Gallery - Contemporary

Bonaventure prides itself on the historical accuracy of our clothes and equipment. The clothes of the seaman have always been different from those of the landsman, so we have a very limited selection of period illustrations from which to work. Featured here is a selection of contemporary depictions of mariners from the 16th to 18th century. Pictures such as these have enabled us to manufacture accurate reproductions of period seadogs' clothes.
~ Elizabethan ~
One of the most famous depictions of Elizabethan English sailors, by Cesare Vecelli, 1600. The sailor is wearing typical garments for the period, loose baggy breeches and a smock. The thrumm cap was a very popular item of apparel amongst seamen for several centuries. He wears simple shoes and at his side hangs a knife.		Seamen from the title page of The Mariners Mirror, 1588. The man at the front is wearing very distinctive trousers, and his long coat, smock and cap are similar to those depicted in de Bry's engravings. Prominent is the knife hanging from his belt. It is a pity that his comrades are hidden by the title box, but the man in the middle is wearing a brimmed hat with a low crown. The third figure in this group is wearing a thrumm cap and the part of his collar which is showing is very similar to that of the coat worn by the man at the front, so he may be wearing a similar garment.
Seamen catching penguins, by Theodore de Bry. De Bry was a Dutch writer and artist who actually sailed on several voyages, unlike most of his contemporaries. His engravings therefore have a certain authenticity, he was not drawing something he had merely heard about, he was drawing something he had seen. However, whatever the nationality of the seamen in his engravings they are all dressed in a similar fashion, which suggests that what we actually see is depictions of Dutch seamen of the period. The similarities between de Bry's engravings and other pictures of English sailors suggests though that their dress was similar, as would be expected of two nations both sailing in the same waters, and frequently the same ships. Three of the seamen in this engraving appear to be wearing breeches and smocks, and two are wearing what appear to be thrumm caps while the other two are wearing what appear to be high crowned hats with brims. The fourth (with a club, pointing) may be wearing a doublet, or he may be wearing a smock with a belt around it.
These three sailors, by de Bry, are fighting a polar bear in the cold northern climes. The man kneeling with a musket is dressed in typical de Bry fashion of breeches, smock and cap, but the other two figures are more interesting. The mariner in the foreground appears to be wearing a sleeveless jerkin over his smock, and is definitely wearing a thrumm cap, ideal in the cold. The man in the background may be wearing a smock, but it is concealed by his long overcoat. His hat is also interesting as it undoubtedly has ear-flaps.
This is another de Bry engraving of men in cold weather gear. Although they are all wearing breeches and smock their Russian style hats and the polar bear they are butchering give away their location. Four are wearing furry Russian style hats, one is wearing a normal cap and the sixth a thrumm cap.
Officers, by de Bry. These men's clothes are much more civilian in style than the common mariners depicted by de Bry, but they still have a definite air of being nautical. Their hats are battered, their beards unkept, and three of them are wearing thrumm caps. The man seated second from left with a pair of dividers appears to be wearing a smock, and it is possible that the men either side of him are as well, though it is difficult to tell. That they are seated in a group separate from the others may indicate that they are junior officers, perhaps a master and his mates.

The large hat and civilian doublet of this character from the Mariners Mirror suggest that he may be an officer, but his baggy breeches and the knife hanging from his belt suggest that he is a mariner, as does the lead line he is using. Perhaps he is a warrant officer such as a master or a boatswain.		Seamen from the title page of The Mariners Mirror, 1588. The man in the front of this group is wearing breeches and a cap, but what looks like a civilian doublet. His large ruff seems very inconsistent with the rug or blanket thrown around his shoulders. Again the man in the background is obscured but his cap is similar to those in de Bry's engravings. The boy on the left is interesting, his smart doublet and large ruff suggest that he is one of the boys taken to sea to serve the officers and learn their trade, rather than one of the foc'sle boys.

~ Stuart ~
Title page of "England's Safety: Or, a Bridle to the French King" 1693. This work was written by a Captain in the Royal Navy, and the tools depicted in the middle suggest a good knowledge of ships and the sea by the artist. The two sailors are wearing furred hats of an unusual style. Their coats are short seamen's jackets, and they appear to be wearing normal civilian breeches with checked aprons over the top, though the figure on the right may be wearing petticoat breeches.		17th century statue of a wounded sailor. The sailor depicted by this statue is wearing a very utilitarian looking, but civilian style doublet, and a pair of open-knee baggy petticoat breeches, or slops. His hat has a high crown and narrow brim.

Anne Bonney and Mary Read: These contemporary etchings of the notorious female pirates may not be accurate portraits of the women, but they do give excellent views of the common mariners' clothing of their day. They are both wearing long seaman's trousers ending just above the ankle and short seaman's coats. Round their necks are neckerchiefs and they are wearing common "round hats".

These two pictures come from one engraving of Woodes Rogers and his men searching Spanish ladies at Guayacil. All of the men are wearing ankle length trousers, short sailor's jackets, and neckerchiefs. Unlike the Mary Read and Anne Bonney pictures the hats worn by the seamen in the first etching are all small tricorn hats, similar in style to the civilian fashion, but much smaller and more practical at sea.
This detail from an engraving of a hanging gives a good view of the back of a seaman's outfit. He is dressed in a similar fashion to the sailors at Guayacil with a small tricorn and a short sailor's coat and neckerchief. His breeches however are short and more like the petticoat breeches worn by the statue of the wounded sailor. He also seems to be carrying a cane, which in later years would become an essential fashion item for sailors ashore.		This sailor is depicted in an etching of Stede Bonnet's execution, which is probably based on the etching to the left. In this etching the small tricorn has been replaced by a round hat like those worn by Anne Bonney and Mary Read, and he is wearing long trousers typical of sailors, but still wears a short seaman's jacket.