Thanks to Bill McHenry I have a whole load of new old uniform plates to look at - from the New York Public Library Collections. I didn't know about this source and I am very grateful for this link - some great and fascinating pictures all selected for date and nationality. A lot of gaps in my knowledge are being filled in. Thanks Bill. Images are Dutch pikeman 1670 and Austrian Cuirassiers of 1701. 
3 comments:
Yes, that's an excellent resource, Ralphus. However, the illustrations tend to be a bit uneven in quality and even more so when it come to accuracy though. As you might expect when collected from many varied sources.
I particularly like the plates for the Russians of the early 1700's. Beautiful !
Steve
Steve,
I completely agree about the possibility (or likelihood) of some artistic license. However, some of the plates that I've found there are the only such sources that I've been able to find, so may represent at least a reasonable alternative until a better source comes along. At any rate, much like any period painting, they do at least give a flavor of the period and uniform worn. I agree with you on the Russians, and I also found some of the Dutch and Spanish plates to be useful.
Bill
Bill,
Good response. Let me clarify a bit. I completely agree on the contempory illustrations. I was thinkinf more of ones done later: for example, 19th century uniform plates depicting the French army of the 18th Century, some are not so good.
Quite right about the Dutch and Spanish. There's also a link posted on the Spanish Tercios site to Conde de Clonard "Historia organica de las armas de infanteria y de cabaleria...", which featured some fabulous plates of the 1700-era Spanish. Unfortunately, it's broken at the moment.
Steve
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