Monday, September 13, 2010

Happy Birthday to Us, Part 3

It’s a little—okay, more than a little—shocking to us to realize we’ve been blogging at NineteenTeen for three whole years now. I honestly had no idea we’d persist this long—I was sure we’d run out of topics by now, but they just keep on appearing. Isn't history wonderful?

As you probably know, we use our birthday as an opportunity to ask you, our readers, what topics you’d like to see us cover or what features you’d like to see more (or less) of. So here we go!

What have you enjoyed reading about most over the last year or more, and what hasn’t particularly interested you? We got rather a mixed response to our Young Bluestocking Book Club, and are on the fence about continuing it…is it something you enjoy reading, and should we persevere? Do you want us to continue to occasionally discuss movies or television of possible 19th century interest? Do you want to see more biographies of famous (and not-so-well known) 19th century people? Do you like the Fashion Forecasts? Do you want more guest posts?

While Regina and I remain devoted history geeks, we don’t blog for our own amusement—we blog for our readers. So come on, Dear Readers, let us know what you’d like more of (or less of) at NineteenTeen...and to encourage your thinking processes, all suggestions will be entered in a drawing to win a $25 Borders Books gift card and perhaps another goodie or two (we do have a handful of NineteenTeen fans left). So join us in a virtual bite of cake and sip of finest oolong served in the best Minton china...and happy birthday to us!

P.S. Want to give us a birthday present? We'd love to get up to one hundred followers, so if you've got any historically inclined friends, send them here!

15 comments:

ChaChaneen said...

Good morning Ladies!

Well I lurve everything about your blog so the only way you can go is up with new ideas. Although I may not comment on each post, I read each of them.

Your book club choices took me out of my comfort zone yet I lurved KNOWING we were all reading together regardless if we agreed or disagreed on our reviews. My favorite selection was Cotillion!!

I enjoyed renting the movie Bright Star... those costumes still make me smile - wow they were gorgeous!

My favorite posts are actually about you ladies... seeing you at the book festivals with other authors, conferences, Regina in her regency dress in Florida, etc.

I always enjoy the pictures you select to go along with your posts, just eye candy to me.

Happy Birthday!!

bjk said...

Hello and Happy Birthday! I only recently found you ladies (thanks QNPoohBear) but I've since read all of your entries. As a fellow history geek I really enjoy your bios and social history entries. Another of my favorites are your "what is this" photos - I was close several times but not (yet) on the nose. Here's a toast to you and happy wishes for many more years.

AnneB said...

Post a comment and just keep doing what you're doing. It's fascinating! (We don't have a local Borders, so don't enter me in the contest... just wanted to encourage you.)

QNPoohBear said...

Happy Birthday NineteenTeen!

I love reading about the fashion and lifestyle of the nineteenth century and about real life bluestockings. Ada Lovelace fans check out this t-shirt
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/womens/dd9e/

They also have Mary Shelley
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/womens/e571/

For those who liked Marissa's post on country working class life in Larkrise to Candleford, the series is now airing on WGBH Boston on Saturday nights at 9 PM!

Marissa Doyle said...

Thank you for the birthday wishes...and Regina and I are taking notes!

Editor Cassandra said...

I love the biographies and movie talks. Please keep doing them.

I'd love for you to do a jewelry series, describing (hopefully with photos!) the kinds of things that girls would wear/own, from the poorest to the richest.

Rachel said...

Happy Birthday!

I love each and every one of your posts. I end up learning something every time!

I would love for you to continue with the Young Bluestocking Club. I'm not to hip on watching movies as part of it though.

Please continue to post fashion plate articles as those are always fun look at and read about. I also like it when you post about random articles in La Belle. The one about the escaping tiger in London was hiliarious!

Thanks for having such a great blog!!! Happy Birthday!

Marissa Doyle said...

These are great, everyone--thank you for letting us know what interests you, so that we can supply more of it. :)

robin said...

Happy Birthday, Nineteen Teen! I love reading all of the posts, but I'm a history geek too, so my favorites are the historical tidbits and pictures of curious items.

Cheers!

Robin Lemke said...

I'll see if I can spread the word about this blog!

I, too, love all that you do here, but especially love the social history, also.

I hope you get your 100 followers!

vonze said...

Happy Birthday! I enjoy this blog so much. It's right up my alley, as they say, because I love women's history and I've learned a lot here.

I think you do an amazing job already. Just keep up the good work! I love learning about fashion and social graces.

Janine DeJesus said...

Happy birthday! I actually JUST found this site after looking up Marissa's site while I'm currently reading (and absolutely adoring) Betraying Season. I must say that this site made me become captivated by the nineteenth century! It's so very interesting and really quite romantic! While I still have more posts to read (I'm still in your 2008 posts), I think what I'd like to see is more on the life of young men during this era, and a little on the fashion of the later years.

I also have a question, when did the custom of a young lady coming out end? I was really curious how long this was practiced, or even if it still is today, but that seems unlikely.

Keep up the great posts! I love all of them :) They're so very interesting! You guys are the best.

oh and P.S. I LOVE Bright Star and The Young Victoria. They were so touching.

Janine Mimi

Regina Scott said...

Welcome, Janine Mimi! So glad you're enjoying yourself here! When you get into the 2010 posts, you should start seeing some of my "Where the Boys Are" series. I plan a few more of them in upcoming months.

You asked about when the custom of a girl coming out ended. The answer is, it didn't. It all depends on the circles you travel in and your culture. Some places back east still have girls making their debut. Antonio Banderas' movie Take the Lead, based on a true story, included a young lady practicing dance so she could debut. Some hispanic cultures have quinceanera (and I can't make the little symbol over the n in this format), which marks a girl's 15th birthday with a debut.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. :-)

Janine DeJesus said...

Thanks for replying Regina :) I was really curious about those things and I'm still reading more of your previous posts. I was really surprised that girls still came out. I never thought of the quincenera as one (and I had one myself)! Keep up the great job you guys are doing. You've got me hooked!

Janine Mimi

Marissa Doyle said...

They do still have cotillions and so on, especially in the South, but it doesn't really mean the same thing anymore, since modern young women are usually going to college rather than looking for a husband at age 17 or 18. In England, the custom of being presented to the king or queen as part of coming out ended in 1958, when Queen Elizabeth abolished the practice, though the events of the Season like Henley Regatta and Goodwood and the Derby that have been going on forever still happen.