Victorian Vignette: Costume Dressing to Entertain

By | October 1st, 2016|Categories: Halloween, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , |

We have almost unlimited choices when it comes to entertainment today. When we think about what life was like 150 years ago and the entertainment choices of the Victorians, the list is a lot shorter. There was no television. Cinema was in very early development and a commercial entity. There was no radio. There was [...]

Recollections Connection: Cindy Ayers Smith at Fairlawn Mansion

By | October 1st, 2016|Categories: Halloween, Uncategorized, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Two views of Fairlawn Mansion Halloween is one of our favorite holidays at Recollections. Recently, we asked our Facebook community to let us know what their favorite Halloween events were. Cindy Ayers Smith let us know about a favorite of hers; the Flashlight Tour at Fairlawn Mansion. The Flashlight Tour takes place each [...]

Everyday People at the Dawn of Cinema

By | September 20th, 2016|Categories: Edwardian Era, Fashion, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Oh, what fun it is to sit down with a good period drama. Downton Abbey, Somewhere in Time, My Fair Lady, Hello Dolly, Anna Karenina, etc. all provide glimpses into what was worn during their respective time periods. But, what about contemporary cinema of the day? When film was a new medium, many contemporary movies [...]

Recollections Connection: Jennifer Adkins, Photographer

By | September 17th, 2016|Categories: Edwardian Era, Fashion, Steampunk, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , |

When Recollections needed a photographer a few years ago, Jennifer Adkins heeded the call. We sat down for a chat recently to find out more about her, her photography, and her Recollections connection. Us: How did you become Recollections' photographer? Jen: It was three years ago in November, Marianne had a (photo shoot) set up [...]

Fashion Evolution: Regency Period

By | September 10th, 2016|Categories: Fashion, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , |

Regency Fashion Flashback Gift of Miss Irene Lewisohn, 1937; Metropolitan Museum of Art Although King George III's son didn't become Prince Regent until 1811, the Regency Period in fashion is generally regarded as the years 1795 through 1820-ish. Fashion in 1795 was influenced by the aftermath of the French Revolution when people wanted [...]

La Belle Époque – the Beautiful Era

By | September 6th, 2016|Categories: Edwardian Era, Fashion, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , |

La Belle Époque comes from French and means 'Beautiful Era.' In the United Kingdom and the United States, it overlaps the late Victorian and the Edwardian Era. In the United States, it is known as the Gilded Age. It was only in looking back in retrospect that both time periods gained their names. Here is [...]

Presque Isle County, Michigan: a Photographic Step Back in Time

By | September 3rd, 2016|Categories: Destinations, Edwardian Era, Fashion, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

What a joy it is to live, work, and play in our little slice of northern Michigan. Presque Isle County is a four-season wonderland. Yes, it gets very cold and snowy during winter, but that makes summer all the more glorious! As we close out the summer of 2016 , we'd like to share a little [...]

Dressing During the Victorian Era

By | August 30th, 2016|Categories: Accessories, Fashion, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

What did dressing during the Victorian era look like? It was a lot more involved than making sure you had a corset and the right style of dress for the occasion! It also involved a LOT of layers and a LOT of time to make sure that you got each one just right. Here's a [...]

Halloween Inspiration 2016: 9 Ideas Just for You

By | August 27th, 2016|Categories: Downton Abbey, Edwardian Era, Fashion, Roaring 20s, Uncategorized, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

So, you're thinking about what to be for Halloween, too? Which character do you want to be? Who do you want to create? Looking for inspiration? Here are some ideas. Downton Abbey – Take your pick of fashions between 1912 and 1925 and your favorite character and 'voila!' Downton Abbey lives again. This masterpiece continues [...]