Ostrich and Fancy Feathers

Boston: Coutellier Brothers & Co., 1870. Very good. Small broadside, n. d. (1870s); 6 1/4 x 4 1/2; white stock, printed in black; a few creases and a tiny spot; in very good condition.While in earlier centuries, namely the 16th, 17th, and 18th, men, especially nobility and military officers, often wore ostrich and other feathers, by the 19th century, the use of extravagant feathers had shifted almost exclusively to women's fashion. They were worn on hats, boas, etc. as a status symbol of wealth and luxury, as at times they were valued at nearly the same price per pound as diamonds and gold. The current broadside advertised the services of Coutellier Brothers, who not only kept a large stock of all shades of feathers, but also offered cleaning, dying, and renovating. They were said to be able to fill orders at shorter notice than any other house in Boston.