Is it a dress? Is it a jacket? Regency outerwear has long been an interest of mine. It is elegant and quite deceptive! What often looks like a lovely early 19th-century coat is more often than not, a form-fitting jacket referred to as a “pelisse.” It has been top of my list to write about [...]
Have you ever ridden in a hot air balloon? Today they are novelties that many of us enjoy but also take for granted seeing on the horizon, especially on weekend mornings. It is easy to forget that when they were first invented they created a sensation around the world and led to what is now [...]
Motions pictures were invented over 130 years ago and remain one of the most popular forms of entertainment. But the concept of a visual experience to transport audiences to a new place wasn’t new, even in the 1880s. In the 18th century artists with remarkable vision created visual delights that would allow huge audiences to [...]
Let’s return to the history of afternoon tea! I have been having so much fun looking into the various aspects of the history of tea, especially as it relates to the Victorian era. So far this summer we have looked at a short history of the English afternoon tea and teaware of times past. I [...]
Paisley prints are among the most popular here at Recollections, and certainly around the world and through time. The pattern is so popular that it is easy to take it for granted as just sort of always been around without putting much thought into how it became so ubiquitous. At least, that is how I [...]
Have you gotten started on your Valentine’s yet? If not, will you know what to say when you do? Last week we explored the Regency Valentine’s manual for men, Richardson's New London fashionable gentleman's valentine writer, or, The lover's own book for this year : containing a very choice selection of original and popular valentines [...]
Are you planning on sending Valentine’s this year? I am of the opinion that Valentine’s Day is for everyone, not just lovers. Getting a pretty Valentine from a friend or family member is such a fun surprise and a great reminder that someone is thinking about you. If this sounds like something you might enjoy [...]
What is your favorite Regency fashion? I think mine might be the Spencer jacket, though it took some paper dolls from the period to show me... Last weekend I wrote a fun piece about early printed paper dolls, Little Fanny and her cohorts Little Henry and Naughty Ellen. The dolls were accompanied by charming storybooks [...]
I have been looking forward to doing a post on the history of paper dolls for a while. And wow - talk about biting off more than I could chew! As soon as I started prepping a couple of weeks back I realized it was WAY too huge of a topic to tackle in one [...]