Tag Archives: Makeup Books

Color Plates Pt 2. from c. 1910 Das Schminken in Theorie und Praxis (Makeup in Theory and Practice) Berlin

Grandmother Pt 1
Grandmother Pt 2
Frederich the Great pt 1
Frederich the Great pt 2
Napoleon I pt 1
Napoleon I pt 2
Otto Von Bismark Pt 1
Otto Von Bismark Pt 2
Napoleon III pt 1
Napoleon III pt 2
Gustav Adolf pt 1
Gustav Adolf pt 2
Wallenstein Pt 1
Wallenstein Pt 2
William Tell pt 1
William Tell pt 2
Gessler pt 1  

 

Gessler pt 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louis XIV pt 1

 

Louis XIV pt 2
Lohengrin pt 1
Lohengrin pt 2
King Lear Pt 1
King Lear Pt 2
Kuhleborn pt 1
Kuhleborn pt 2
Dr. Faustus pt 1
Dr. Faustus pt 2
Mephistopheles pt 1
Mephistopheles pt 2
the trumpeter of SHistorical akkingen pt 1
the trumpeter of Sakkingen pt 2
Rococo Lady Hair and Makeup pt 1
Rococo Lady Hair and Makeup pt 2
Uncle Brasig pt 1
Uncle Brasig pt 2
The Flying Dutchman pt 1
The Flying Dutchman pt 2
Clown pt 1
Clown part 2
Big Moustache man pt 1
Big Moustache Man pt 2
Tailor/Cutter part 1
Tailor Cutter pt 2
Shoemaker pt 1
Shoemaker pt 2
Comic Sergeant pt
Aging Dude pt 1
Aging Dude pt 2
Sailor pt 1
Sailor pt 2
Rascal pt 1
Rascal pt 2
Schoolmaster pt 1
Schoolmaster pt 2
Comic Old Lady pt 1
Comic Old Lady pt 2
Miser pt 1
Miser pt 2
Goethe pt 1
Goethe pt 2
Old Maid pt 1
Old Maid Pt 2
Babylonian King pt 1
Babylonian King pt 2

 

 

Return to  c. 1910 Das Schminken in Theorie und Praxis (Makeup in Theory and Practice) Berlin

Color Plates Pt. 1 in c. 1910 Das Schminken in Theorie und Praxis (Makeup in Theory and Practice) Berlin

 

Goatee Man pt 1
Goatee Man pt 2
Chinese Man pt 1
Chinese Man pt 2
Japanese Woman Pt 1
Japanese Woman Pt 2
Native American Man Pt 1
Native American Man Pt 2
A Moor Pt 1
A Moor Pt 2
Gypsy Man Pt 1
Gypsy Man Pt 2
Gypsy Woman Pt 1
Gypsy Woman Pt 2
Englishman Pt 1
Englishman Pt 2
Tyrolian Pt 1
Tyrolian Pt 2
Russian Pt 1
Russian Pt 2
Polish Jew Peddlar Pt 1
Polish Jew Peddlar Pt 2
Modern Jew Pt 1
Modern Jew Pt 2
Student pt 1
Student pt 2
Ingenue pt 1
Ingenue pt 2
Soldier pt 1
Soldier pt 2
Lieutenant pt 1
Lieutenant pt 2
Young Lady pt 1
Young Lady pt 2
Sergeant pt 1
Sergeant pt 2
Recruit pt 1
Recruit pt 2
Artist Pt 1
Artist pt 2
Stately Servant pt 1
Stately Servant pt 2
Modern Hairdressing pt 1
Modern Hairdressing pt 2
Modern Hairdressing with goatee pt 1
Modern Hairdressing with goatee pt 2
Ranger pt 1
Ranger pt 2
hero father in his prime pt 1
hero father in his prime pt 2
The Professor pt 1
The Professor pt 2

c. 1910 Das Schminken in Theorie und Praxis (Makeup in Theory and Practice) Berlin

Full book below in gallery format, or you can jump ahead to: 

IntroductionMakeup BasicsColor Plates Pt 1Color Plates pt 2

c. 1900 The Makeup Book For Professionals, F. W. Nack

My first eBay “find” in my study and acquisition of early stage makeup information was this tiny color lithographed pamphlet. I originally assigned a c. 1900 date to it because of the styles of women’s hair in it, (some looked 1890s to me while others seemed a bit 1910-ish, so having no other reference, I split the difference). It was made in Germany (the home of the best stage makeup and best lithography in the first decades of the 20th Century) for the US market, specifically for the Chicago firm of F. W. Nack (theatrical wig and makeup sellers) at a date unknown. Since I first obtained it, I have been able to learn that F.W. Nack was in business from at least 1917 until at least 1957 according to a few ads found in various newspapers and theatre publications. Several of the plates strongly resemble images in Das Schminken, (which appears to be a book from closer to 1910), especially the “Yankee Farmer” who closely resembles the “Schneider” (Tailor-Cutter) in that book, and the “Chinese” and “Hebrew” plates. I don’t know if this means this was partly the copy of the other or both were based on an unknown earlier German book. So the date is most probably later than 1900, but I have no definitive “hook” for a better date as yet. If you do, please let me know!

Pretty much all makeup books from this era until the 1950s had some pretty amazing racist/sexist content, though the gorgeous bright color lithography of this tiny booklet still is the most intense rendition of these jaw droppingly offensive styles I’ve ever found. The intensity of the colors is most probably not an exaggeration. Early electric stage light, especially arc light follow spots, really washed out faces. Note the intensity of color on the white characters as well. There is lots of rouge, blue shadows, and on older characters even yellow highlights are used. When I first got this little booklet, I tried doing the three ages of respectable white lady makeup from this book, (not the sexy “soubrette” or the man-in-drag comic “old maid”) and did this:

I come out looking angrier than they do but that has to do with my naturally “evil eyebrows”.

Theatrical Makeup History Resources

General  Information:

Physiognomy

Physiognomy is a Psudo-science that was “studied” by 19th and Early 20th century actors and makeup artists to improve their study of faces.  Unfortunately, the mid 19th & early 20th Century books on this fake “science” in these eras existed primarily to promote racist, sexist, and xenophobic views which trickled into the designs of stage makeup.  Racists worldwide continue to cite this nonsense to “prove” superiority to groups and individuals they hate.

17th & 18th Century Theatrical Makeup

1820s Theatrical Makeup

1830s Theatrical Makeup

1850s Theatrical Makeup

1860s Theatrical Makeup

1870s Theatrical Makeup

1880s Theatrical Makeup

1890s Theatrical Makeup

1900s Theatrical Makeup

1910s Theatrical Makeup

1920s Theatrical Makeup

1930s Theatrical Makeup

1940s Theatrical Makeup