author
Florence S. Hornblower
A little-known early 20th-century illustrator and co-author, she helped bring the clothing and ornament of ancient Egypt, Assyria, and Persia vividly to life. Her work blends careful historical detail with the practical eye of someone making the past visible for artists, students, and readers.
1 Audiobook
Ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, and Persian costumes and decorations
by Mary G. (Mary Galway) Houston, Florence S. Hornblower
About the author
Florence S. Hornblower is best known as the co-author, with Mary G. Houston, of Ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, and Persian Costumes and Decorations, published in 1920. The book was created as a practical visual guide to historic dress, with full-page illustrations, color plates, and line diagrams designed to help readers study and recreate ancient costume.
The book's introduction gives a clearer sense of her role than most catalog listings do. It credits the historic ornament drawings to F. S. Hornblower and notes that she also colored the costumes where needed, suggesting that her contribution was especially important on the visual and decorative side of the project.
Beyond that, reliable biographical information is hard to confirm from readily available sources. Some museum and exhibition records also identify a Florence S. Hornblower as a maker associated with early 20th-century decorative arts, but without stronger evidence it is safest to say only that the surviving record presents her as an artist and illustrator whose name endures chiefly through this richly illustrated costume book.