Last week I explored the Victorian croquet craze and the role that flirtation played in the game’s quick rise in popularity. Young men and women delighted in the opportunity for casual socializing and flocked to lawns around England and America to interact. It lost as many fans as it gained, however, with many losing their [...]
Wanting to do a seasonally-appropriate post on popular Victorian summer activities, I decided to take a look at the history of croquet. For a few decades, the game was undeniably the most popular pastime in both England and America. With an absence of socially acceptable mixed-gender activities, young people especially flocked to lawns to take [...]
100 years ago, the long-fought battle for some women to vote was gained when the 19th Amendment was added to the constitution. It is an event that I know a lot of our readers have been looking forward to celebrating, though if you’re anything like me, you probably pictured a lot of photo ops and [...]
August 2020 is here and that means it is time to celebrate the hundred-year anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment on August 18th, 1920. I was planning on celebrating with a lot of in-person events, but instead, I’m celebrating from behind my computer screen in many ways. One way is by writing blog [...]
I know that there are a lot of Laura Ingalls Wilder or Little House on the Prairie fans in the Recollections community. I am a fan myself and reading the books as a child is one reason I am so interested in women’s history still today. As I was writing my post about holidays on [...]
Christmas on the Frontier must have been a very special time. Daily life for the entire family was a grind and a struggle. Scarce resources meant that everyone was used to life without frills and pretty low expectations about material goods. Living off of the land meant that a strict routine must be followed day [...]
I have always been quite intrigued by Mrs. Claus and the work that she does behind the scenes. She is the perfect example of “beside every successful man is a strong woman.” I also think that there is an opportunity for more exposure for Mrs. Claus so that more young girls will get to see [...]
Whether or not you wear bikinis, July is the month most commonly associated with the tiny garment. Have you ever stopped to wonder about how we got from swim machines and wearing tights on the beach to a suit that can fit in a coin purse? There is a lot more to the shrinking of [...]
We love to celebrate Christmas in July! This is an especially fun summer to do it, as many of the traditional summer vacation activities aren’t taking place or are looking a lot different from what we are used to. Why not put on a Christmas in July pandemic party to mix things up a bit [...]