Dreaming away my afternoon hoping my medieval prince will come. Or something. Illustrations from Charles Hamilton Smith’s “Selections of the ancient costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the seventh to the sixteenth century,” published in London in 1814. Dedicated to the Prince Regent.

Anglo Saxon Lady of the IX Century. A.D. 850. Etched by L. A. Atkinson with aquatint by Hill after Charles Hamilton Smith. Published October 1, 1812 by Colnaghi and Company, 23 Cockspur Street, London. Page 27 of Charles Hamilton Smith’s Selections of the ancient costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the seventh to the sixteenth century. Collections of the Wellcome Library. In the public domain. via https://archive.org/details/b30448487/page/n27/mode/1up
King Edgar and an Anglo Saxon Youth of Distinction. Etched by L. A. Atkinson with aquatint by R. Havell after Charles Hamilton Smith. Published by Colnaghi and Company, 23 Cockspur Street, London in 1814. Page 39 of Charles Hamilton Smith’s Selections of the ancient costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the seventh to the sixteenth century. Collections of the Wellcome Library. In the public domain. https://archive.org/details/b30448487/page/n39/mode/1up
Alberic de Vere, second Earl of Oxford, Lord High Chamberlain of England and Adelisia his Countess. 1215. Etched by L. A. Atkinson with aquatint by J. Hill after Charles Hamilton Smith. Published April 1, 1812 by Colnaghi and Company, 23 Cockspur Street, London in 1814. Page 39 of Charles Hamilton Smith’s Selections of the ancient costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the seventh to the sixteenth century. Collections of the Wellcome Library. In the public domain. https://archive.org/details/b30448487/page/n63/mode/1up
Habits of Ladies in the reign of Henry III. 1250. Etched by L. A. Atkinson with aquatint by J. Hill after Charles Hamilton Smith. Published March 1, 1813 by Colnaghi and Company, 23 Cockspur Street, London in 1814. Page 71 of Charles Hamilton Smith’s Selections of the ancient costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the seventh to the sixteenth century. Collections of the Wellcome Library. In the public domain. https://archive.org/details/b30448487/page/n71/mode/1up
Fools, or Jesters. 1272. Etched by L. A. Atkinson with aquatint by J. Hill after Charles Hamilton Smith. Published October 1, 1813 by Colnaghi and Company, 23 Cockspur Street, London in 1814. Page 71 of Charles Hamilton Smith’s Selections of the ancient costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the seventh to the sixteenth century. Collections of the Wellcome Library. In the public domain. https://archive.org/details/b30448487/page/n91/mode/1up
A Knight Templar of the XIV Century in his military habit. 1309. Etched by L. A. Atkinson with aquatint by R. Havell after Charles Hamilton Smith. Published on September 1, 1812 by Colnaghi and Company, 23 Cockspur Street, London in 1814. Page 103 of Charles Hamilton Smith’s Selections of the ancient costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the seventh to the sixteenth century. Collections of the Wellcome Library. In the public domain. https://archive.org/details/b30448487/page/n103/mode/1up
Phillippa of Hainault, Queen of England. 1369. Etched by L. A. Atkinson with aquatint by R. Havell after Charles Hamilton Smith. Published on February 1, 1814 by Colnaghi and Company, 23 Cockspur Street, London in 1814. Page 119 of Charles Hamilton Smith’s Selections of the ancient costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the seventh to the sixteenth century. Collections of the Wellcome Library. In the public domain. https://archive.org/details/b30448487/page/n119/mode/1up

A Lady of the reign of King Henry V. 1420. Etched by L. A. Atkinson with aquatint by J. Hill after Charles Hamilton Smith. Published October 1, 1813 by Colnaghi and Company, 23 Cockspur Street, London in 1814. Page 179 of Charles Hamilton Smith’s Selections of the ancient costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the seventh to the sixteenth century. Collections of the Wellcome Library. In the public domain. https://archive.org/details/b30448487/page/n179/mode/1up
Henry VI, King of England and France and Lord of Ireland, surnamed of Windsor. 1450. Etched by L. A. Atkinson with aquatint by R. Havell after Charles Hamilton Smith. Published on February 1, 1815 by Colnaghi and Company, 23 Cockspur Street, London in 1814. Page 211 of Charles Hamilton Smith’s Selections of the ancient costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the seventh to the sixteenth century. Collections of the Wellcome Library. In the public domain. https://archive.org/details/b30448487/page/n211/mode/1up
Costumes of Pages and Valets in the reign of King Edward the IV. 1475. Etched by L. A. Atkinson with aquatint by J. Hill after Charles Hamilton Smith. Published March 1, 1814 by Colnaghi and Company, 23 Cockspur Street, London in 1814. Page 235 of Charles Hamilton Smith’s Selections of the ancient costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the seventh to the sixteenth century. Collections of the Wellcome Library. In the public domain. https://archive.org/details/b30448487/page/n235/mode/1up

I didn’t find this one by myself. I found another copy of it up for bid in a current Swann auction and then went looking for an archive with a scanned version.

Up into the Arctic and down to the Antarctic with English watercolorist Charles Hamilton Smith who was also a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Artillery. Living from 1776 to 1859, he painted what he saw as he traveled around the world during his military career.

“Spitzbergen, Bearing South,” from the collection of 75 watercolors entitled “Views of Polar Regions”. 19th c. English. Watercolor and graphite. Collections of the Yale Center for British Arts, New Haven. Image © Yale Center for British Arts. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://wanderingvertexes.blogspot.com/2021/08/newtontoppen-spitzbergen-by-charles.html
“Remarkable Iceberg seen in July, 1818.” ca. 1818. English. Watercolor and graphite on moderately thick, moderately textured wove paper. Collections of the Collections of the Yale Center for British Arts, New Haven. Image © Yale Center for British Arts, Paul Mellon Collection. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/remarkable-iceberg-charles-hamilton-smith-1776%E2%80%931859-belgian/kwFvKsdBrhN6Xw
“Victoria lands, South Polar Regions: Mont Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica,” from the collection of 75 watercolors entitled “Views of Polar Regions”. 19th c. English. Watercolor and graphite. Collections of the Yale Center for British Arts, New Haven. Image © Yale Center for British Arts. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://wanderingvertexes.blogspot.com/2019/10/erebus-seen-by-charles-hamilton-smith.html
“Mount Sabine, Victoria Land,  Antarctica, discovered in 1841,” from the collection of 75 watercolors entitled “Views of Polar Regions”. ca. 1841. English. Watercolor. Collections of the Yale Center for British Arts, New Haven. Image © Yale Center for British Arts. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://wanderingvertexes.blogspot.com/2019/11/mount-sabine-by-charles-hamilton-smith.html
Petoowack Arctic Highlands Formation Antarctica. Undated, by 1858. British. Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper. Charles Hamilton Smith, watercolorist (1776-1859). Collections of the Yale Center for British Art. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via Francis Rousseau @mountainpaintingsandmore on Instagram. via Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CpdQ2xGM_zy/
Icebergs and Aurora Borealis in the Arctic Regions. Undated, by 1858. British. Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper. Charles Hamilton Smith, watercolorist (1776-1859). Collections of the Yale Center for British Art. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:18924
Halo with Three Parhelia, Winter Harbour Melville Island. Undated, by 1858. British. Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper. Charles Hamilton Smith, watercolorist (1776-1859). Collections of the Yale Center for British Art. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:18924 and a slightly cropped version on Stephen Ellcock @stephenellcock ‘s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stephenellcock/p/DD-sh1pN8t3/?hl=en

Snug Corner Cove Prince William’s Sound. Undated, by 1858. British. Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper. Charles Hamilton Smith, watercolorist (1776-1859). Collections of the Yale Center for British Art. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:18924
Remarkable Iceberg. Undated, by 1858. British. Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper. Charles Hamilton Smith, watercolorist (1776-1859). Collections of the Yale Center for British Art. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:18924