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Category Archives: victoriana
Down the rabbit hole in 1903
The first-ever film version of Lewis Carroll’s tale has recently been restored by the BFI National Archive from severely damaged materials. Made just 37 years after Lewis Carroll wrote his novel and eight years after the birth of cinema, the … Continue reading
Posted in anglophilia, kid lit, victoriana, vintage
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Life in the Romanov Palace
Maria and Anastasia’s Bedroom from The Alexander Palace Time Machine Immediately after the departure of the Romanovs for Siberia in August 1917 the palace was closed for a short for inventory, and then a series of rooms, mostly Parade Halls, … Continue reading
Posted in history, life writing, princesses, victoriana
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Costume drama love
A Love-Letter To BBC Costume Dramas By Sadie Stein, jezebel.com, Septemer 28, 2010 A new miniseries has one writer asking: what exactly is so comforting about these British period pieces, anyway? Describing the lavish new Downton Abbey, Jan Moir … Continue reading
Posted in anglophilia, jane austen, victoriana
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The New Woman and the Bachelor Girl
The New Woman, 1880-1915 by Evangeline Holland, edwardianpromenade.com, March 17, 2009 The Edwardian era appeared rife with social movements, but none caused as much furor as the “New Woman.” From Paris to London to New York to San Francisco, this … Continue reading
Posted in breadwinning, history, matrimony, victoriana
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In the words of that lovelorn teen Taylor Swift, “go pick out a white dress” … 1890 style
Ah, the big princessy wedding gown. It was worn through the early/mid Victorian era (when Queen Victoria made white the bridal colour), in the 50s by Grace Kelly, and in the 80s by Princess Di. But what about wedding fashion in the non-poofy decades? For … Continue reading
Posted in flappers, history, matrimony, victoriana, vintage
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Gilbert Blythe: young and cannot properly flirt
The Ballad of Anne and Gilbert By Diana Peterfreund, April 23, 2009 I was in a pretty strange mood yesterday (anyone who follows my Twitter feed can back me up on that one). And I was chatting with Justine about … Continue reading
Posted in fictional crushes, kid lit, lmmontgomery, victoriana
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A Romantic Way to Perish
Why Heroines Die in Classic Fiction By Vivienne Parry, October 24, 2007 A Nasty Case Of The Vapours, BBC Radio 4 To read classic fiction is to know that if the heroine gets wet, a swift descent into brain fever … Continue reading
Posted in anglophilia, bronte, heroines, jane austen, victoriana
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