Dickensian Characters: Stella

I feel that Stella's character in some of the past productions is quite simply boring:

Victorian young girls from the upper classes certainly weren't this plain. There were so many flowers and frills going on, it's ridicules not to portray it :)

W/D Hair Trio Antique Gold I bought from Sally's potentially for Stella's hair or clothing (brooch).

I would like to create a bonnet and see what I can come up with. Please see image below. First model from the top on the image is the one what looks the best:

Vintage photograph below is a typical upper class young Victorian girl. What a wonderful bonnet, seems as it was made of rich fabric and of course adorned in many flowers. Frilly puffy sleeves on the dress trimmed with beautiful lace:

This post card by Lion Coffee in Toledo, Ohio US (which also ground spices). "To secure a picture card like this you only have to But a package of Lion Coffee" (1890)

Apparently they were first great advertising campaign in history (and still around)

Amazingly, The Victorian Era heavily influenced America in this period. The lifestyle of the "American Victorianism" has occurred in heavily populated regions of the US such as New England and the Deep South. The name was obtained from the reign of Queen Victoria, which reflected the British cultural influence on the nation during the time.

I love this Victorian postcard of a girl and a collie dog. Her clothing suggests that this young girls is from upper class:

Child Among the Rocks, engraved by the Dalziel Brothers (published 1865)

Artist Arthur Boyd Houghton (known for wood engravings, also oil paintings ans watercolours), due to accident in childhood left him blind in one eye.

Collection of Tate.

It's know that Houghton produced many of his art work based on his children.

Great Victorian girl reference, maybe Houghton's daughter:

In the National Portrait Gallery

I found information on a wonderful James Tissot, French Painter who lived in England during 1870 -1882. He was a political refugee in England. During his life in England he acquired a reputation for paintings of fashionable young women.

The painting below (1877) is an intimate portrait of the heiress Mrs Catherine Smith Gill wife of Chapple Gill, a wealthy cotton broker. Apparently, Catherine was known for her lavish dresses. There are two children and a dog present in this drawing. This gives the feel what Stella's life could have been like?

The setting is Catherine's mother's house, at Woolton near Liverpool:

Below the artwork from the Tate Collection by British artist Frederic Walker 1840-1875 (social realist painter showing contemporary Victorian life, he died at young age of tuberculosis)

"The Chaplain's Daughter"

(c.1868).

You can observe a prominent difference between social classes by looking at these school children clothing:

"Spring" (1865) again by Frederich Walker. I love this strong realistic drawing and great colours. Beautiful Victorian girl:

Another wonderful artworks by Victorian engravers firm Brother's Dalziel (founded by George and Edward Dalziel in 1839). They worked with many great Victorian Artists, producing illustrations for a magazine and book market of the period. Among the artists they worked with were:

Richard Doyle (was the uncle of Arthur Conan Doyle - author of sherlock Holmes stories) also was an Illustrator of the Victorian era ("Princess nobody" 1884).

William Holman Hunt (English painter and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood).

They cut the illustrations to Edward Lear's "Book of Nonsense"(1862), which I love:

and Lewis Carroll's "Alice and Wonderland", and "Through the Looking-Glass"

Below wood engraving on paper, by Arthur Boyd Houghton "Uncle John with the Young Folk: All Prizes and No Blanks!" engraved by the Dalziel Brothers (published 1865):

All this young children (apart from their Victorian dresses) no different from contemporary or any other children in the world! They are all excited about presents and Christmas. You can almost feel the sense of the buzz. Very cute dresses :)

The Victorians actually introduced many Christmas traditions to Britain from Europe, including the Christmas tree. They sent the first Christmas cards, and introduced us to Father Christmas. Additionally, they started the tradition of eating turkey or goose (more French style) on Christmas day, rather than roast beef. Most Victorian had their Christmas dinner about 4 o'clock in the afternoon on Christmas Day. It is scares me how this tradition is still kept in England nowadays! :)

Estella's dress, pale blue with lace sleeves. I bought this dress by happy accident from a charity shop. I paid for it only £3 :) With some adjustments it will be perfect costume for my Stella character. I will shorten sleeves, add Victorian style brooch and change collar to lace one. Simple and beautiful. The colour is pure frosty shade of blue may also suggests the coldness of the wearer:

Quick sketch of my vision for young Stella (about 12 years old):

Spare parts from the dress I used to make a bonnet for Stella. I wanted it to match with the dress. I think it turned out very well:

I've created a face chart for the character. There was not much use of make up during the Victorian time. Moreover, I've chosen to create Stella when she was very young (12 years of age). This is the time when her and Pip for the first time. She was very young and not yet completely brainwashed by Miss Havisham. Yet she is snobbishly conceited.

My digital Face chart:

Stella was adopted by a wealthy, man-hating former socialite Miss Havisham. She was raised in an old mansion and she had everything she needed - except love. Miss Havisham taught Stella to use men only for her own caprices and needs. Stella doesn't know how to give or receive love when it is presented to her by Pip in later stage. She is a spoiled girl, and at the same time very vulnerable.

Here is some testing of hair and make up on my model:

and whole look is here, I love it! I booked the studio at uni to get this look finalized professionally. But at the moment this is how I did it at home: