I am a fan of Edward Linley Sambourne and I didn’t even know it! During my time as a women’s history researcher and blogger, I have used Sambourne’s photography multiple times, never realizing the source. I think because photography was emerging as such a popular medium during the Edwardian era I assumed that the plethora [...]
“Keys, phone, wallet…” like many of you this is my leaving-the-house mantra. I also almost never leave the house without my sunglasses, but I typically have those already on my body before I repeat the mantra. Like sunglasses; phones and wallets are things women have carried with them for less than a hundred years. When [...]
In my recent post about Victorian summer dresses, I came across photos of ventilated corsets; corsets made of ribbon or strips of fabric connecting the boning and ties. At first, I thought that they may have been a new summer-friendly invention of the late Victorian era but I came to learn that ribbon corsets were [...]
Today, most of us automatically think of high school dances when we hear the word “corsage.” Myself, I am envious when I see the photos and firmly believe that more of us should be given opportunities to wear flowers around our wrists! But I digress… While we may picture prom dresses and photos on the [...]
The work of Jean Beraud was recently brought to my attention by a member of the Recollections team and I am so glad that it was! For the past several days I have been scouring the internet to find examples of his late Victorian and Belle Epoque paintings and enjoying every minute. His art is [...]
This summer we have been exploring the history of Victorian tea culture. The mass popularity of tea in the 19th century led to new furniture, a growing amount of teaware, and new household schedules. It also led to social occasions that society molded around. This included afternoon tea, high tea, tea parties, and tea dances. [...]
I love wearing petticoats! Recently I wrote a post about the history of petticoats and discovered that our readers love them as well. I am also a big fan of the history of the corset and its variations over time. It is therefore surprising that I have never done much digging into the history or [...]
Happy Easter Recollections Community! I have looked forward to writing posts this time of year since I came into the Recollections blog because Easter is such a pretty holiday and I know that many of our customers love celebrating it. I enjoy Easter and this time of year because I am such a firm believer [...]
Because of my interest in paper dolls, I have wanted to research the origins of Dolly Dingle for a while now. What I have uncovered is the illustrious career of a pioneering female artist, Grace Drayton. You will no doubt be familiar with some of her most well-known cartoons, which she was creating during a [...]