I have loved sharing the stories of various female artists on the Recollections blog. I think that creative women bring such a special touch to the beauty they create and those that we include on the blog did so in times that weren’t easy for female professionals. My favorite illustrator is Joan Walsh Anglund, whose [...]
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. [...]
I live for sundress season! Easy, breezy, and feminine. I am getting out a lot more than I did the last two summers and have already enjoyed adding some to my collection. It has naturally got me thinking about the history of the casual but cute item of clothing and how it became so common. [...]
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. The wonderful founder of 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 have been volunteering for the Molly Brown House in Capitol Hill, Denver for the past three years. I am currently performing in their ‘Penn After Hours’; events designed to provide the 21 and over crowd a fun chance to step back in time for a bit of Victorian or Edwardian fun. Even though I [...]
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 [...]
Let’s return to the history of afternoon tea! I have been having so much fun looking into the various aspects of the history of tea, especially as it relates to the Victorian era. So far this summer we have looked at a short history of the English afternoon tea and teaware of times past. I [...]