18th Century Maternity Clothing
Last updated: Feb 20, 2024
This linkspage covers garments that were made for women during pregnancy, as well as images of how pregnant women dressed in the 18th century.
- A pregnant woman receives a piece of beef, 1710
- A woman swearing a child to a grave citizen by William Hogarth, c. 1730-1735; ; see also The Affiliation by John Collet
- Kulturen 65492, a half-sack and petticoat, c. 1730s
- The Rake’s Progress: The Heir by William Hogarth, c. 1732-1733
- A pregnant ballad-seller in the foreground of The March of the Guards to Finchley by William Hogarth, c. 1749-1750 (see also The March to Finchley)
- National Trust 1348741, a silk jacket possibly modified for pregnancy, c. 1750
- Göteborg Stadsmuseum 37682, a jacket and petticoat with additional sleeves and a stomacher, c. 1750-1790
- Four Stages of Cruelty: Cruelty in Perfection by William Hogarth, 1751 a j
- Old Sturbridge Village 26.33.66, a black silk maternity gown originally made c. 1760-1770 and altered c. 1795-1800
- The Secret Discovered, and Dick brought before a Country Justice, 1770
- Bodies (stays) for pregnant women (fig. 3) in Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers (s.n. Tailleur d'habits et tailleur de corps), 1771
- You’ve Crack’d my Pipkin Sr: said she so Marry me & Mend it, 1773
- The Miseries of a Single Life, c. 1774 (see also La male consequence du celibat)
- The Man of Business, 1774
- Six-Pence A Day, 1775
- The Disbanded Soldier. So shall Desert in Arms be crown’d., 1775
- The Unwilling Bridegroom, or Forc'd Meat will never digest, 1778
- January and May, c. 1785
- A pregnant ballad-singer in Election-troops, bringing in their accounts, to the pay table, 1788
- Colonial Williamsburg 1936-666,1/1936-666,2 /1936-666,3, an outfit of quilted white cotton apparently made to accommodate a pregnant woman’s figure, consisting of a petticoat, under-waistcoat, and jacket
- Kerry Taylor Auctions Dec 12 2016, Lot 45, a rare brocaded satin pregnancy robe, 1790s; the ensemble consists of “petticoat with waist ties and two matching bodices, one high fashion (for early pregnancy) in 'pierrot' style cut low and tight with closed front, faux waistcoat panels, short tails to the back lined in striped silk, narrow curved sleeves; the other in open-robe form with inner boned closed front panels and loose deshabillé-like outer panels, the neckline outlined in cartridge pleats, with three ribbon drawstrings to allow for expansion, lined in patches of tartan and striped silk; together with a fine white lawn fichu with whitework embroidered edges”
- The soldier's return;-or-rare-news for old England, 1791
- Miss, I have a monstrous crow to pluck with you!!, 1794
- Justice mittimus at loss a how to act in this affair, 1794
- A Soldier and His Girl by Henry William Bunbury, c. 1794
- The Wanton Turned Out of Doors for Misconduct, from the series 'Diligence and Dissipation' by Thomas Gaugain, 1797
- Doctor Jeremy Snob, 1798