Jane Austen wrote stories and poems to amuse herself and her family from a young age and eventually compiled 29 of them into three bound notebooks. These volumes provide a little glimpse into the author she would become. The “stories are full of anarchic fantasies of female power, licence, illicit behaviour, and general high spirits,” [...]
Bathing by the Seaside during the 1800s By the 19th century, men and women regularly went to the seaside for summer recreation. But, decorum dictated that women cover up from prying eyes as well as the sun. Women were also required to use bathing machines (think cabana on wheels) to access the water. With all [...]
by Donna Klein Doucet - a Name in Fashion for Three Generations Jacques Doucet may not be a household name anymore, but he was once one of the most prosperous and well-respected fashion designers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Doucet name had been associated with lingerie and fine linen in Paris [...]