Chatsworth is staging an ‘Elevenses’ programme of weekly talks from its experts at the Stables to coincide with the opening of the shops and restaurant this winter. Visitors are invited to come along for coffee and meet the Chatsworth team every Friday through March 4 2011.One of the highlights will be the talk by the … Continue reading Tea and Talks at Chatsworth →

Rustic garden seats, bowers, pergolas, and other small buildings decorated Regency era gardens (though certainly very sparingly). Featured are two unusual designs for garden seating introduced in 1816. Read full story.

Kensington Gardens, originally the private gardens of Kensington Palace, has 275 acres of formal avenues of magnificent trees and ornamental flower beds. The Gardens are located at Kensington Palace, the choice of William III and Mary II for their London home. For most of the 18th century the gardens were closed to the public, however … Continue reading Kensington Gardens →

Illustration by Julia RothmanHere’s a little tableware history — if there’s a lull in your dinner-table conversation, it might come in handy. And if you’re looking for the perfect gravy boat, salt cellar or tureen, I have you covered with a few of my favorites below! — Amy A.Image above: Mme. de Pompadour’s saucière from … Continue reading Gravy Boats, Soup Tureens, and Salt Cellars →

From hats on the head to shoes on the feet, clothing accessories were as important in the past as they are today. In between the head and the toes, people wore kerchiefs, shawls, gloves, ruffles, aprons, purses, wallets, and jewelry as part of their ensembles. Accessories also can be used to explore history. Scholars from … Continue reading Clothes and Accessories Made the 18th-century Man or Woman →

The virtual museum from Shoe Icons Publishing explores centuries of footwear, including more than 1500 pairs of shoes, more than 300 pairs of shoe buckles, 250 buttonhooks, large number of stamps, books, cards, photographs and other shoe related printed material. The site has high resolution images of hundreds of period shoes beginning with the 18th … Continue reading Shoes … Shoes … and more Shoes! →

Whimisical Victorian Craft Project! Re-create a child’s Victorian mug with one these whimsical ABC designs from a 19th century magazine. These delightful alphabet illustrations for decorating children’s drinking mugs can be printed to make a truly Victorian gift for a special child. Moreover, the charming patterns painted on tiles could create delightful tiles for a … Continue reading Whimsical Victorian Child’s Mug →

Explore the era brought to life in the romantic works of English novelist, Jane Austen. Featured are informative illustrated articles about the Regency Era – fashion, decorating and lifestyle. Highlighted is Regency era clothing for both men and women from the years of Pride and Prejudice. Color prints of Regency furniture and window treatments are … Continue reading Regency Era Brought to Life →

While waiting for the new publication that accompanies the exhibition Victoria & Albert: Art & Love at Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, try to find this book – In Royal Fashion: Clothes of Princess Charlotte of Wales and Queen Victoria, 1796-1901. It was written by Kay Staniland, the Museum of London’s Curator of Costume, to coincide … Continue reading In Royal Fashion →

One of the key attractions in this sale is a rare needlework book cover from The Book of Beauty, 1896. This pre-Raphaelite needlework book cover was designed for The Book of Beauty: A Collection of Beautiful Portraits with Literary, Artistic and Musical Contributions by Men and Women of the Day, edited by Mrs F Harcourt … Continue reading Costume, Embroideries, Textiles, and Fans →