friday 7th February, 9:30am-5:00pm

Sunday 9th February, 11:00am-4:00pm

Monday 10th February, 9:30am-3:00pm

Additional viewing times may be considered, by special request.

Kerry Taylor Auctions
249-253 Long Ln
London SE1 4PR
United Kingdom
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