Writing What Lies Beneath was a fascinating experience for me. The early 20th century was not a time I knew a great deal about, so there was definitely a learning curve both historically and culturally. One thing that struck me … Continue reading
It was a good summer for tomatoes in my neck of the woods—lots of hot, sunny weather brought them and peppers out in profusion (but please do not ask me about my cucumbers. Sigh.) This, of course, means that we … Continue reading
Okay, so what did the butler do? Perhaps a better question might be, what didn’t the butler do? In a 19th century household, the butler was often the chief of staff. In extremely grand and important families, especially where several … Continue reading
I am, alas, blind as a bat. I’ve worn glasses since fourth grade (and probably needed them in third), and just can’t imagine what I would do without them, aside from bang into things all the time. I’ve often wondered … Continue reading
Some time around mid to late July every year, a very odd thing would happen in 19th century London: anyone who was anyone (if you know what I mean) vanished. The members of the Ton disappeared from Hyde Park, from … Continue reading
“I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be … Continue reading
It’s always interesting to read the descriptions of beautiful women from past centuries and see how they might compare to today’s beauties. One of the common attributes often noted is their teeth: having white, even teeth was a definite attribute … Continue reading
From the June 1819 edition of Ackermann’s Repository, may I present to you, with mingled delight and horror… THE ROYAL WATERLOO BATH … Continue reading
We’re taking a bit of a detour from our discussion of cleanliness to talk about hair—who knew it would turn into such an interesting topic? So we already know that washing your hair meant using regular soap, which tends to … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe, when walking down the toiletries aisle at your local pharmacy or market, that all those colorful bottles of shampoo are a fairly recent innovation…like, 20th century recent. As I said last time, when you wanted clean … Continue reading
