Sarah Josepha Hale – 19th Century Influencer Part 1

By | November 5th, 2016|Categories: Fashion, Uncategorized, Victorian Era, Women's History|Tags: , , , , , |

Becoming Sarah Josepha Hale I was researching Godey's Lady's Book for a blog post and found Sarah Josepha Hale who was a large part of the success of this 19th-century publication. She also advocated for girls' education reform (although she was not a suffragist) and the establishment of Thanksgiving as a national holiday through her [...]

Recollections Connection: Liesa Joslin, Fashion Model

By | November 1st, 2016|Categories: Fashion, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , |

Today we are making a connection Liesa Kelley Joslin, a fashion model for Recollections. Q. How long have you been a model for Recollections? A. Honestly, I'm not even sure because I've been doing it so long!  I would say at least 6-7 years?! Possibly more! Q. Is Recollections the only company you’ve modeled for? [...]

Caption This! Halloween Photo Contest

By | October 29th, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , , |

In our continuing celebration of Halloween, we're inviting you to participate in our 'Caption This!' Halloween photo contest. There are 10 photos from which to choose. Rules Caption one or caption all ten. You don't have to caption each photo to win. One winner per photo. You can only win once. Each winner receives a [...]

Lucy Brand, First Woman to Vote in New York

By | October 25th, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized, Victorian Era, Women's History|Tags: , , , , , , |

The year 1880 was an historic one for women in New York. At the end of the previous year, women didn’t have the right to vote in any election but were able to wield their influence nonetheless. In the Eleventh senatorial district, Miss Susan A. King gave time and money to the cause of electing [...]

Victorian Travel Tips – Wardrobe

By | October 22nd, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , |

Updated February 4, 2019 It seems that some things never change. The details may change but the subject is the same – the savvy traveler. Today, we pack for a vacation or business trip that may include air travel. There are tips and tricks to get the most out of your wardrobe. Here’s a glimpse [...]

Winchester Mystery House, Eccentric Victorian Legacy

By | October 18th, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , |

Sarah (Pardee) Winchester grew up in New Haven, Connecticut and attended Yale’s Young Ladies Collegiate Institute (please see part one of this series for more on Sarah’s life). She traveled in the social circles that included many of Yale’s progressive thinkers. Both she and her husband had family members who were Freemasons. The influences of [...]

Sarah Winchester, Still the Talk of the Town

By | October 15th, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized, Victorian Era, Women's History|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Sarah Pardee, The Belle of New Haven Sarah Lockwood Pardee was the fifth of seven children born to Leonard Pardee and Sarah Burns. There are no records to confirm when she was born, but it is estimated to have been between 1835 and 1845. Her family was part of the upper middle class in New [...]

Lady Clementina Hawarden – Fashion’s First Photographer?

By | October 11th, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized, Victorian Era, Women's History|Tags: , , , |

Clementina Elphinstone Fleeming was born on June 1, 1822, at Cumbernauld House, located near Glasgow, Scotland. Her father was the Honorable Admiral Charles Elphinstone Fleeming who served in the Venezuelan and Colombian wars of liberation from 1811 through 1825. Her mother, Catalina Paulina Alessandro of Cadiz, an exotic beauty, was 26 years his junior. Clementina [...]

Julia Margaret Cameron – Groundbreaking Photographer

By | October 8th, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized, Victorian Era, Women's History|Tags: , , , , |

You never know what you are going to find when doing research for a Recollections blog post! While learning more about the Victorian pastime of tableau vivant, or posing for vignettes, the name of Julia Margaret Cameron came up. She was a very interesting woman who came to photography after her children were grown. She [...]