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The Microcosm of London is a glorious window into the social life and architecture of London on the cusp of the Regency. The original 1808 – 1810 edition of this magnificently illustrated set is extremely rare, and therefore prohibitively expensive. The reduced-size reprint of 1904 is nearly as scarce and almost as costly. But thanks to the world-wide web, this rich resource is freely available to anyone with a computer and an internet connection.
Just what is The Microcosm of London, and where can you find it?
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Earl Grey, that is.
In the last several months, I have read at least three novels set in the English Regency in which the characters are depicted drinking Earl Grey tea. Which was completely impossible, since Earl Grey tea was not introduced in England until the reign of William IV. The tea was named after King William's Prime Minister, who had been instrumental in the abolition of slavery, the restriction of child labor and the passage of the Reform Act of 1832, which finally brought sweeping changes to the British electoral system.
The legend and the facts behind Earl Grey Tea ...
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I first learned of the existence of that small lady's handbag, the reticule, from the novels of Georgette Heyer. Later, as a museum curator, I had the opportunity to see a number of actual Regency-era reticules, both in person and in museum photographs. As I continued to research these often exquisite little bags, I discovered they had their origins in the late eighteenth century. Prior to that time, ladies carried their personal essentials in pockets under their skirts. Not in their skirts, under their skirts.
So, when and how did the lady's pocket come out from under her skirt and make its debut as the reticule?
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Unless you like living in a swamp infested with thieves!
Despite the use of Belgrave Square, Eaton Square, or other locales within Belgravia as the address for one or more characters in recent Regency novels I have read, Belgravia did not exist in the Regency. Wishing, or in this case, writing, cannot make it so. The area which encompasses Belgravia was known as Five Fields during the decade of the Regency, and for centuries before that. It was a marshy, muddy lowland and a known haunt of footpads and highwaymen. It was by no stretch of the imagination a posh address during the Regency. In fact, there were only a few ramshackle sheds in the fields, some used for bull-baiting or cock-fighting. Large sections of the fields were unhealthy as they were heavily saturated with brackish water.
When and how did this marshy wasteland become the address in London?
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Posted on 05/08/09 at 07:08:00 by Kathryn Kane
Category: Places
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As they would say in the Regency, I am most gratified by your kind words. I am fascinated by all things Regency and it is fun to share the snippets of information I have acquired over the years.
I am not surprised to learn that your husband reads Austen and Heyer. Austen, in particular, was very popular with men in the trenches during WWI. They read her novels, as you do, to escape from the horrors of war to a more civilized age. I also learned recently that the novels of Jane Austen were prescribed to soldiers suffering from stress during WWI. Austen's rural settings and humorous tales of daily life helped many a soldier to recover from what today we know as post-traumatic stress syndrome.
I salute you in your work on HIV in Africa and I wish you great success in your efforts! I am glad you like my site and I hope it provides you an occasional small respite from the real world when you need it.
Regards,
Kat
thank you so much for this! such interesting information and beautifully written, with great links to the maps etc. I love your site! I also started off with Jane Austen then Georgette Heyer, both of whom I read to this day, as does my husband (there are miracles in this world, after all....)
thanks again for making this great site! I live in Africa, working on an HIV project and it's lovely to be able to escape to 18th c. London....
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Not only did a great many people regularly brush their teeth during the years of the Regency, they were also concerned about bad breath when socializing with others. For that reason, many people carried small sweets about with them. In Shakespeare's day they were called "kissing comfits," but by the time of the Regency they were referred to simply as comfits.
What exactly were these Regency breath-mints? Of what were they made, how were they made, and how were they carried?
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I am not surprised to learn that your husband reads Austen and Heyer. Austen, in particular, was very popular with men in the trenches during WWI. They read her novels, as you do, to escape from the horrors of war to a more civilized age. I also learned recently that the novels of Jane Austen were prescribed to soldiers suffering from stress during WWI. Austen's rural settings and humorous tales of daily life helped many a soldier to recover from what today we know as post-traumatic stress syndrome.
I salute you in your work on HIV in Africa and I wish you great success in your efforts! I am glad you like my site and I hope it provides you an occasional small respite from the real world when you need it.
Regards,
Kat