One Kings Lane has announced their first Movie Set Sale. To kick-off these unique sales, they are partnering with Focus Features Studios to offer products from the set of the highly anticipated timepiece film Jane Eyre. This Movie Set Sale will offer exclusive access to one-of-a-kind furniture, décor and apparel from the sets of Jane … Continue reading Jane Eyre Movie Props for sale →

Nestled amid the homes, shops and public buildings of Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area are the 18th-century-style gardens of the restored city. A quick detour down any garden path leads even the most observant guest into a labyrinth of garden spaces, each geometrically arranged. Read full story.

Henry White, The Garden Chair, 11 September 1854.Albumen silver print, 17.8 x 14 cm. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.Photography was born in 1839, making the 19th century the first to be recorded in this medium. Since then, photography has evolved dramatically from the original chemical processes to today’s digital technology. But its transformation during its … Continue reading Glimpse of a Remarkable Period in History →

WGBH/Boston Celebrates 40 years of Masterpiece Theatre on PBS As part of their celebration of 4 decades televising British TV films versions of beloved novels, WGBH/Boston has launched a website that offers Teacher's Guides and resources for club discussions . Two dozen authors are featured, but it's particularly rich in Jane Austen resources. These are … Continue reading Masterpiece Theatre 40th Anniversary →

An exploration of classic heroines and their equally admirable authors, The Heroine’s Bookshelf shows today’s women how to tap into their inner strengthsand live life with intelligence and grace.Jo March, Scarlett O’Hara, Scout Finch—the literary canon is brimming with intelligent, feisty, never-say-die heroines and celebrated female authors. Like today’s women, they placed a premium on … Continue reading Book Recommendation: The Heroine’s Bookshelf by Erin Blakemore →

View an audio slideshow by the Geffrye Museum explaining how plants and flowers have played an important role in the psychology of the home. This online tour looks at the enduring appeal of plants and flowers in the home and investigates the meanings and values associated with indoor plants. Houseplants and arranged flowers have brightened … Continue reading Plants and Flowers in the Home →

For those of you who missed the staging of Lady Susan in New York, you have a second chance. The Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey on the campus of Drew University in Madison NJ is offering a performance April 4 at 7 pm. Seats are $15.This is a rare opportunity to see this unpublished work … Continue reading Lady Susan at the theatre →

Spanning 500 years of British history, “Behind the Palace Doors: Five Centuries of Sex, Adventure, Vice, Treachery, and Folly from Royal Britain” presents a revealing look at the secret lives of some great (and not-so-great) Britons, courtesy of one of the world’s most engaging royal historians, Michael Farquhar. Beleaguered by scandal, betrayed by faithless spouses, … Continue reading Behind the Palace Doors →

The universal popularity of window gardens in the 19th century, whether large or small, simple or elaborate, illustrated the evidence of a growing taste for flowers and ornamental plants in all circles of society. A simple flower stand near the window, a hanging basket overhead, all shedding their perfume, added day by day brightness to … Continue reading Create a Victorian Window Garden →

"See, we love each other. We just don’t like each other very much.”The Andreas sisters were raised on books – their family motto might as well be, ‘There’s no problem a library card can’t solve.’ Their father, a renowned, eccentric professor of Shakespearean studies, named them after three of the Bard’s most famous characters: Rose … Continue reading Book Recommendation: The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown →