I enjoy figurines and trinkets, still buying various types to decorate my home. It is not important to me that they are collectible or valuable, I just go after items that hold meaning to me. That is how people in the 18th and 19th centuries felt about the now-famous Staffordshire figures. These trinkets from time [...]
I don’t think I would be incorrect to generalize that personal belongings, especially those that were carried around every day, held more meaning to people in days gone far by than today. We have studied some of these items on the blog in our ongoing “trinkets” series. In researching the origin, meaning, and purpose of [...]
Nothing says sweet, old-fashioned romance like a heart-shaped locket on a chain. It is a lovely tradition, saying so much about the person wearing it. But where did the history of lockets begin? Some say it is all due to queens, but I think there is a bit more to it, as I often do. [...]
What is your birthstone? Have you ever wondered why? I have been learning more about each month as research for this blog and have been interested in diving more into the history of how each month was assigned its stone. December, for instance, is turquoise, which is simply odd to me. I set out to find [...]
I love to study trinkets from time. Some of my recent ideas have come from research I did last year for a post on women’s tie-on pockets. Among the many items that were commonly carried in the deep, under-the-skirt pockets of the 19th century were thimbles. It struck me that women would be ready to [...]
About a month ago I covered the cute history of the tie-on pocket. Part of my research involved reading articles documenting the various items that 18th and 19th-century women would carry with them day-to-day. Items of a predictable nature included keys, money, and gloves. Not-so-predictable items on my list were pincushions and nutmeg graters. "Why [...]