Nineteenth Century
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What actually was the London season?
It seems that whenever we turn on the TV to watch Regency-based period drama, or pick up a historical novel set during this period, there are so many references to the London season. Bridgerton, of course, has much of its storyline powered by the London season and the actions of the ton in the capital. read more
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Did women actually use dance cards at Regency Balls?
I wanted to deep dive into a little bit of a mystery in period drama: you often see at balls in period drama women recording the names of their dance partners beside the name of each dance in a little card – a dance card – tied to their wrists with pieces of ribbons, with read more
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Marie-Antoinette’s biggest fan: Empress Eugénie
Fewer women have captured cultural imagination like Marie-Antoinette. Her fascination endures today, and it did so almost immediately after her death in the French revolution. And one of her biggest fans, who sat at the helm of cult-like adoration for who they saw as a martyr queen, was Empress Eugénie. Empress Eugénie was born in read more
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What is a Cabinet of Curiosity?
One of my favourite things that I spotted in the second half of the third season of Bridgerton was the presence of cabinets of curiosity in Penelope and Colin’s sitting room. It seems the perfect set addition for our intrepid and intellectually engaged couple (I tried to find a still of the set, but couldn’t!): read more
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Balloon flight in the early nineteenth century
One of the marvels in the first part of season 3 of Bridgerton is an innovation fair with, at its centre, a balloon. During this era, people were fascinated by flight and the skies, and balloon flight was still very new. The first recorded flight in Europe happened at Versailles on 19th September 1783, when read more
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Visiting Gunter’s Tea Shop
I don’t know about you, but one of my favourite things is to go out for tea (with croissants in the morning, and cake in the afternoon, if possible!), which is a hobby we share with our eighteenth- and nineteenth-century ancestors. One of the most famous tea shops in London during this time was called read more
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Book Review | “The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh”, by Claudia Gray
When you think of the novels of Jane Austen, if you were pressed to think of the most odious of all her characters, who would you choose? One of my favourites, so to speak, is Lady Catherine de Bourgh of Pride and Prejudice. Whilst not an outright villain, she is utterly – sometimes deliciously – read more
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What women read in the 18th & early 19th centuries
To celebrate – finally! – the release of the second half of season 3 of Bridgerton, in which I’m hoping our lovely heroine Penelope Featherington gets her happy ending, let’s talk about one of Penelope’s favourite activities: reading. Her mother makes her pretend in front of Lord Debling that she doesn’t understand the book she read more
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Celebrating the release of Bridgerton Season 3 (Part 1)!
Happy Sunday! It’s been an exciting few days in which we have FINALLY (after 2 years!) been able to see part of the new season of Bridgerton on screen. Without any spoilers, I can safely say it has been worth the wait, and I can’t wait for Part 2 to drop on June 13th! It’s read more
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Adapting Jane Austen | A shirt for sale
Good morning! I couldn’t resist sharing this news story with you: the shirt worn by Colin Firth in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is up for auction today! As part of an auction for charity, it goes up with 68 other lots from iconic period dramas, from Poldark to Ever After. I’ve been read more
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Dr. Lizzie Rogers 