I am a big fan of cute, little things. In my various research for Recollections, I have often stumbled upon dressing cases and thought they would make a fun topic for a post. As I have just returned from one vacation and am starting to plan my next one (I’m headed back to Tombstone for [...]
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 [...]
One thing I love about my Recollections dresses is the deep pockets hidden in the pleats and folds. They are absolutely perfect for carrying my iPhone and lipstick. The pockets are one of the subtle modern conveniences that make Recollections so great. While they are great examples of 19th-century clothing, in truth, dresses from that [...]
Late Victorian architecture is the stuff that fairy tales are adorned with. It was a time of expanding wealth for the “common man” and homes reflect the desire that so many had to embrace and display their abundance. Exteriors were adorned from top to bottom with as many embellishments as possible. The famous “painted ladies” [...]
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. [...]
It is an example of one of those things you don’t notice until someone points it out to you, and then you see it everywhere. Recollections recently suggested that a post on Victorians and plaid may make for a fun read. I had never really thought about it before, but when I started looking for [...]
Last week I wrote about the majesty of Victorian ball gowns and how there are few things I would rather look at. I can only imagine the splendor of an actual Victorian ball and a room full of more than a hundred people dressed in their 19th-century finest. Balls were more than just an opportunity [...]
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 [...]
Few things are more fun to simply look at than Victorian ball gowns. They are truly a feast for the eyes, made with rich colors, exquisite trimmings, artificial flowers, and yards of the finest fabrics. The women who wore them went to great effort to make sure that each detail was just right for each [...]