tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47432622960373830762024-03-13T17:02:58.630-03:00Vintorian PublicationsBlogging about Vintage and Victorian LifestylesVintorian Publicationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037058971574638435noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743262296037383076.post-3379826058374114982015-12-23T15:51:00.001-04:002015-12-23T15:51:44.576-04:00The Christmas Cake<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US">The
Christmas Cake</span></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US">By Guest Blogger Aimee Cook</span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US">Out of all the tradition the Christmas season
holds, my absolute favorite is the gathering at our house on Christmas
Eve. That wonderful day is spent
carefully crafting and creating the dinner, setting out our wedding china at
the dining table, and humming to my favorite Christmas carols as the tree
lights twinkle from sun up to sun down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The evening brings with it a special magic as
the family shifts slowly from the dining room to mingle around the living room
relaxed and content and almost willing the magic of the night to slow and
last. I then take this opportunity to
pile my mom’s antique dessert plates, cups full of coffee or eggnog, along with
this year’s Christmas cake onto my cheery red tray. And with all the pomp and circumstance I can
muster, usher the bountiful tray into a very eager and appreciative
family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">You see, I always choose a cake for dessert
on Christmas Eve, as it conveys all the elegance and richness that this season
holds. Pies, cookies, and sweet breads
may still find a place to the dessert table at Christmas, but it is the cake
that has always been the main focus for generations. It is a time to splurge a little, not only on
ingredients, but also on calories. While
many may imagine my cake as being the quintessential fruitcake, it is in fact
an ever changing dessert that varies from year to year, just like the gifts
under the tree. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">While the much beloved fruitcake will never
truly lose its luster during the holiday season, home bakers for decades have
been creating and serving other wonderful concoctions to their families. Proof of this lies in the numerous magazine
and cookbooks dating back as far as the 1900’s, where editors offered their
readers recipe after recipe to make their holidays special. Acknowledging the universal appeal of cake at
Christmas, these tried and true recipes are in themselves time capsules and
offer us modern bakers a look into kitchens of the past. Rich, dense cakes bedecked with nuts, fruit,
and marzipan evokes the extravagance of the Edwardian Era. Light, exotically flavored cakes bring into
mind the fun-loving 1920’s, while cakes relying on few and easy to find
ingredients show the struggling times of the Great Depression. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Here are a few of my most favorite Christmas
cakes recipes from the past, written word for word as they appear in their
original form. Modern versions of these cakes can be found readily, but are a
fun challenge to dissect as written.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"> Dolly Varden Cake</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Cream together one-half cupful of butter and
one cupful of sugar, then add alternately one-half cupful of milk and two
cupfuls of sifted pastry flour with which two teaspoonfuls of baking powder
have been mixed. Then fold in the
stiffly beaten whites of three eggs.
Flavor with one teaspoonful of almond extract. Bake in a cake pan for forty five minutes at
350° F. When cool, cover with an icing
made as follows: Beat the three egg yolks; add one-fourth teaspoonful of
vanilla and sufficient confectioner’s sugar to make it of a consistency to
spread well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Cocoa
Sponge Cake</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">To the yolks of four eggs beaten until thick
and lemon colored, add one cupful of sugar and mix well. Add four tablespoonfuls of cold water. Measure and sift together one-half cupful of
sifted pastry flour, one teaspoonful of baking powder, one half-cupful of
cocoa, and one-eighth teaspoonful of salt.
Combine with the above one teaspoonful of vanilla and last of all fold
in the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs.
Bake in an angel cake pan at 320° F for one hour. This cake may be iced if desired. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Wellesley-Fudge
Cake</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Cook three squares of chocolate, one-half
cupful of milk, and two-thirds cupful of brown sugar for ten minutes; add one
teaspoonful vanilla. Cream one cupful of
light brown sugar and one-half cupful of butter. Add one-half cupful of sour milk, two
well-beaten eggs, and two cupfuls of sifted pastry flour, with which one
teaspoonful of soda and one-fourth teaspoonful of salt have been sifted. To this add the above cooked mixture. Combine well and bake in layers at 375°F for
twenty minutes. Put together and ice with chocolate fudge icing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">You-and-I
Sponge Cake </span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Beat the yoke of two eggs till light. Add one-half cupful of sifted sugar, and
one-eighth teaspoonful of cream of tartar dissolved in one teaspoonful of cold
water. Beat again till very light. Add the grated rind of one-quarter of a lemon
or orange. Then add alternatively
one-half cupful sifted flour, and stiffly-beaten egg-whites. Bake in a lightly greased and floured pan at
320°F for 40 minutes or in patty pans (small, individual tins.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The beautiful thing about traditions is that
they can be created new every year.
Friends and family alike, welcome the comfort of past rituals as well as
the excitement of something new. With a
season dedicated to cherishing those around you, let your heart and your apron
lead the way. I hope you try one of
these delicious recipes, as they were once a part of another family’s holiday
traditions. Merry Christmas and happy
baking!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Source:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> Bentley, Mildred. Department of Cookery: The
Christmas Cake. Good Housekeeping, Volume 77. 1922. Print<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">For more of Aimee's post please like her facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Aimees-Victorian-Armoire-461114347296448/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Aimees Victorian Armoire</a> and her web site <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%C2%A0http://aimeevictorianarmoire.com/" target="_blank">aimeevictorianarmoire</a></span></div>
Vintorian Publicationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037058971574638435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743262296037383076.post-1429372601368015152015-12-23T15:51:00.000-04:002015-12-23T15:51:35.568-04:00Imagine It: An Edwardian Christmas<h2 style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN">Imagine It: An
Edwardian Christmas </span></b></h2>
<h3 style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN">By Guest Blogger <div style="display: inline !important;">
<b style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN">Megan Gillespie</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN">As the temperature gets cooler and our thoughts
go to the coming holidays, I like to try and imagine what it must have been
like, a century or so ago, as the first residents of our home prepared for
Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">My husband, Joshua and I, own the historic Chamberlain
House, located in the Cornstalk Heights historic district of Harriman,
Tennessee. Built in 1904 by mining executives involved in the founding of town
in the late 1880s, our home retains its Edwardian era design, which we have
continued to enhance through restoration and collection of period furnishings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Joshua and I both share a fascination for this
period of history, and have adapted much of our daily life at Chamberlain House
to emulate the style. In addition, we often wear Edwardian fashion as part of
our daily attire; many items of which I have created on my authentic “treadler”
sewing machine. As I go through my daily list of chores and preparations with
the annual Christmas Tour of Homes…not to mention the arrival of our first
child this January…quickly approaching, it is easy to “slip back in time”...and
imagine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">The street lamps are lit and in the soft glow, a
few gentle snowflakes begin to fall. At the top of a hill stands a little
yellow house, The front porch that wraps halfway around it is wrapped in
garlands and a large red velvet bow adorns a wreath of holly on the intricate
front door. A single candle flickers
gently from every window.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Through the frosted window pane and delicate lace
curtains the scene opens before us. It's Christmas Eve and the house is a buzz
with activity! What a change from the quiet world outside. The children fuss
over the paper chains and popcorn strings they spent long hours creating over
the past weeks, begging their father to put them on the tree. The tree in
question is a stout fir, cut nearby only days before. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9QQ44PbsUHQ/Vnbq7WigkPI/AAAAAAAAAD8/Qle77r7EBiQ/s1600/photo%2B2%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9QQ44PbsUHQ/Vnbq7WigkPI/AAAAAAAAAD8/Qle77r7EBiQ/s320/photo%2B2%25281%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a><span lang="EN">It is soon to be covered bottom to top in
hand-made ornaments, garlands, and candles. Only once everything else is
finished will the littlest child be lifted up to ceremoniously place the star
on the highest bough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Wreaths and garlands of fresh ivy and holly line
every shelf and stair rail, red and green ribbons accent the natural
decorations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">In the kitchen, the scene is a bit more frantic.
The mother, and older daughters, work tirelessly to put together a grand menu
for Christmas dinner the following day. A fine layer of flour coats every
surface and pies, cookies, cakes, and puddings, are being turned out at a speed
not seen since! The heat from the range sends a warmth throughout the house,
taking with it the sweet smells that only the Christmas Season can bring. The
children smile and rub their tummies in anticipation, perhaps sneaking samples
of dough or sauce. The mother only smiles as an older daughter gently smacks
away grabbing hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uxuI2AVZlXU/Vnbq8UbOrzI/AAAAAAAAAEM/0p3KeLUgLgY/s1600/photo%2B2%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uxuI2AVZlXU/Vnbq8UbOrzI/AAAAAAAAAEM/0p3KeLUgLgY/s320/photo%2B2%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN">All too soon evening closes in and it's time for
bed. Hymns and carols are sung as the candle and lamplight put stars into the
children's eyes. At last "Stockings are hung by the chimney with
care," prayers are said and little toes are tucked under warm covers to dream
of "Sugar Plums." Will Tommy's train be waiting by the tree in the
morning, what about Janey's doll? I think perhaps little Annie's "Real
live pony" may be a little out of Santa's reach, but perhaps a toy just
her size.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Downstairs all is quiet, as Father stokes the
fire, and Mother lovingly places "Santa's" Gifts beside the tree,
mirroring that Precious Gift so many years before. A gentle kiss is shared
beneath the mistletoe before Father turns out the lights, and the soft swish of
Mother's skirts tell of their passage upstairs to bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Dawn slowly creeps up over the hilltops and sheds
it's light on the newfound world of fallen snow. It doesn't take long for it's
gentle warmth to rouse the children from their slumber. Excited squeals erupt
from the nursery as they remember the day. The door to Mother and Father's room
Dashes open and excited little ones bound into the room to bounce on the edges
of the bed and beg for permission to go downstairs. Once granted, a flurry of
excited feet thunder out of the room. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFWctSce6lg/Vnbq7zrkOlI/AAAAAAAAAEA/QrKIlMzZWFg/s1600/photo%2B1%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFWctSce6lg/Vnbq7zrkOlI/AAAAAAAAAEA/QrKIlMzZWFg/s320/photo%2B1%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN">Their stockings were full of peppermint candies,
chocolates, and an orange was hidden far down in the toe. Beneath the tree, the
children found, to their delight that there WAS a train, and a doll! And Annie
was thrilled to have a little pony she could pull along behind her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">With Gifts open and breakfast eaten, all were
bundled up in their Sunday best and warm coats to walk the few blocks to
church. The last Advent candle was lit, Hymns were sung, and the story of the
Babe in the manger was retold in elegant words by the pastor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">The moment the family walk back through that
sturdy door, the flurry of activity returns. Tables are set, candles are lit
and final touches are added to the Christmas feast. Soon Aunt Tilly, Uncle Gar,
Grandma and Grandpa, and a whirlwind of cousins add to the organized chaos.
Aunt Tilly's Spare china is added to the tables, and Grandma's famous Christmas
Pudding is given a proud place at its center. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">New toys are compared by the children and the
nursery is filled with happy and playful sounds. That is until Little Annie is
called to ring the dinner bell (Mother's old school bell from her teaching
days), a special family tradition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">A Blessing is asked over the food and all sit
down to enjoy the midwinter bounty. The Turkey takes center stage, A cornbread
stuffing spread all around the platter. Dates, Figs, and Cranberries all add to
the special Christmas delicacies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Later that night when all is quiet and still, and
all the children are asleep in their beds, Mother and Father share a secret
kiss and a sigh. Another year has passed like the fallen snow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">The sound of cars on the street outside, and the
modern necessity of keeping up with a busy schedule break my reverie…and I am
again, here, in the Twenty-First Century with looming deadlines and emails to
respond to. Still, as the evening sun sets on another day, and my husband
returns from the office…we have our few precious moments of stillness. We dream
of the year ahead…and as we speak in soft tones, one can almost feel the Christmas
memories of those who lived and loved in our dear old home come to life once
more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">For more of Megan follow her blog <a href="http://thehomespuntreadler1914.blogspot.ca/">http://thehomespuntreadler1914.blogspot.ca/</a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Vintorian Publicationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037058971574638435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743262296037383076.post-61588239246253031332015-12-22T12:29:00.000-04:002015-12-22T12:29:35.177-04:00A Lady’s Accomplishment: Outdated or Reimagined<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US">A
Lady’s Accomplishment: Outdated or Reimagined </span></h2>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US">By Guest Blogger Aimee Cook</span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US">You have read it in almost every Jane Austen
or Charlotte Bronte novel. You have even
heard it in all those amazing cinema remakes.
That sometimes dreaded, sometimes eager to answer question of “Is she
accomplished?” The timid smile of “yes”,
the perhaps shamed downward look of “no”, or the defiant non-answer. But what does it truly mean to be an
accomplished woman of the 19th century?
What does it mean to be an accomplished woman of any century? To many, it is an outdated notion, but to
others it has been re-altered and re-designed into the 21st century woman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Let us start with the most common association
with the word "accomplished."
Long used by often overbearing mothers of the 18th and 19th century
towards their always dutiful daughters, being accomplished goes beyond basic
literacy skills. It describes a young
woman who is not only well educated, but well-rounded. For one to view a list of the required areas
a young lady from the 1800’s should be fluent in is quite astounding, even with
today’s standards. Amongst a cheery
disposition, there are ten specific areas to be mastered in order to be
accomplished, all ideally before marriage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The foundation lies within a solid education.
And it is from this basis of learning
that all areas of the more “lighter” accomplishments rest. While an education of this era may not
reflect the value modern society place on the liberal arts, a 19th century
tutor would be sure their pupil had a working knowledge of classic literature,
world history, and a few other social sciences.
Yesterday or today, the foundation of a mind lies in knowledge and the
voracious desire to constantly build that base.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">With the above mentioned literature comes the
second area of accomplishment: to be well-read.
From classics to more modern novels, a lady who reads is a lady worth
engaging in conversation. Much as today,
we value individuals who are not only well-read, but well-informed on world
events. Reading is a gateway for the
mind, transporting it to exotic, unknown, or imagined places. Such knowledge fuels one’s creativity and
provides for stimulating conversation, the third area, with peers. Area number four? Reading those previously mentioned classics
out loud. Yes, a strong reading voice
was viewed as a real talent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="Normal1">
<span lang="EN-US">The romance languages of French, Italian, and
even German were further marks of an educated, 19th century female. For those wealthy enough to travel, being
conversationally sound was a necessity when one was left only a small paper
dictionary from which to pull those much-needed phrases. Perhaps this skill has been lost on many of
us, yet being viewed as bilingual or even trilingual evokes admiration from
all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="Normal1">
<span lang="EN-US">Having now discussed the “academic” areas of
accomplishments, the next four dabble in those more artistic fields of music,
dancing, drawing, and what is described as “fancy sewing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Playing the pianoforte, the harp, or even the
violin were all musts for genteel, young ladies. With daily practice encouraged, women would
dutifully, and perhaps, in some cases, begrudgingly, do their best to navigate
those tricky arrangements of Bach or Mozart.
This, perhaps, is where one begins to view the cookie-cutter approach to
accomplishments as flawed. Must a person
play only one type of instrument? Must
they be forced to play an instrument at all?
Perhaps if any of you experienced those mandated lessons that were lost
upon you and tainted your appreciation of music, you will understand the dilemma. Others of you may crave that crisp parchment
printed with the magical language from which music emerges. Perhaps it is better to foster an
appreciation for music, which allows those to admire the talented and perhaps,
be admired in return.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Drawing and sewing were not only signs of
femininity, they were areas that demanded mastery. These two, unlike the previous areas, could
be a source of constant frustration.
While many say that anyone can draw or even sew for that matter, these
skills, in many ways, do rely on natural traits. Perhaps this may be coming from a more
personal viewpoint where sewing skills dramatically outweigh the sad
stick-figure designs, but struggling in these areas should not deter one from
being viewed as “accomplished.” But what
can these two areas portray about the characteristics of a 19th century
female? The answer is quite simple:
perseverance and dedication. Requiring
oneself to complete a complicated project, whether it be embroidery or, perhaps
in today’s world, completing a level of higher education, shows a woman with
passion and determination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Dancing, however, was the one area with which
there were to be no if’s, and's, or but's.
All proper ladies must know how to dance. From the waltz, to quadrilles, to the polka
and even other lesser-known dances such as the Schottische and the Varsovienne,
were vital to a lady’s social acceptance.
Long hailed by doctors as wonderful forms of exercise and amusements,
dancing was the accomplished woman in action.
She was to be admired for her stamina, her grace and style, and her
ability to have fun. Go to any wedding
today and you may see that the great-granddaughters of these women still know
how to party!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The last area is in many ways, the most
important, the most timeless, and the most misunderstood...a woman’s
appearance. This area, like it or not, is that thing which drives her
life. It either leads her down a path of
never found fountains-of-youth, of feigned indifference, or of well-earned
peace. Appearance is multi-layered and
should be viewed as such. A woman’s
worth should not be weighed only by her outward appearance while her
personality is perhaps scarred and vice versa.
Presenting the best of yourself, through your personality, outfit
choice, and physical appearance, is the true form of being accomplished. A woman who is confident in herself has found
the key to that magical door of opportunity and peace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">While the term” accomplished woman” and those
specific 19th century areas in which she should specialize, may be an outdated
idea, accomplished women are not. If
anything, women have become more advanced in various fields and areas that
would, and should, make her foremothers very proud. So let us give three cheers for all you
accomplished women! You have truly
earned the title.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Source:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Hartley, Florence. The Ladies’ Book of
Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness. Boston: G.W. Cottrell Publisher. 1860.
Print.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">For more of Aimee's post please like her facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Aimees-Victorian-Armoire-461114347296448/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Aimees Victorian Armoire</a> and her web site <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%C2%A0http://aimeevictorianarmoire.com/" target="_blank">aimeevictorianarmoire</a></span></div>
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Vintorian Publicationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037058971574638435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743262296037383076.post-4206706456218998622015-12-20T14:48:00.001-04:002015-12-20T14:48:07.532-04:00Getting Intimate With History: The Lessons Everyday Items Teach Us About the Past<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span lang="EN-US">Getting
Intimate With History:</span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-US">The
Lessons Everyday Items Teach Us About the Past</span></h3>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V93ZenUI32g/VnbjVaGqNyI/AAAAAAAAABs/ma28tkV9x5s/s1600/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2Bbread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V93ZenUI32g/VnbjVaGqNyI/AAAAAAAAABs/ma28tkV9x5s/s320/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2Bbread.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h4>
<span lang="EN-US">By Guest Blogger : Sarah A. Chrisman</span></h4>
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<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">"From my earliest boyhood,
ancient wearing apparel, old household and kitchen utensils, and antique
furniture, have appealed to me with peculiar force, telling facts and relating
incidents to me in such a plain, homely but graphic manner of the every-day
life of our ancestors, that I look upon them more as text-books than as
curiosities; for it is only by the light of truth reflected from these objects
that we are enabled to</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "symbol"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">¼</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">pierce the</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "symbol"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">¼</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">fiction with which the perspective of years surrounds the
commonest objects of those remote times."</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">—Beard, Dan C. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #363d42; font-family: "times" , serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">"Six Feet of Romance."
<i>The Cosmopolitan.</i> July, 1889.
p. 226.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> The
more we use something, the more familiar we become with it. For instance, no one would expect watching
French films once a year to make them fluent in the language, let alone
intimate with the culture, but living in the country is a different
matter. Until someone invents a
functional time machine we can't emigrate to different times to study the
cultures of other eras. However, we can
learn about them through all the everyday artifacts people left behind. Familiarity with the things that shaped
people's world helps us understand them better.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"> My
husband Gabriel and I live with as many everyday Victorian items (especially
things from the 1880s and '90s) as we possibly can. It's an extraordinarily tangible way to
connect with and learn about a time that fascinates us. The antique objects which fill our days and
nights are our teachers, and they constantly teach us new lessons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oWP7kOCAsVg/VnbjYTU7itI/AAAAAAAAACE/J-6KUdxXESA/s1600/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2Breading.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oWP7kOCAsVg/VnbjYTU7itI/AAAAAAAAACE/J-6KUdxXESA/s320/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2Breading.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqQvJS0ngx4/VnbjWiecmqI/AAAAAAAAAB0/bp-2YbncmL4/s1600/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2Bparlor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqQvJS0ngx4/VnbjWiecmqI/AAAAAAAAAB0/bp-2YbncmL4/s320/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2Bparlor.jpg" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US"> We
started by collecting antique clothes, then gingerly wearing them for short
periods on special occasions, then creating meticulous copies we could wear
every day. Clothing is amazingly
intimate. It shapes the people who wear
it, and they shape it in turn. Some of
our earliest lessons in the depth of this relationship came from Gabriel's
antique suits. We could find garments
that fit him in every single dimension save the chest and shoulders, where the
proportions would be dramatically different.
This baffled us, until we realized Victorians were trained from a very
early age to hold themselves erect, with shoulders back to expand the
chest. They didn't spend hours every day
slumped over driving wheels or in many of the other hunched postures that destroy
so many modern backs. Gabriel began
doing workout routines which tightened his back muscles. He made a conscious effort to hold himself
upright every day, and slowly his proportions shifted until he could wear those
antique suits he admired so much.
(Always very carefully of course, since age had rendered them
delicate.) In my case changing my physiology
was much quicker and easier: it only took a corset.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1lnfBMm7QTk/VnbjTBaInPI/AAAAAAAAABc/MwKxKQS8qTA/s1600/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2BSewing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1lnfBMm7QTk/VnbjTBaInPI/AAAAAAAAABc/MwKxKQS8qTA/s320/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2BSewing.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--qkrDHZjN7Q/VnbjXbiaX0I/AAAAAAAAAB8/b-G_EB2rAD0/s1600/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2BBerry%2Bpicking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--qkrDHZjN7Q/VnbjXbiaX0I/AAAAAAAAAB8/b-G_EB2rAD0/s320/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2BBerry%2Bpicking.jpg" width="213" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> We
made copies of those original garments so that we could wear them every day
without damaging irreplaceable antiques.
It's important to remember that they weren't always antiques, though
. The damage done and repairs made by
the clothes' original owners tell their stories in very poignant ways. One of Gabriel's antique suits is nearly
immaculate, and one could easily assume it had been worn only once or twice
before it was forever stored away. Looking
down the viewer sees the reason: an enormous tea stain across the front of the
trousers. Another of his antique suits
is made of relatively fine fabric —except for its pockets, which are rough as
sailcloth. The former owner must have
carried heavy items (keys, perhaps?), and knew his own propensity for wearing
through pockets. These sorts of details
are considered flaws by most collectors and dramatically lower antiques'
financial worth. (This is why we can
afford them at all!) However, they increase
their educational value in a way that has nothing to do with money. To us these aren't flaws: they are memories
of people long gone, details too mundane at the time to write in books, but
recorded forever in the items they touched.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> When
Gabriel and I moved to a house built between 1888 and 1889, we expanded our
explorations beyond clothes and into nearly all of life's intimate
details. Using oil lamps as our main
source of artificial light has taught us that paraffin oil burns more dimly
than kerosene, but with a cooler flame less apt to crack the chimney of an
especially small fingerlamp. The light
of oil lamps, magnified and reflected by mirrors and mercury glass common in
Victorian houses, has given us a much deeper appreciation for light and
darkness and the ways they play off each other.
It has taught me that natural daylight is best for sewing with dark
fabrics, but that white and other pale colors can be worked at night. It has made us more conscious of questioning
exactly how much light —or any resource— we truly need at a given time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L0RWqw4_pfY/VnbjPIoP4kI/AAAAAAAAABU/fVSH5fzZPiM/s1600/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BChoi%2B47%2BPerfection%2Bheater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L0RWqw4_pfY/VnbjPIoP4kI/AAAAAAAAABU/fVSH5fzZPiM/s320/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BChoi%2B47%2BPerfection%2Bheater.jpg" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US"> When
Gabriel first presented me with a Victorian kerosene heater, the device made me
distinctly nervous. Could such a large
flame possibly be safe? But I remembered
peeps into modern Japanese home life when I'd taught English in the small town
of Komatsu for a year. Kerosene heaters
are still quite common in Japan, and my friends there didn't think twice about
using them when the weather turned cold.
Remembering their nonchalence made me willing to try the Victorian
heater. Now after five years of using
the dependable, utterly safe device, I recognize my old anxieties for what they
were: narrow-minded prejudice against something unfamiliar. Familiarity with the tool gave me confidence
in my ability to use it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--kal1OKcEzQ/VnbjZiCIdvI/AAAAAAAAACM/uylIGYJ_kug/s1600/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2Bwriting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--kal1OKcEzQ/VnbjZiCIdvI/AAAAAAAAACM/uylIGYJ_kug/s320/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BEstar%2BHyo%2BGyung%2BChoi%2Bwriting.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US"> I
bought my eyedropper fountain pen with a portion of my first book advance, and
I came to look on inkstains on my right hand as a mark of pride which proved I
was doing my job as a writer. They also
incline me to think that inkstained hands were a contributing factor in the
popularity of gloves in Victorian wardrobes: an insight I would never have
gained if all of this hadn't become such a part of me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> Every
object humans create says something about its individual makers, and every item
we use bears our fingerprints in one way or another. My husband and I love our antiques for their
beauty and utility, but most of all we love them for their lessons of the
past. They allow us to literally touch
history, and to connect with its most private details.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">For more on Sarah please follow her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThisVictorianLife" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ThisVictorianLife </a>and her web site<a href="http://www.thisvictorianlife.com/" target="_blank"> http://www.thisvictorianlife.com/</a></span></div>
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Vintorian Publicationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037058971574638435noreply@blogger.com1