18th Century Artificial Flowers

Last updated: Sep 24, 2025

Extant examples

• Colonial Williamsburg has several flowers from the 17th or 18th centuries, including 1952-513, 1952-514, 1952-515, 1952-516, 1952-518, 1952-519, 1952-522
• V&A T.251 to C-1959 is a gown decorated with artificial flowers. (See also the notebook pages on ribbon embroidery and fly fringe.)
• MFA 43.1833, an 18th century French straw hat with silk artificial flowers

Trade cards

There are several trade cards for manufacturers and sellers of artificial flowers in the 18th century; this is just a few of them …

• WILLIAM FLIGHT and Company, DUTCH FLOWERISTS, In Hatton Garden, eight Doors from Kirby-Street, Flight and Company over the Door, MAKES and Sells all Sorts of Italian and French Flowers for the Breaſt; all Sorts of Silk, Silver, and Italian Egretts for the Hair; all Sorts of Caps, Lappits, and Fillets; all Kinds of Stomachers, Sleeve-knots and Necklavas: Likewiſe all Sorts of Trimmings and Garlands; all Kind of Silk and RIbbon Flowers for Facings and Robings; French Necklaces; and likewiſe Tippets, Bows, Shapes, large Head Dreſſes, and all Kind of Fancy Things, in the neweſt Taſte.”
• T. Hamilton, No. 66, St. James’s Street, Manufactures and Sells the following Articles, all sorts of Artificial Flowers for Bouquets, & Dreſses, Ostrich & other Fancy Feathers, all ſorts of Trimmings, Fringes, & Taſsells, in Gold, Silver, Tinsel, or Silk for Court or other Dreſses, likewise all sorts of Beads, Necklaces, & Ear Drops; a great Variety of Colourd Foils, & Materials, for making Flowers &c. may have them cut to any Pattern, all of the above on the very loweſt Terms.
• MARY SMITH, FLOWER-MAKER, Oppoſite the Pump-Room, BATH, Teaches LADIES to make Shell-Work, Flowers and Insects. She ſells Wholeſale and Retale, as cheap as in London, fine Italian Flowers and Aigrets, Wreaths of Flowers for Deſerts, Paper Flowers finely painted, curious Shell-Flowers, Chenille, Cambrick, Sattin, Sarcenet, Velvet and Feather Flowers, blue Muſlin Flowers, Noſegays, and Aigrets in Imitation of Garnets. BUTTERFLIES, BEES and WASPS.”

Other stuff

• Some notes on confectioners&rsqu; artificial flowers. Recipes & instructions for making artificial flowers can be found in several sources, including The Lady’s Companion and The Experienced English Housekeeper. V&A W.11-1949 is a mold that confectioners could use to make similar ornaments for the dining table. See also A Feast for the Eyes: 18th-century documents for the creation of a dessert table.
• Manuscript notebook on textile dyeing and the manufacture of artificial flowers, with a collection of patterns and designs by Maria Placida Bens, c. 1743; see also The Artificial Flowers Project
• Maker of artificial flowers in Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, 1765
• The trial of Renwick Williams on July 8, 1790, has some descriptions of a flower-making business. (Additional description of Williams and his crimes in The Historical Magazine: “Monster.”)
• Vanuxem and Lombaert advertised the sale of “an elegant Assortment of Feathers and Artificial Flowers” at their store (“No. 79, North Water-ſtreet”) in Philadelphia in several newspapers around 1792
• “Though not a merchant, yet it will not be out of place to mention the son of an old New Yorker, who was old John Vache, and was the first artificial flower merchant and manufacturer that ever lived in New York. He commenced his business at 28 Liberty street in 1790, and he continued it there until he moved to Newark in 1827.” (The Old Merchants of New York City, 1863)
  His trade is referenced in several newspapaper advertisements in the 1790s, e.g. “JOHN VACHE ARTIFICIAL FLEURIST, from New-York, No. 23 Third-ſtreet between Market and Cheſnut ſtreet, INFORMS the Ladies of Philadelphia, that he has brought with him a large aſſortment of Artificial Flowers, White and Black Oſtrich Feathers — and a great variety of other Feathers, — which he will work according ot their taſte or fancy” (Aurora General Advertiser, March 1, 1792)