Belt Collection (#48)

Railway Sleeper - Kings Cross Station
The Railway Sleeper series - A snoozing tramp at Kings Cross Station dreaming of wealth as he clutches a copy of the Financial Times. Painting by Malcolm Greensmith

Iranian man with a gun in his belt
An Iranian man with a gun tucked into his belt, Bushehr (Bushire), Iran. At the time of this photograph the city had been under British occupation for five years. Photograph by Ralph Ponsonby Watts

Fighting a fire with a stirrup pump - The Blitz
Now that the worst is out. Attacking a fire with a stirrup pump following an air raid on London - circa late 1940

Spring suit, 1956
A sleeveless square necked slim dress with a boxy jacket made from the finest mens grey and white pinpoint suiting. Worn with a red calf belt, the outfit costs 40 guineas from Harrods

Greek Chieftain of the Morihovo Gromba
Monastir, Macedonia (now known as Bitola) - formerly part of the Ottoman Empire - a local chieftain of the Morihovo Gromba

Samsun - Laz gang
Predictably the Black Sea man, or the " Laz" as he is called with a mixture of affection and sneer, has become a stock figure of the Turkish social typology

Bedouin Man - Sinai, Egypt. Egyptains call the Sinai Peninsula the " Land of Fayrouz"

Zulu man in marital costume, southern Africa

Greek soldier in Traditional Costume
A Greek soldier in Traditional Costume. He is bristling with a wide variety of weaponry!

Militaria - on blue cloth
An assemblage of British Militaria, including swords, hats, a belt, plumes, crests, chainmail, colours, epaulettes, a bearskin and a cutlass. Photograph by Malcolm Greensmith

Bosnia & Herzegovina - Muslim leading his horse
Bosnia & Herzegovina - A Bosnian Muslim (in traditional costume)leading his horse

Dyak Warrior with fantastic shield
A Dyak warrior chief from Singapore, bearing a fantastic slender leaf-shaped carved wooden shield and carrying a spear, ready to (seemingly) throw at the photographer!

Dredging the Land for Gold. Mining Extraordinary. Leaving De
Photograph of the mounds of stones and earth piled up behind the gold dredger as they are disgorged on the conveyor belt

Noco-shimatt-tash-tanaki, Chief of the Seminole, c. 1858
Portrait of a Seminole native American Indian chief, Noco-shimatt-tash-tanaki, translated as Grisly Bear, c.1858. The Chief is seen wearing a magnificent short jacket, headscarf and tasselled belt

Night Personified
NIGHT (La nuict, Den nacht) personified as a lady in her bedroom, starting to undress by candlelight, loosening the belt of her dress

Tatler fashions for February 1930, by Gordon Conway
A fashion design by Gordon Conway, taken from a series of monthly supplements drawn by the artist. This illustration shows an outfit of brown and yellow crepe marocain

An Afternoon Dress, 1905
Design for an afternoon dress, made of white voile over straw coloured silk. The bodice and skirt were trimmed with Irish lace, finished with a belt of Liberty satin

Day Dress / Victor Stiebel
Couture design by Victor Stiebel (1907-1976) for a grey wool " neat-skirted" day dress, with a silk surah forming a larged bow attached to the belt on a slim waist

Man & Boys Fashions 1844
Boys: plaid tunic, gigot sleeves, belt, tasselled cap, strapped pantaloons, forage cap, short jackets, vandyked collar, neckerchief, page boy hair-style. Man: D-B coat

Dress / Diamond Applique
Wrap over bodice, high collar, tight sleeves with shoulder puff & reversed cuffs, diamond applique on the hem & sleeves. A reticule hangs from a broad belt with a silver buckle

Fashionable young woman in a warm winter coat
A fashionable young woman poses for her photo in a warm winter coat with a fur collar

History of Fashion 1865
1882 depiction of clothing from about 1865. Pale grey dress with amazon body, broad cord trim at the hem & one shoulder in a military style & a broad belt with a buckle

WOMEN & GIRL 1860
White evening dress worn with a Swiss belt with long fringed ends. Purple & white spotted dress with a black lace shawl. The girl wears a white dress with scallop & bouillon trim

Fashions for Feb. 1861
Green: wrap-over dress, Greek key border; grey & purple: d.b bodice, revers, ribbon centre & floating ends; blue plaid dress with braces, Swiss belt, habit-shirt & ankle boots

Red & White Dress 1863
White dress: Greek bodice & black Swiss belt. Two dresses with berthas, puffings at the hem, overskirts, flounces of lace & bows. The white dress has a red dentilated trim

1860 Costume / Women & Boy
Boy: forage cap, knickerbocker suit with side buttoning tunic. Women: dress with single flounce, Swiss belt & unusual headdress; grey & blue, double-breasted coat

Electropathic belt
Advertisement from 1885 for the Pall Mall Electric Associations Electropathic Belt. Claiming to cure a wide range of ailments, including rheumatism, indigestion, lumbago, sciatica

Gladstone wearing an electropathic belt
Advertisement from 1886 for the Medical Battery Companys Electropathic Belt, featuring a caricature of William Gladstone, Prime Minister wielding an axe and wearing the belt

Gold Dress 1830S
Late C19th century depiction of clothing from the 1830s. The dress has full sleeves tight from the elbow to the wrist & a full skirt & is worn with a belt & ruff

Walking Dress 1822
White dress with highly ornate & padded over-sleeves, cuffs, hem & bodice & with a natural waistline, also a lace collar, gold belt, parasol & gauze hat trimmed with camelias

Jade Green & Gold Gown
A gown by Jeanne Lanvin composed of a pale jade green bodice and skirt and sleeves of gold beads sewn onto a transparent net. A long belt is tied at the waist

Checked Evening Gown 34
A gown by Jeanne Lanvin using a diaphanous striped fabric overlaid to produce a diagonal check effect. It has a square neckline & a gored skirt & is worn with a broad silver belt

WILHELM II of Germany
WILHELM II, As a young man, in Scottish military uniform, including kilt, badger sporran and beret with a feather in it

Gipsy Cad 1973
A middle-aged gipsy, smoking, with one hand tucked into his belt

Fifties Summer Frock
Outdoors girl wears a tailored summer frock with tie shoulder straps, square neckline, self- coloured belt & a full skirt with narrow pleats attached to a yoke

Deco Jumper & Hat 1935
Hand-knitted Chessboard jumper with short sleeves & the new demure little collar is composed of large different coloured squares. Worn with a belt & matching brimless hat

Sequin Restaurant Gown
A decollete restaurant gown profusely ornamented with sequins, with short puffed sleeves, Swiss belt, floral corsage & bell shaped trained skirt. N.B hat

Checkerboard Scarf 1922
Dressmaking patterns: barrel- line dress with a bateau neck, decorative panels at the hips & a low slung belt; short coat with fringed sleeves, checkerboard coat & hat

Regency Beauty
A Regency beauty wearing a white robe over a blue slip, low cut corsage with lace tucker & medici collar, cameo belt buckle, pearls, long gloves & Kashmir shawl

Costume Miniature C. 1805
A young, blonde woman in a high-waisted, classical style, white muslin gown with low, square neckline. A red shawl is tucked into her belt. Her hair is dressed in a simple manner

Greek Albanian Costume
The dress and hairstyles of Greek Albanian women of the Adriatic region

Fifties Girl / Long Legs
Epitomising the 1950s sweater girl, this model poses wearing a red jumper, cinched at the waist with a belt, with lipstick to match

Costume / Men / Florence 14C
A well-to-do Florentine gentleman in two-tone blue and white tunic and hose, with a dagger and moneybag at his belt

Costume / Men / Ostrogoth
Warrior chief of the Ostrogoths in red cloak and helmet, with a heavy sword at his belt

Racial Types / Poland / 12C
A middle-class Polish man in red travelling costume, with moneybag and dagger at his belt

Costume / Men / Venetian / 14C
A well-to-do young Venetian in striped hose, slashed top and puffy sleeves; he wears a dagger at his belt

Empire Line Revival 1910
Directoire / Empire revival gown: high waist, draped fur- trimmed corsage, tasseled girdle, finely gathered skirt ornamented at the hem with Roman style embroidery

Costume / French Guard1774
A member of the French Guard, in full uniform, with a sword at his belt and a combined rifle and bayonet

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"Belt: A Symbolic Thread Connecting History, Art, and Culture" From the Jolly Joker playing card to the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox Court House in 1865, the concept of a belt has woven its way through various historical events. Just like the Prince of Lilies depicted in Minoan art on Crete or the Empire Marketing Board poster showcasing Gibraltar's strength, belts have long been associated with power and resilience. In times of chaos and destruction, such as during World War II's Blitz in London, brave firefighters donned their belts as they battled against raging fires. Meanwhile, Trumpers Barbers in Mayfair became renowned for their impeccable grooming skills that included giving gentlemen a perfectly tailored belt to complete their dapper look. The Titanic lifebelt serves as a haunting reminder of tragedy but also highlights how they can be crucial lifesaving tools. Similarly, close-ups of traditional Thai dance dresses reveal intricately designed belts that enhance the beauty and gracefulness of performers on stage. Belts transcend time and disciplines; even legendary dancer Vaslav Nijinsky found inspiration from them while tennis player-turned-actor Charlie Chaplin showcased his comedic talent by portraying a drunk monk wearing an oversized belt. Whether it is capturing elegance like the golfing woman from 1907 or representing cultural heritage like two dancers adorned in traditional Thai classical dance costumes - belts have become more than just functional accessories. They symbolize unity between past and present generations while adding flair to our daily lives. So next time you fasten your own belt before stepping out into the world - remember its rich history connecting us all.