Caption This! Valentine Caption Contest 2019

By | February 8th, 2019|Categories: Contests and Games, Recollections|Tags: , , , |

The Fisher Girls edition This time around, our caption contest presented a selection of Harrison Fisher's romantic illustrations from the first quarter of the 20th century. Thanks for playing! The winning captions are below. Click on the image to see all captions submitted. The winning captions! #1 - Hearts in the Sand“And this, my dearest, [...]

Fisher Girls – the Edwardian ideal of feminine beauty

By | February 7th, 2019|Categories: 1920s fashion, Edwardian Era, Edwardian Fashion, Fashion, Women's History|Tags: , , , , , , |

First, Charles Dana Gibson brought us the Gibson Girl. Then, after Gibson's retirement from illustrating, Harrison Fisher arrived on the scene. His Fisher Girl “redefined the American ideal of feminine beauty” during the first quarter of the 20th century. Who was Harrison Fisher? Harrison Fisher was born to be an artist. His father, Hugo Antoine [...]

Clara Schumann in a World of Sound

By | January 24th, 2019|Categories: Recollections, Victorian Era, Women's History|Tags: , , , |

Clara Schumann's early life Clara Schumann (born Wieck) was born on September 13, 1819 in Leipzig, Germany. Her father, Friedrich, was a musician. He taught piano, started a lending library, and opened a shop where he sold musical instruments. Friedrich Wieck was a well-respected music teacher. His students included his future wife and mother of [...]

Princess Louise’s Unpaid Cigarette Bill

By | January 9th, 2019|Categories: Edwardian Era, Recollections, Victorian Era|Tags: , , |

Documents released in 2018 give us a glimpse into the royal, rebellious life of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Louise. Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyle, 1861 Princess Louise, later known as the Duchess of Argyle, was born in 1848 to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She was not known for being the perfect picture of royalty, as [...]

Sarah Biffin: Small Artist Makes a Big Impact

By | January 6th, 2019|Categories: Victorian Era, Women's History|Tags: , , , , , |

Sarah Biffin, 1784-1850, was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she learned how to make her mouth her most valuable asset. She was born with phocomelia, which affects the development of limb and bone in utero.

History of the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop

By | January 3rd, 2019|Categories: Edwardian Era, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , |

Each year on December 31st, people standing in Times Square and people all over the world sitting around their television countdown as the ball drops in New York City. While “Dick Clark’s New York Rockin’ Eve” is a modern tradition, there is a long history of New Years celebrations in New York City.

History of Christmas Trees

By | December 15th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Holidays, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , , |

Evergreen trees decorated with lights, garland, and ornaments have become a staple in most households that celebrate Christmas, however,  these trees haven’t always been a symbol of the upcoming holiday. In fact, just like many aspects of Christmas, they have gained popularity since the Victorian era. Let's take a short look at the history of [...]

Time Flies: A History of Time Zones & Daylight Saving Time

By | December 13th, 2018|Categories: Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , |

It has become the norm that when we travel from state to state we must factor in time zone changes and that there is a Sunday in the spring and in the fall when we change our clocks for Daylight Saving Time, but time has not always been this way. The Concept of Time Before [...]

A Dickens-style Christmas: Victorian balls and Fezziwigs

By | December 9th, 2018|Categories: 19th Century Literature, Christmas, Holidays, Recollections, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , , |

The start of December brings the season of Victorian balls, like the Fezziwigs held by organizations such as The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers and Regency Encounters which both held yearly Victorian balls prior to Covid. The night is filled with 19th century carols, refreshments, and dancing as guests step back in time. While not as many [...]