Have fun, but not too much fun: Victorian ball etiquette

By | June 16th, 2022|Categories: Entertainment, Victorian culture, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: |

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 [...]

17th and 18th century mass media: panoramas

By | June 11th, 2022|Categories: Entertainment, Regency Era, Victorian Era|

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 [...]

Led by simplicity: Victorian ball gowns

By | June 8th, 2022|Categories: Ball Gowns, Fashion, Victorian Era|Tags: , , |

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 [...]

Rosy cheeks: the Victorian way

By | May 27th, 2022|Categories: Fashion, Victorian culture, Victorian Era, Women's History|

One of the first things I do when I put on makeup is to dab my cheeks with a bit of blush. I have always loved the effect and while blush has taken a back seat to eyeliner and contouring more recently, it is still a part of my most basic leaving the house routine. [...]

Victorian and Edwardian combination garments

By | May 22nd, 2022|Categories: Edwardian Era, Fashion, Underpinnings, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions|

I love wearing petticoats! Recently I wrote a post about the history of petticoats and discovered that our readers love them as well. I am also a big fan of the history of the corset and its variations over time. It is therefore surprising that I have never done much digging into the history or [...]

Nellie Cashman: Wild West Angel

By | May 19th, 2022|Categories: American West, Old West, Victorian Era, Women's History|Tags: , |

I have recently returned back to Denver after another great trip to Tombstone, AZ. It was a magical few days full of new friendships, horseback riding, saloons, and of course, history. I picked up a copy of the Tombstone Times while I was out on one of my shopping excursions and was excited to see [...]

Teaware from times past

By | May 15th, 2022|Categories: Entertainment, History of the home, Victorian Era|

Last week I began my summer series on Victorian tea culture. There is so much to explore! One thing that interests me about the history of tea time in England is that something now considered to be so associated with the United Kingdom was relatively new in the 1800s. It quickly became an indicator of [...]

A brief history of Victorian afternoon tea

By | April 25th, 2022|Categories: Entertainment, History of the home, Victorian culture, Victorian Era, Women's History|Tags: , |

Something about springtime makes me think of picnics and afternoon tea. Last year I wrote a post that I enjoyed from start to finish on planning a Victorian picnic. I enjoyed the post so much that I referred to it for recipes to make finger sandwiches for an Easter brunch that I attended this year. [...]

Hair combs: practical and pretty

By | April 22nd, 2022|Categories: Accessories, Fashion, Victorian Era|Tags: , , |

A practical and pretty accessory that isn’t as utilized today as it was in the 19th and early 20th centuries is the decorative hair comb. This dainty little device was once seen as an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe, and many antique examples remain today. In fact, while visiting the Molly Brown House Museum [...]