OTMA - smoking, make up and clothes

[susana]

All of these posts and no definitive sources just opinions. Of course the imperial children had access to a good diet, exercise, good genes but you do have to wonder--out of 5 kids not one adolescent bump? And how advances was photo retouching? I've seen sloppy slashes of something like white-out and with electricity being pretty new how do you suppose anyone got hold of an airbrush?

This is a great topic for someone to research--vanity must have demanded some kind of facial enhancement AND I read that the Dowager Empress may have had some sort of facelift that involved shellac. Can you imagine holding up loose skin with a coat of shellac? I'd bet money that the Queen of Romania used makeup--whatever they had at the time--powder. Come to think of it--what if they used powdered minerals like some of us are doing today? Very light and natural and can be custom-colored. That would be funny.

Also got to say--lead-based paint and other materials were used in America through the 50's I think--the poisonous connection was a little slow in realization.

[Sarushka]

All of these posts and no definitive sources just opinions. Of course the imperial children had access to a good diet, exercise, good genes but you do have to wonder--out of 5 kids not one adolescent bump? And how advances was photo retouching? I've seen sloppy slashes of something like white-out and with electricity being pretty new how do you suppose anyone got hold of an airbrush?

Retouching technology was advanced enough at the turn of the century to significantly retouch coronation photos of Queen Alexandra of Great Britain -- bags under the eyes, wrinkles, and other signs of aging were entirely erased from photographs for public distribution. It wasn't unheard of for the Russian imperial family to have their formal photos retouched as well, though judging by their personal snapshots I don't think they indulged in retouching with the same fervor as Edward VII's wife.

For example, it's my understanding that Alix's chin was reshaped in this 1913 portrait:




I've also heard speculation that Tatiana's nose was retouched in this court dress pose from 1910 or 1911:




And I personally believe the details of the lacework on the girls' dresses were enhanced/highlighted in the 1910 session:




So the short answer is yes, I think it's entirely possible that any teenage blemishes could have been erased from OTMA's formal portraits.

[Romanov_fan]

It was actually the Bolsheviks who sent the trunks to the Family.  It was sort of a publicity stunt, to say "yeah we sent everything that was left".  The truth was that the trunks held nothing of value at all. Frayed table napkins and tablecloths, towels, clothing, broken bits of china.

I spoke with Bob again about the clothes.  They didn't save "everything", just the expensive and fancy couture, and Nicholas' and Alexei's clothes. The girls' "everyday" clothes were sold at used clothing shops in Petrograd.  Don't forget, they were hopelessly out of date and fashion by the 1920s, and the Civil War had made clothing quite scarce. So, shoes, skirts, underwear, socks, etc. were needed by "the people" and were not seen as necessary for the "museum" mission of the AP.

I didn't realize they sold them in used clothing shops.. interesting. So the common people were wearing clothes that had once belonged to the grand duchesses albeit it was very outdated clothing. There's a scene ( I haven't seen the movie in years) in the animated film Anastasia just before Dmitri and Vladimir meet Anastasia that reminds me of that- doesn't it say something about their clothes or something connected with them being sold in shops of used things? Maybe I'm wrong. It is a pity more clothing wasn't preserved, but lucky some stuff was. I can't blame their relatives for burning the clothes- unpleasant memories, and the items can't have seemed useful. They couldn't look far enough ahead to see they were burning history- not in the sense of relics, but that the clothes would have historical value. Then again, they might not have cared, or would have seen assigning the clothes historical value as calling them ''relics''. Can someone post some photos of OTMA's surviving clothing to this thread?

[Sarushka]

Display at the AP:



Curator Tamara Korshounova with some of the IF's clothing:

[Sarushka]

OTMA's summer dresses from childhood:

[Sarushka]

OTMA's court dresses from 1910 or 1911:

[Sarushka]

Olga & Tatiana's court gowns from 1913:

[Sarushka]

I *think* this robe may have belonged to Anastasia, but I'm not certain:

[Sarushka]

One more shot of OTMA's 1910-11 court gowns:



Photos of the the Big Pair's regimental uniforms can be found here: OTMA's regiments

I also have photos of some of Aleksei's clothing -- let me know if you'd like to see those as well.

[Ally Kumari]

From official Hermitage site:

[Ally Kumari]

Oh, forgot to add these:

Tatiana´s


Maria´s

[susana]

I believe you're right. I can't tell about Alexandra's chin without comparative photos at hand (I'm not sure she had a dimple in her chin) but all the noses appear to have been 'straightened' in the childrens' portrait. Tatiana's is actually the most exxagerated and unattractive to me, and yes, highlights have been added to the lace on the dresses. I had no idea retouching was so advanced. Good catch!

[rosieposie]

I didn't know that Olga took arsenic, I know a small dose can be deadly so I'm unsure if that was true.

[carkuczyn]

what is arsenic supposed to do for you?

[Lalee]

what is arsenic supposed to do for you?

If I remember correctly, it's meant to calm your nerves.