The Rudiment Box divides the subject of Natural History into three kingdoms, The Animal Kingdom, The Vegetable Kingdom, and the Mineral Kingdom. At the head of the Animal kingdom is mankind. This print entitled The Costumes of Nations for Infant Schools is a finely rendered and colourful image of the costumes & associated characteristics of 12 different nations.
Some nations appear in traditional dress, such as the (Scottish) Highlanders in Tartan, while others are dressed according to contemporary fashion, such as the French. Some nationalities engage in activities often associated with their country, such as butter or cheese making for the Swiss, and tea drinking for the Chinese.
Although for the most part the images avoid the caricatures often seen in representations of other cultures from this period, it is interesting to note that the only nationality shown with humanising presence of children are the English.
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