Incredible Workmanship in the Reconstruction of a c. 1847 Mansion

For the last seven years there is an old stone mansion near us that has been in the local news and, currently, in the process of being renovated.  

Why was it in the local news?  Well, it started with the old stone mansion being torn down and sold and replaced with several new houses.  

It was such a shame as this old stone mansion was built in 1847 and had quite the history associated with it regarding the town and even one of the presidents.

In 2014 a group of teenagers heard about this old mansion being torn down and decided to do something about it.  They decided to protest the demolition of the mansion and used all their social media skills to help them with protesting it.  

They created signs and stood outside the mansion waving their signs for motorists passing by, created online petitions, and posted where ever they could online to educate the community about what was going on with the demolish of this mansion and why it shouldn't be demolished.

Their efforts quickly spread throughout the community and many residents joined in on the protest.

Well, as you can imagine, several weeks into the protest the current owner changed his mind and decided not to sell the property.  After that several groups concerned with historic preservation got involved with the end result being the residents approving utilizing funds to help preserve the mansion at their town meeting.

In 2016 after weeks of discussions the owner and town had an agreement on preserving the mansion and renovating it.

So, for the last few years we have been watching the meticulous and amazing process of renovating this historic property.  Every day we drive by it and marvel at the workmanship involved with creating this unbelievable mansion to it's original glory.  The stone and masonry work involved has been nothing short of astonishing.

The mansion was registered with the Massachusetts Historical Commission in 1999 and, according to the Friends of the Burnett-Garfield House, which worked with the owner and the town to preserve this old mansion, it is considered a historic property for many reasons.

 If you're interested in reading about why this house is considered historic please visit their Friends of the Burnett-Garfield House Facebook page.

Well, this past spring when my husband and I were driving by and marveling at the workmanship I decided to take some pictures as I found all of the renovations remarkable and thought you all might agree.

To put all of this in perspective you first need to see how the old mansion looked before they started renovating it.  

The property consisted of the old stone mansion, a carriage house, a chapel, and a summer house - all of which would be renovated.

The picture at the beginning of this post shows the renovated chapel, mansion being renovated and part of the carriage house being renovated.

Victorian Boys and Girls Engravings From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

I found when I was looking at all the illustrations from the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book published in 1889 that I was really drawn to the illustrations that were engraved.  I found the engraving process intriguing and, of course, had to find out more.

According to Wikipedia:  Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing images on paper as prints or illustrations; these images are also called "engravings". Engraving is one of the oldest and most important techniques in printmaking.

After learning how they create these beautiful illustrations I was even more in awe of the the amazing detail with each.  I was especially in awe of the unbelievable facial expressions they were able to achieve.

I hope after looking at all the amazing illustrations below and the blown-up sections of the facial features you would agree.

The illustration above was in the December 8, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 58.  It was entitled "At Your Service!" and was from the painting by J.G. Brown, N.A.

Just look at the details on the little boys eyes and the tears in his clothing.

Victorian Valentine's Day And Romance Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

Nothing speaks Valentine's Day more than Cupid.  And, what Cupid is more charming than the one in the illustration above that appeared in the March 16, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated book on page 273.  The illustration above was entitled " Love's Valentine" and was drawn by Jessie Shepherd (Jessie Curtis Shepherd).

As a child I can remember getting little paper Valentines on Valentine's Day - can't you?  I can also remember my mother telling me that I could participate but I would need to give a Valentine to every student in the class.  When I asked her why I had to give one to everyone she simply smiled and said: "So no one is left out."  Given I was in the first grade back then I didn't understand the significance of that.  I certainly do now.

The illustration above was in the March 16, 1889 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrated book on page 285 and was entitled "Where Cupid Took His Valentine."  It wasn't signed so I don't know who drew it but I find it totally charming and hope you do too.

There are three little illustrations contained within this picture as well as a totally charming poem to go along with the drawings.

"I'm getting sick of Valentines" 

Said Cupid to his brother.

"And do you know I almost think

 I'll never send another.

I carried one a year ago,

 To little Rosebud May,

And found that twenty more or less, 

Had come for her that day.

Now when you send a Valentine 

"Said Cupid," what's the fun.

Of knowing that it simply counts

As "number twenty-one."

I know a child," his brother said

"A little friend of mine,

Who never yet in all her life

Has had a Valentine."

"I'll take her one," cried Cupid,

Springing lightly to his feet,

"Tell me the number of her house,

And kindly name the street."

And only waiting to be told

The best and shortest way

He spread his shining silver wings, 

And flew without delay.

He found the little girl and stood

Before her in surprise

For shabby gowns and ragged cloaks

Were strange to Cupid's eyes.

This lassie had a sweet round face

A dimple in her chin,

But ah, alas! her shoes were worn,

Her dress was old and thin.

One moment Cupid stood amazed

Then with a bow as fine

As any ever seen at court

He gave the Valentine.

"For me!" the little maiden cried

Her eye alight with joy.

"I never had one in my life

Oh, thank you little boy!"

"The thanks are mine," said Cupid,

Still bowing very low

I'll always be your Valentine

If you will have it so."

"Oh dear, how nice!" then with a blush,

"I'm very poor you know."

"Oh that's no matter," Cupid cried,

And smiling turned to go.

Now every year that little lass,

Whose dress is poor and old

Receives the prettiest Valentine

That can be bought for gold.

And Cupid tells his brother,

When e'er they chance to meet,

That rich or poor it matter not

When a little girl is sweet.

Can't you just picture the little maiden above crying: "For me!" I certainly can and love the expression on her face as well as the poem.

Sometimes  you can just feel the love even from a simple illustration, like the one above which appeared in a story about a sea captain in the May 11, 1889 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrated book on page 404.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Old Man Winter Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

For someone who doesn't like winter and snow I don't mind making snowmen or looking at Victorian winter illustrations like the illustration above which was in the December 8, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 61.  It was entitled "Such a Heavy Load."

The illustration above was in the November 2, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 814.  It was entitled "Our Champion Climbers."

I just love the look on the little girl and little boy's face.  She looks like she's say, "This is not fun!" He looks like he's saying, "See, I told you we could do this."

The illustration above was in the December 1, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 41. It was drawn by E.J. Meeker.

I just love the old man winter image in the sky and the saying:

King winter rules o'er hill and plain,

And shrill the north wind whistles.

While snow-flakes white, a fairy train,

Fall soft as floating thistles.

For look, a painter grey and old,

Above the storm abiding,

With stars and spheres and crystals cold,

The bare brown earth is hiding.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the Victorian old man winter illustrations.

Victorian Girls and Dolls Pictures From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

I love dolls.  I love making dolls and I always loved playing with my dolls.  I also love the Victorian Era, history, and books.  So, it should come as no surprise that I would love illustrations from the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889 that I found recently.

As you might recall from a previous Linda's Blog post Some of the mixed media projects this summer I created some mixed media items that required quite a bit of old book papers for collage purposes.  So much so I ran out of the book pages.

Well, in looking around the house I found an old Harper's Young People Illustrations Book from 1889 that was in poor condition and with some of the pages already missing.

I don't know where this book came from and who it belonged to.  Most of the old books I have belonged to my great Aunt Flossie but I didn't think this was one of hers.  The time-frame was right but the book wasn't signed with her name - which she always did on the inside of the front cover.

Victorian Happy New Year Illustration From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

What better way to send a "Happy New Year" greeting than with a beautiful illustration from the cover of the February 2, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 177.  It was entitled "New Year Greeting" and was drawn by F.S. Church, N.A.

I, too wish you all a Happy New Year.

Victorian Christmas Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

I decided that one of my all time favorite illustrations that I saw in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Books was the one that appeared on page 97 of the December 29, 1888 weekly.

I love it for three reasons: 1) The most adorable Santa figure I've seen;

Victorian Illustrations of Real Life From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

Not all the illustrations in the Harper's Young People weekly's were of joy or celebration.  Some were of the grim reality of life and the event of the day.

Such was the case with the illustration above appeared in the December 15, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 76.  It was entitled " The doctor drew the man's left hand to him and felt his pulse" and was part of a story entitled "Uncle Peter's Trust" written by George B. Perry about a dying man.

You can just feel the sorrow and compassion in the room for this man as he lay dying.

The illustration above appeared in the December 1, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 40.  It was entitled "Frank was contented to lie still while she chattered to him."  It was drawn for the story entitled "Floride's Patient. A True Story of the War." written by Bertha Watson.

You can just feel the compassion the young girl has for the young man in the hospital bed and her desire to cheer him up.

The illustration above appeared in the March 30, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 312.  It was entitled "The boy murmured softly to his mute playmate and toyed with his ears."

There is no doubt the mother above is concerned for her sick child and her need to comfort him.  Even the family dog tries to do what he can.

I hope you enjoyed the Victorian illustrations of real life shown above.

Victorian Mother's and Children Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

There's nothing quite like looking at the different expressions of family members within gatherings - especially the expressions of mother's and children.

You cannot help but feel the despair in the face of the mother from the illustration above that appeared in the July 27, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 580. It was entitled "Homeless" and was drawn for the poem "Homeless" written by Dora Read Goodale.

The illustration above appeared in the February 9, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 670. It was entitled "Celestial Geography." The captions were: "Charlie (recently promoted to the study of geography, and much interested in the same.) "Mamma, do all the big countries have capitals?" Mamma. 'Yes, Dear."  Charlie. "Then what's the capital of heaven?"

For the above you can see the questioning look on the boy and the surprised look on the mother who is trying to decide how to answer that question.

Victorian Children and Animals Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

One of the things that delighted me so much with the illustrations from the Harper's Young People weekly was the number of illustrations of Victorian children with animals, like the illustration above that appeared in the August 31, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 670. The illustration was entitled "Getting ready for a walk."

When I was a young girl I can remember times when we found bird's nests with baby birds in them that seemed to be abandoned by their mothers.  We always tried to help the little babies and would take them home and with the help of our Dad try to feed them.  I can remember using a little eye dropper to feed them water and digging up worms to feed them.  Unfortunately we weren't successful in our endeavors.

Victorian Children At Play Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

There's nothing more delightful than watching young children play.  As a young child I have such fond memories of playing with my older brother or friends.  We were usually outside running around, playing a sport, riding our bikes, playing on the beach and looking for crabs, or getting into trouble with our antics.....lol

Seems times have drastically changed for children as I rarely see any children playing outside anymore.

So, of course I was drawn to the Victorian images of children playing like the illustration above which appeared in the December 8, 1888 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book from 1889 on page 46.  It's entitled "The Only Boy In The Family."

In looking at the illustration you might think it was labelled wrong and that the child is a girl.  Well, it seems in the Victorian era boys and girls clothing was indistinguishable. There was a practical reason for why boys worn dresses and it has to do with diapers and potty training.  It would have taken way too much time for changing a little boy.  It was so much easier to just lift the dress. Unbuttoning Victorian trousers was way too time consuming for mothers and way too difficult for little boys to do.

I just love the illustration above entitled 'The Gossips."  It appeared in the July 6, 1889 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book on page 540.  How adorable are these two? Wonder what they were talking about?

For the Love of Reading - Victorian Girls and Their Books Illustrations

If you've been a reader of my Linda's Blog for awhile you know that I've had a long term love affair with dolls, doll patterns, the Victorian era, floral design, genealogy, research, history and books. As far as I'm concerned you can never have enough dolls and you can never have enough books.

So, of course, I would be drawn to illustrations of Victorian girls and their books from the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book of 1889, like the illustration shown above.  It appeared in the May 18, 1889 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book from 1889 on Page 420.

It was drawn by Rosina Emmet Sherwood and appeared in a story "The A.O.I.B.R" by Elizabeth Eggleston Seelye.  According to her Wikipedia page: "Her story "“The A.O.I.B.R." appeared in Harper's Bazaar in 1889 with an illustration of a child reading. The Rockwell Centre for American Visual Studies cites this as a surprisingly early illustration of a girl reading. The subject of girls reading in the illustration by Rosina Emmet Sherwood is thought rare (like the ones in Louisa Allcott's Little Women)."

The caption reads: "She retired to the society of books." This brings back wonderful memories for me as so many times when I was growing up you could find me like this.

My house is filled with books of all kinds. My love affair with books and reading began very early on. My Mother was an avid reader, my Father was an avid reader, my Grandmother and Great-Aunt were avid readers, and so it was passed down to my siblings and I.

I have such fond memories of sitting in my Grandmother's rocking chair (which I still have) and having her read me a story. Sometimes we would sit there while she was watching her soap opera's and she would rock with me in her lap.  Kind of like in the illustration above from the March 9, 1889 weekly of the  Harper's Young People Illustrations Book from 1889 on page 270.

Sometimes she would read me a story. I never minded just sitting there with her. I always knew there would be a story. And, I always felt safe in her arms.

Now, when I read I think about sitting with my Grandmother or listening to my Mom and Dad talk about their love of reading and it brings back warm and pleasant feelings for me.

Victorian Children At School Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

I don't really think it matters what the time frame is when it comes to school being difficult at times for students.  The look on the face of the little girl in the illustration above could just as well be from 2019 as 1889.  All you have to see is the expression on her face to feel her distress.

The illustration above is from the December 1, 1888 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrated book on page 45.  It was entitled "Katy's First Recitation in Geography After Vacation." (Or something that sounds very much like it.)

While you can easily feel the young girls distress in the recitation illustration at the beginning of this post you certainly can feel the sorry for the little girl in the engraving above who is so distressed she's sobbing while a friend tries to comfort her.  She's in detention for whatever reason and is upset by this.  I think we've all had times at school where as young children we were brought to tears.  I just want to go over to her, put my arms around her and comfort her.  I doubt the school mistress did that.

The Dolls Christmas Dinner Illustration From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

Some of the mixed media projects I created this summer required quite a bit of old book papers for collage purposes.  So much so I ran out of the book pages.  Truth be told it wasn't the projects themselves that used up the paper it was the number of projects I was creating..... lol

Well, in looking around the house I found an old Harper's Young People Illustrations Book from 1889 that was in poor condition and with some of the pages already missing.

I don't know where this book came from and who it belonged to.  Most of the old books I have belonged to my great Aunt Flossie but I didn't think this was one of hers.  The time-frame was right but the book wasn't signed with her name - which she always did on the inside of the front cover.

I can remember as a young girl asking her why she signed all her books and she said; "so that anyone who borrows them will know who the books belong to."  Makes sense to me.  So, for my whole life every book I've ever bought I've signed the inside of the front cover, too.  Kind of a sweet tribute to my great Aunt.

I was pretty sure this book didn't belong to my great Aunt but had no idea where it came from or who gave it to me.  After all this time suffice to say I'll probably never know.

The French Doll Fashion Collection At The MET

If you follow my Victorian Dolls, Victorian Traditions, The Victorian Era and Me Blog you know that I just LOVE the Victorian Era, love history, and love to do research. In doing all of that I ran across the Metropolitan Museum of Art website the other day and fell in love with their collections, the ability to see everything they have in their collections, and the ability to set-up my own "My Met" space to bookmark items at the MET that I love.

Well, while "Moseying At The MET!" last week I came across items from their French Doll Fashion Collection and fell in love with them.  Now all you have to know as to why I would fall in LOVE with them is they have to do with dolls and have to do with the fashions of the Victorian Era and periods before and after that.

They are in fact a collection of fashion dolls displaying French fashions from 1715 until 1906.  There seems to be 42 dolls in the collection and they give you a wonderful picture of the way French fashion has changed through the ages.

Each of the doll pages has information of the fashion year the doll was created for, fashion designer who created it, date created, culture, medium, dimensions, credit line, and accession number. They also include a description containing information on the collection and information on the dolls design.

For example,  the 1715 doll shown in the picture above and at the top of this post had the following descriptive information on her design: The inspiration for this dress came from the painting L'Enseigne de Gersaint by Watteau. Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) was best known for inventing the fete galante, a genre characterized by outdoor parties and bucolic scenes in idyllic settings. L'Enseigne de Gersaint was actually completed in 1720, five years after the date of the Rochas design. Watteau created this work for his friend and art dealer, Gersaint's shop, where it is believed to have hung in the window as a sign. This painting, in addition to being an interesting study of everyday life in an art dealer's shop, is an excellent example of the famous "Watteau pleats". The fashionable women in Watteau's fete gallants were so often depicted wearing this style, that they became known as Watteau pleats.

According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art the reason for the collection was as follows: - In 1947, in response to the suffering of post-World War II France, an American grassroots campaign organized a large-scale relief package. The following year France, moved by this generosity, organized a gift in kind. As the aide was sent to France housed in boxcars and dubbed the "American Friendship Train" the French created the "Gratitude" or "Merci Train", a set of 49 boxcars filled with gifts of thanks. Each of the 48 states was to receive a boxcar with the 49th shared between Washington D.C., and the Territory of Hawaii, which had contributed sugar on the Friendship Train. A wide array of items was included in these cars, from handmade children's toys to priceless works of art.

The Chambre Syndicale de la Couture de Parisienne, who, to raise money for the French people, had two years prior organized the Theatre de la Mode, a group of fashion dolls dressed in clothing from the 1947 couture collections, chose to create a new set of fashion dolls, this time representing the evolution of French fashion rather than the current season. Once again, the Syndicat tapped the most talented and well-known fashion designers, hairstylists, and accessory designers of the time to create these miniature masterpieces.

The unique design of the fashion doll, originally created for Theatre de la Mode and used again for the Gratitude Train was conceived by Eileen Bonabel, the plaster head by the artist Rebull. Each doll measures approximately 24 inches tall, with bodies made entirely of open wire. Human hair was used to fashion the hairstyles. Each designer chose a year between 1715 and 1906 for which to dress his doll. Their varying sources of inspiration included works of art, literature, and historic fashion plates. The Gratitude Train fashion dolls represent a unique moment in the history of couture as they represent not only creative interpretations of historic fashions by the greatest designers of the period, but also are infused with the unparalleled skill, care, and attention to detail that would have been applied in their full-size counterparts.

I would have to agree with the MET, but would add that viewing this collection in it's entirety would be visual eye-candy for anyone who loves the fashions of those periods.

The collection is not on display so, of course, I set-up a French Fashion Doll Collection Page and a set collection in My MET so I could view all the dolls in the collection at any time.  And, if I wanted to read more on any particular design all I would need to do is click on the image for that doll's page at the MET.  How great is that?  I LOVE it.

Both of my pages are shown below:

My Pinterest Page - French Fashion Doll Collection 

My MET - The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Set Items - Historical Fashion Dolls

I can't quite decide which is my favorite doll of the collection as of yet.  I have to read through all the descriptions first and then maybe I'll decide.   Or, I'll never decide and just enjoy each of the dolls for her beauty and the attention to detail on her amazing costume.

I hope you enjoy the collection as much as I do.

I LOVE Victorian Dresses

It's no secret that I LOVE Victorian dresses. So it should come as now surprise that I've got A "Victorian Fashions" board on my Pinterest page.  In fact there's quite a few boards over there that have to do with my love of the Victorian Era and Victorian Fashions.

In finding pins for my "Victorian Fashions" board I happened to stumble across the Metropolitan Museum of Art which has an astonishing collection of Victorian Fashions. It took me close to an hour to go through all the wonderful fashions and, of course, to pin most of them to my board. If you've been following my blog you know I haven't found any Victorian dress I haven't liked.

I also found two Victorian fashion websites that sell fashions from the Victorian era. These included "Maggie May's Historic Clothing" and the "Antique and Vintage Clothing" website.

According to the "Maggie May's Historic Clothing website they sell "Custom and Ready-made garments for the museum, exhibit, and film industry since 1994 featuring historically documented fabrics drawn from museum collections across the United States and Europe!"

According to the "Antique and Vintage Clothing" website they sell "Original Antique and Vintage Clothing for Sale from the 1800's through Today!" What I really liked about the "Antique and Vintage Clothing" website is they had a ton (and I do mean ton) of close-up pictures for each dress. If you click on any of the images I have from their on my board you'll see what I mean.

I also have a few images from the Philadelphia Museum of Art from several of their "Costume and Textiles" collections.

I also found an Etsy shop "Christine Hall Designs" which sells beautifully custom made Victorian dresses.

I just love going to my board and looking at all the beautiful and historic creations. If Pinterest.com is all about the visual then, hopefully, you'll enjoy your visual visit to my board as much as I do.

There are a few dress that aren't technically "Victorian Era" which was during the reign of Queen Victoria and which ran from June 20, 1837 until January 22, 1901. They pre-date that, but were so beautiful I had to include them. They're more American Colonial than Victorian.

I'm going to continue to add to my "Victorian Fashions" Pinterest.com board so be sure to stop by every once in awhile to see what I've added.

Victorian Fashions

The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 20, 1837 until her death on January 22, 1901. I for one am fascinated by Victorian Fashions and LOVE seeing them on display. Here's a few I'd LOVE to see.

If you love my Victorian Fashions board please follow my board by clicking on the link above.

Will You Come To My Tea Party?

Childhood tea parties with ones dolls and friends were just so delightful. Weren't they? Not only did you get to have all your dollies around you, but you also got to play dress-up, too. I can remember having tea parties as a child. Sometimes it was just my dollies and me, but that was okay. They were always great company. I'd serve my dollies tea in one of my tea sets. They would carry on about this or that. We'd have a grand old time.

As a matter of fact, I still have the three different tea sets that my Grandmother and Mother gave me as a child. One is very, very tiny china pieces. One is made of royal blue glass, and one is white and gold bone china. A couple of the bone china handles are broken, but other than that the sets are still in good shape. I take them out from time to time. They always remind me of a time of pure innocence.

In fact, when I was a child my mother started giving me a different bone china tea cup and saucer every year for about ten years or so. The trend back then was to have a bunch of beautiful and delicate cups and saucers to use when you had your friends over for tea. Of course, I couldn't use them until I was an adult. I still have them and they are still very pretty and very delicate.

No matter how hard I tried, and how much I begged I could never get my older brother (who is only 10 months older than me) to have a tea party with me. He just wouldn't. He always said "I hate dolls." In fact, he still hates dolls. How can anyone hate dolls? It boggles my mind. I can't even get him to visit my website or read my Linda's Blog. He thinks they're only about dolls. Boys! Men! Who can explain the illogical way they think! In any event, my sister, when she was old enough, was always willing to have a tea party with me. And, of course, there were always my dollies willing to so as well.

Maybe my love of little girl tea parties explains my love of tea. I love having several cups of tea in the morning and several cups of tea in the afternoon. It's always very relaxing. I've decided that I would have been well suited for the Victorian tradition of afternoon teas. I could attend a Victorian afternoon tea party and wear a beautiful Victorian dress. Why not? I love the dresses and I love tea. My problem would be when I opened my mouth to speak. I don't think they cared for feminist viewpoints back then.

Oh, well! In thinking about all this my usual curiosity got the better of me and I began to wonder "How did this all begin and what exactly were the rules for a Victorian Afternoon Tea Reception?"

Tea was introduced into Britain around 1650, was very expensive, and available only to the very wealthy (of course). Tea gradually become more and more popular and less expensive. It was viewed as a refreshing non-alcoholic alternative to ale. It was thought that tea cured headaches, fevers, colds, dropsy and scurvy. Some of the first tea brews were spread on bread and eaten. Others were brewed in a cup with butter and salt added. Yuck! What a way to kill a perfectly good cup of tea!

In the town houses and country homes of the rich it was fashionable to take tea after meals. Women would retire to the Drawing Room after dinner and would enjoy tea and coffee. The men stayed at the table and drank port wine (probably discussing the important issues of the day. No wait. That was done by the women in the Drawing Room!). As the tea trade increased and the prices went down tea became a popular drink for both the rich and the poor. By the mid 1800's the coffee houses of London were centers of tea and conversation attracting all the notable men. You notice I said "men." Women weren't allowed to frequent such establishments (gosh, they might get corrupted) and as a result began to invite each other over to each others homes.

Afternoon tea became fashionable during the early part of the 19Th century and was usually served around 4 o'clock. At first it was kind of "risque" for the ladies to "take afternoon tea" in their private sitting rooms or boudoirs. After all, the men were in their "coffee houses." Then, around 1850 as afternoon tea receptions grew in popularity, they were moved to the Drawing Room. Both ladies and gentlemen were invited to attend then, but it was usually ladies in attendance. At least the ladies had the good manners to invite the men to their afternoon teas. The "afternoon teas" soon became the focus of social visits and an "afternoon tea etiquette" was established which involved a complex set of rules. Of course there were rules of etiquette! We're talking about the Victorians here.

The lady of the house would hold an "at home" party on a set day of the month. Visiting cards were sent out and included details as to what to expect and prepare for. Ladies usually dressed formally and wore hats and gloves. Sometimes the Victorian women would bring their own tea cups wrapped in special boxes. Whatever was required of the guests was clearly communicated in the visiting card so as not to embarrass the guest.

The creation of the cup & saucer occurred at this time, as did cream & milk jugs, sugar bowls, tea caddies, tea kettles, dishes, plates, teaspoons, and teapots. China was used for intimate teas. Silver tea pots were used for formal teas.

There were two distinct forms of tea service: "high" and "low" tea. "Low" tea or "Afternoon Tea" was served in the aristocratic homes of the wealthy in mid-afternoon. It featured gourmet appetizers to eat while engaging in polite conversation. "High" tea was a main or "meat" meal of the day. It was a family evening meal in the homes of the middle classes and working families and consisted mostly of dinner or supper items such as meat pies, vegetables, bread and butter, cakes, and a pot of tea.

According to the rules of etiquette, only simple refreshments should be served at an afternoon tea. Thin slices of bread and butter, sandwiches, fancy biscuits or cake, tea, coffee, or chocolate, ice-cream and bouillon. Punch and lemonade could also be served, but no wine or alcoholic beverages.

As the afternoon tea was considered an "informal" event the hostess would shake hands with her guests. If the number of guests was small the hostess would walk around the room and talk with her visitors. She would also, pour the tea and make sure every one's cup was always full. If the number of guests was large the hostess would remain at the door and other ladies would help entertain the guests. She would also ask some of her friends if they would serve as a "pourer" of the tea at their table.

When drinking a cup of tea, the rules of etiquette say "keep your pinkie down" for to extend one's pinkie was an indication of arrogance, an inflated self-importance and was considered very rude. Also, you should always lift both the cup and saucer to your mouth. And, do not let the saucer sit on the table alone (god forbid, if you do you might cut struck by lightning). If you add milk to your tea it should be added first, then the tea should be poured in. A lemon slice or sugar should always be added last. When stirring your tea, you shouldn't make noises by clinging the sides of the cup while stirring. Remember, in Victorian times "ladies" did not bring attention to themselves. Never leave your spoon in the cup and do not sip your tea from the spoon either. That would be scandalous! After stirring, the spoon should be placed quietly on the saucer next to the cup, on the right hand side under the handle.

Afternoon tea parties usually lasted for two hours or so. When leaving the tea party guests were always expected to thank the hostess and a proper thank you note was always sent afterwards. To not thank the hostess was considered rude and would probably exclude you from attending tea parties in the future.

Now that you know the rules of etiquette for an afternoon tea party I have a question for you. "Will you come to my tea party?" I promise my dollies won't criticize you for having your pinkie up!

We Could Use Some Etiquette Today!

In case you've never heard the word "etiquette" it means "The body of prescribed social usages" and "Any special code of behavior or courtesy." In a polite society it is the way in which individuals deal with each other socially. It is a set of rules of good manners and behavior that changes with the times. Etiquette contains rules for the simplest actions ( such as, "Hello" or "How are you?") to rules for the most elaborate social event.

Why am I telling you this? Because I think a lot of young people today are growing up in a society that is, in many ways, lacking in social etiquette. In some cases, manners have been thrown out the window entirely. What ever happened to "Please!" and "Thank-You!" What has happened to table manners, thank-you cards for gifts received, common courtesy, polite telephone manners, polite rules of the road, treating others as you wish to be treated, lending a hand without worrying about "what's in it for me (or, my personal favorite, why should I?)" and, last but not least, respect for your elders?

Etiquette is a French word meaning "ticket" that came to mean a prescribed routine that is passed down. In France, this began with court behavior and quickly spread to requirements of good behavior in court circles and among aristocrats. Eventually, etiquette became the responsibility of the parents to impart some degree of good manners and behavior down to their children, and so on and so on. So, do we blame the parents, the grandparents, or the youth of today? Do we then hold the youth of today blameless. I don't think so.

Etiquette became the norm for all social behavior and there wasn't a society more in tune with etiquette then that of the Victorian Era (surprise, surprise, one of my favorites.) So, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of the Victorian Rules of Etiquette (and there were many of them) to see if, perhaps, it could be applied to today. The Victorians had so many rules that it would impossible in a short posting to capture them all. Some of their rules were appropriate, others down right foolish. So, I thought I'd take a look at the Victorian Rules of Etiquette a little at a time and post different articles to my Linda's Blog from time to time. Something for all my Blog readers to look forward to.

First of all, you need to understand that ninety percent of everything you might find in a Victorian Rules of Etiquette manual is nothing more than "common courtesy." So, the first Victorian Rule of Etiquette is "If it would be rude now, it was rude then." The ultimate Victorian Rule of Etiquette was in always trying to follow the "Golden Rule", and that is "To Do Unto Others As You Would Have Then Do Unto You." I don't believe that the Golden Rule has changed, do you?

For this article, let's take a look at "Victorian Visiting Etiquette" and see if any of their rules could be applied to today.

Some rules while visiting:

1) Do not enter a room without knocking first and receiving an invitation to come in - That definitely applies to today. In fact, any brother or sister could tell you that you NEVER enter some one's room (especially a sibling) without their permission. What do you think all those KEEP OUT - AND THIS MEANS YOU signs on the door are for?

2) Always Be On Time - This definitely applies to today. In fact, it's one rule that I'm sure is broken more today then it was in the Victorian era. Definitely, a pet peeve of all company managers.

3) Do not toss over cards in the card receiver - Calling cards were used during the Victorian Era to announce intentions to visit, etc. and they were usually kept in some sort of calling card box or receiver. In other words, DO NOT SNOOP! This definitely applies to today.

4) When friends come to call on you, don't look at your watch, lest they think you desire them to leave. Conversely, if you are the caller, do not look at your watch. - AM I BORING YOU!!! It's really kind of boorish to convey to your guest, or for your guest to convey to you that they find you boring and have better places to be. Definitely applies to today.

5) Don't walk around the room when waiting for the hostess. - Kind of goes hand and hand with #3. Don't be a snoop.

6) Don't open or shut a door, raise or lower a window curtain, or in any other way alter the arrangement of a room when visiting. - Definitely applies to today, especially to mother's or mother's-in-law.

7) Turn you chair so your back faces another guest. - Really, that's just plain rude. Definitely applies to today.

8) To remove one's gloves when making a formal call. - Probably one of the rules that Jack-the-Ripper followed. Can't you see all the CSI detectives, today, hearing this and thinking DNA. This is not a good rule. Nor should it apply to today.

9) To make remarks about another caller who has just left the room. - In other words, NO DISSING!!! Oh, yeah! Definitely needs to be learned by the youth of today.

10) Do not laugh at your own wit, allow others to do it. - Today, this is called being "full of yourself" and certainly applies to the "me, me, me" ego.

11) NEVER pick you teeth, scratch your head, use a toothpick, comb your hair, blow your nose, pass gas, or clean your nails in company. Use a handkerchief when necessary, but without glancing at it afterwards. - Gross!!!! Definitely applies to today. Can't you hear all the kids giggling at these rules!

12) Do not place your arm on the back of a chair occupied by a woman. - Okay, everyone, picture all the teenage boys on their first movie date. Stretch, hands over head, cough, stretch, arm lands on the back of the chair of your date. Phew! Harmless rule. Need not apply to today.

13) Do not go into public smelling of onions or garlic. - I think you should add "unless you're in the presence of Dracula or traveling through Transylvania" to this rule. I don't even want to know how or why this rule came about. Suffice to say, I don't think it's a problem for today.

Wasn't that fun? Stay tuned for more of my Linda's Blog articles on Victorian Etiquette and whether or not they should be applied to today.

How Can I Be A Feminist Victorian???

I have to wonder sometimes why I have such a fascination or passion for the fashions of the Victorian Era when I am clearly a feminist (the ultimate feminist according to my son-in-law).

My inner self seems to be fighting with itself. Women's rights versus love of a time when women had, basically, no rights, but, wore the most beautiful dresses.

So, I thought that maybe I should investigate this further. What is it that draws me to the era when it is so contrary to my basic beliefs.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary feminism is "a doctrine that advocates or demands for women the same rights granted to men, as in political or economic status."

Feminists clearly believe in this, so therefore I clearly am a feminist (and PROUD of it to boot). In fact, make that VERY PROUD.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary a Victorian is defined as "Pertaining or belonging to the period of Queen Victoria's reign. Exhibiting qualities usually associated with the time of Queen Victoria, as moral severity or hypocrisy, middle-class stuffiness, and pompous conservationism. A person belonging to or exhibiting characteristics typical of the period of Queen Victoria."

Clearly, I am not Victorian.

Clearly, their attitudes towards women and society is for the BIRDS (maybe they don't even want to be associated with it).

Yet, I am drawn to their fashions. Drawn to their style. Why?

Why do I love to make Victorian dolls when I clearly am not Victorian? I am as perplexed as you are.

Perhaps, I should explore this further and delve a little more into the rights of women during the Victorian Era.

Maybe if I get so disgusted with their lack of rights I'll stop loving the Victorian Era and Victorian Fashion.

Maybe, I'll stop designing Victorian dolls? Maybe, I'll stop designing dolls all together. Maybe, I'll stop loving dolls. Maybe, I'll stop loving history and genealogy.

Maybe, I'll turn into a Victorian and start to believe their treatment of women was right. Yeah! Right!

In your dreams Queen Victoria!

We've Come A Long Way Baby and Still Have A Long Way To Go!

I love to just browse thru history books, genealogy records, and the encyclopedia. Browsing thru the Wikipedia encyclopedia I came across the women's suffrage stamp (see picture on the left). In looking at the women's suffrage stamp I got to thinking about my great, great Aunt "Flossie" and my Grandmother "Dee." Why did these two women come to mind when I saw the stamp? They came to mind because they grew up during the time that the women's suffrage movement was at its peak.

Little history lesson : American women earned the right to vote with the passage of the 19Th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920. This amendment was finally accomplished after years (actually decades, if not centuries) of effort by women, in general, and the women's suffrage movement, in particular.

My "Flossie" Victorian doll  is named after my great, great Aunt Florence (who is shown on the left). My great, great Aunt Flossie was born in 1882 and was the first women to go to college in our family. She graduated from Tufts University in 1904. She then went on to be one of the first women to work for the State Department of Corporations and Taxation. She worked for the state until she retired in 1947.

My "Dee" Victorian doll is named after my Grandmother Doris (who is shown below). My Grandmother "Dee" was born in 1896, went on to college and graduated with a teaching degree in 1917.

My great, great Aunt "Flossie" was a true believer of women's rights, as was my Grandmother "Dee". Both women were very intelligent and were very strong women. Both were very confident in themselves and both held strong beliefs and convictions. They both were believers in women's rights. Their beliefs definitely had a profound affect on my mother which, in turn, had an affect on me.

As an aside. I just love asides, don't I? The only weakness in my Grandmother as far as women's rights were concerned had to do with the wearing of pants. She strongly disagreed with this fashion statement and was very critical of my Mother for wearing them. I never saw my Grandmother in anything but a dress or skirt. God forbid a bathing suit. Yikes!

In any event, where is all this leading us. In thinking about all of this I came to the sad realization that some of the young women of today don't realize how difficult the path for women's rights has been and how important the right to vote is. Some don't realize how far women's rights have come.

Just the difference in rights between now and 35 years ago when I started working is staggering. While the changes in the workplace are very evident and promising, they still have a long way to go. When I started working "old boy networks" were the norm. Women really weren't wanted in the workplace. Most of the boards of directors of all the companies were men. All of the executives, to be sure, were. All the politicians were men. And so on, and so on, and so on.... A women executive, no way. The men would say "they don't have the skills." I would argue "how can we get the skills if you never give us a chance?"

My grandmother and great, great Aunt lived in some amazing times for women. They would be astonished at the accomplishments of women today. That said, however, we still have not had a female President, the number of females in Congress is still far too little and one of the only two females on the Supreme Court has just retired.

The women in my Grandmothers and great, great Aunts day had to fight for their rights and fight for the right to vote. We've come a long way, baby (how true). Yet, we've still got a long way to go.