1850s Song Broadside “The Red Petticoat” Maggie Mitchell Fashion Baltimore Md For Sale

As Sung by Maggie Mitchell | Baltimore Printing

Offered here is an original mid-19th-century American song broadside titled The Red Petticoat, a lively and fashionable lyric sheet celebrating women’s dress and popular culture of the Victorian era.

This piece was issued “as sung by Maggie Mitchell,” one of the most popular American actresses and singers of the late 1850s and early 1860s. Publishers frequently capitalized on her fame by releasing song sheets tied to her performances, making examples like this desirable survivals of early American popular entertainment.

• Sold by: J. S. Morrow, Book & Newspaper Dealer
  265 North Gay Street, near Nott

• Printed by: McCoull & Slater
  Corner of Baltimore & Charles Streets

• Location: Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: Circa 1858–1863

The lyrics humorously celebrate:

• Crinoline fashion

• Striped and red petticoats

• Women’s dress trends influenced by Queen Victoria and Empress Eugénie

These references firmly place the piece in the late-1850s fashion craze, making it an appealing crossover item for collectors of:

• Victorian fashion history

• Women’s studies

• Theater and performance ephemera

• 19th-century American broadsides

• Single-sheet song broadside (lyrics only, not sheet music)

• Brown wove paper

• Decorative typographic border

• Printed on one side; reverse blank

• Original and complete

• Even age toning throughout

• Minor edge wear and small corner loss consistent with age

• Text remains clear and legible

• No modern repairs or restoration

Overall very good antique condition for a working-class ephemera piece meant for everyday use.

Song broadsides like this were inexpensive, widely handled, and rarely preserved. Survivals tied to named performers and fashionable themes are increasingly scarce and collectible.

A strong example of mid-19th-century American popular culture, ideal for framing or inclusion in an ephemera or fashion history collection.

📦 Ships flat with archival care.
🕰 Guaranteed authentic 19th-century original.