[John Sobieski Stuart]

1843–1847

Medium

Salted paper print from a paper negative

Dimensions

19.1 × 14 cm

Status

In Museum Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-430971

> The fascination for distinctive culturally-specific costumes, exemplified by *Afghans* (see [84.XM.131.9](https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/34815/hill-adamson-mr-lane-and-mr-roddie-scottish-about-1842/)), did not always involve far-off lands. The nineteenth century saw a renewed interest in the Highland dress of Scotland. Two men who held themselves to be experts in the field of kilts and tartans were John Sobieski Stuart (1795?-1872) and his brother Charles (1799?-1880) (see [84.XO.734.4.3.27](https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/99327/hill-adamson-charles-sobieski-stuart-about-1844/)). The siblings arrived in Edinburgh from the Continent around 1818, claiming to be descendants of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720-88). After the prince's defeat in the Jacobite rebellion of 1745, Highland dress was banned from 1746 to 1782. By the end of the eighteenth century, however, tartan was found in the military uniforms of many Highland regiments (see [84.XM.445.3](https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/39603/hill-adamson-sergeant-of-the-92nd-gordon-highlanders-reading-the-orders-of-the-day-1846/) and [84.XM.445.18](https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/3…