What’s Your Favorite (Historical) Comfort Read? (and Mystery Object Revealed!)

So...last week’s mystery object! I hope you all had fun guessing what it was, both here and on my Facebook page. And those of you who guessed that it was a butter churn were absolutely correct! I would definitely have preferred one of these to the dash-style churn—at least one could hold a book and read while churning. One does have priorities.

And speaking of reading...let’s talk about comfort reads.

Do you have books that you turn to whenever you’re feeling unhappy or blue, or just need to spend time in the company of a dear old friend who never lets you down? I expect most of us bookworms have such comfort reads. I certainly do...and of course, most of mine are historical. I thought it might be fun to talk a little about some of mine...and for you to share yours so that we can all enlarge our lists.  Are you ready?

The Wolves Chronicles by Joan Aiken

These are the oldest comfort reads on my list, since I discovered them somewhere around age nine or ten. They’re actually historical fantasy, set in an alternate timeline in which the Glorious Revolution never happened and the Stewarts continued to rule England and weren’t replaced by the Hanoverians...but that doesn’t mean the Hanoverians weren’t scheming to seize the throne.  Fortunately a doughty crew of children and teens sees through their machinations and rallies the grownups against their evil plots. The series starts with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and continues with Black Hearts in Battersea and Nightbirds on Nantucket, my personal favorite since it is set right near where I grew up in southeastern Massachusetts. I’ve actually never finished the whole series (there are eleven books in all), and while they’re written for a middle grade reading audience, this adult found them perfectly enjoyable reading.

   

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
I hesitated to add this book onto my “comfort read” list, because I’m not sure it quite qualifies...and besides, it’s not a book you lightly pick up on a whim to pick up your mood—not at just over a thousand pages! But I still reread it every year (usually in November, for some reason) because it’s one of my five favorite books of all time. It’s so...immersive is probably the word: it completely slurps me in and doesn’t let me go. It’s wildly creative, even though it takes place within the outlines of an entirely believable alternate Regency England where magic used to be part of the world (and may be making a comeback.) And it’s so full of sly humor (Clarke’s version of the Battle of Waterloo never fails to make me giggle) even when it’s also being rather melancholy or even occasionally angry. All I can say is read it (and don’t you even think about skipping the footnotes.)

           Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

More historical fantasy (are you seeing a pattern here?), this time set in a Regency England where magic is an accepted part of life and one of the events of the Season, along with dancing at Almack’s and visiting the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy, might be attending the investiture of a new wizard at the Royal College of Wizards. Kate Talgarth (yes, the book is littered with Georgette Heyer references) is off to London for her coming out, leaving behind her best friend (and cousin) Cecelia Rushton, but there will be plenty of magical adventure (and handsome suitors) enough for the both of them. Authors Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer wrote this story as a lark in a series of letters one summer; there are books detailing the cousins’ further adventures, but this one is definitely the best.

And of course, the divine Miss Heyer

I don’t think it’s possible to read a Georgette Heyer novel and not find yourself in a better mood when you close the book. Although she did manage to write a few (in my opinion) duds, she wrote many more that were simply brilliant. The Grand Sophy, Cotillion, The Unknown Ajax, Sylvester, and Arabella are more or less guaranteed to put a smile on my face—how about you?

All right, NineteenTeen readers, now it’s your turn—what are your favorite historical comfort reads?

 

It's Mystery Object Time Again!

All right, NineteenTeen readers, it’s time to play the "what the heck is that?" game! No contest or prizes—this is all just for fun. Here it is...now, what is it?

First, a little background. My husband and I acquired this from an “attic sale” held by our local historical society this past summer—in an effort to clean out their holdings of items that weren’t really locally important or otherwise worth keeping as part of their collections (and raise funds to help preserve what is important), they de-accessioned them and sold them off to the public. The DH and I purchased a few items that I’ll be featuring here in the next months, and this is one of them.

It stands fifteen inches high from base to the top of the removeable lid, thirteen inches wide across the cylinder, and nine and a half inches deep. The main cylindrical part, made of white cedar (it still smells heavenly!) sits on two sturdy rests; it is made like a barrel, bound with galvanized steel hoops. The overall craftsmanship is quite lovely; it’s s solid piece of work, with all its parts fitting nicely together. The patina of the wood is just beautiful, warm and brown.

In front is a galvanized steel and wood crank that turns both clockwise and counterclockwise. Removing the well-fitting lid at top from the hopper reveals that the crank turns wooden hurdles inside the cylinder. The other side shows a cross-bracing piece screwed across it, and at the bottom, a hole plugged with the remains of a shaped cork.

I don’t expect we’ll be using it for its original purpose (yes, I know what it is!); we just thought it was a handsome piece. There’s something very satisfying about it—I don’t know if it’s the mellow color of the wood or the purposeful shape or the craftsmanship or what. My understanding is that it dates from the second half of the nineteenth century—I haven’t been able to pin down a more specific year.

So, what do you think it is? Post your guesses! And have fun!

Mystery Object Unscreened

Thank you to everyone who played along with my Mystery Object last week. Alas, stumping most of you was not in the cards: the objects depicted in the Ackermann’s Repository print I posted are indeed firescreens.

So what is a firescreen?

In the days before oil burners and thermostat-controlled central heating, fireplaces were more or less it for keeping warm…and while you might want to sit as close to the fire as possible to stay toasty, having your face close to open flames could prove deleterious to the complexion…and if we go back to earlier centuries, when paste makeup was more common, sitting to close to the fire would cause one’s face to…well, let’s just say that streaks of melting makeup running down one’s cheeks is NOT an attractive look. And so the firescreen was invented, to protect one’s delicate visage from too much heat, but still allow sticking close to the fire.

But firescreens also became an opportunity, of sorts. Here’s the text that accompanies this Ackermann print:

The talent for drawing, which has been cultivated with so much success by some ladies of high rank, enabled them to decorate several articles of furniture in a very novel and tasteful manner. A laudable emulation in the higher circles caused this species of art to become a fashion, and an extensive variety of ornamental furniture has been produced by ladies; many articles of which have lost nothing even in comparison with the work of very clever professional artists.

There are few pieces of furniture so appropriate to the purpose of decoration in this style as the screen, either for the hand, or to be supported by poles: four designs for the latter are introduced in the annexed plate; they exhibit the proportions and forms applicable, which may be ornamented as the taste of the amateur may suggest, either by figures, landscapes, vases, flowers, or simply by Etruscan or embossed gold borders.

Small paravents [folding screens] would afford ample means for the exercise of the elegant talent of design, and be beautiful and useful appendages to the drawing-room.

So there you have it: when handsome young men pay calls on days when there's the least bit of chill in the air, you make sure there's a cracking good fire in the drawing room...and then make sure that one of the firescreens you painted with an attractive prospect of the seashore at Brighton, drawn from memory, is in prominent view. Thusly can you protect your delicate complexion and demonstrate your exquisite talent and taste, all at the same time. Sounds like a reasonable idea to me!

Thanks for playing along with my Mystery Object. :)

At Last! Mystery Object Time!

We haven’t done a Mystery Object in a long while because I simply haven’t run across any suitable candidates…but I think I finally found one here in a print from Ackermann’s Repository, dated December 1815, that I recently acquired.

Aren’t they pretty? So...what are they?

Unfortunately, since this is a drawing, I can’t provide measurements or materials. But I can give you a little background information: they were usually anywhere from three to five feet tall, and could be found in most rooms of the house, particularly living spaces like sitting rooms or parlors. They were in common use for centuries, but their usefulness came to an end over the latter half of the 19th century.

Any ideas? If you think you know, post your guess in the comments section. If you know you know, post your answer also…but please, don’t post links to pictures to prove that you know. That tends to bring the guessing to a screeching halt, which isn’t much fun for anyone. No prizes—we’re doing this Mystery Object just for fun. And I promise that next week I’ll tell you all about these whatchamacallits...and maybe some other news that I've had to keep a "mystery" for a while. Have fun!

Mystery Object Contest #5: What is it?

It’s been a while since we’ve done a mystery object...so here you are!
Today’s mystery object is made of metal. It measures five and a half inches long and two and three-quarters inches at its widest. It is marked Sheffield (silver plate) on its underside, and has the manufacturer’s mark P&B on the underside of the handle.

So…what is it?

If you think you know, post your guess in the comments section. If you know you know, post your answer also…but please, don’t post links to pictures to prove that you know. That tends to bring the guessing to a screeching halt, which isn’t much fun for anyone. All correct guesses will be entered in a drawing to receive (ta da!) an autographed review copy of my upcoming YA historical (and prequel to Bewitching Season and Betraying Season) , Courtship and Curses, due out from Henry Holt Books for Young Readers in August!

I’ll accept guesses through next Monday evening and post the answer—and the name of the winner—on Tuesday. If no one guesses correctly, I’ll draw a winner from among all the commenters, so go for it!*

Have fun!

*Alas, due to prohibitive postage costs, I will ship only to US and Canadian addresses. I'm sorry!

Mystery Object: What is it?

It’s time for another Mystery Object! In past rounds I’ve posted pictures of things like glove stretchers and vinaigrettes for you to identify. This time, we’re going to try something a little different…because I don’t have any idea what this Mystery Object is! Do you?

Here it is:

From the end of the jump ring (which makes me wonder if it’s something that might have been carried on a chatelaine) it measures 2 ¼ inches. It’s marked “A.M. Co” and “STERLING SILVER.” The main length of the body is machined in tiny ridges, and there’s a slot running its length. When you turn the knob on the end, a sort of tongue protrudes through the slot:
The object easily comes apart into two pieces--an inner core and outer shell--and has a little catch so that I think it’s made to pull apart. The inner core with the tongue pretty much fills the outer--there's not a lot of space in there:
Unfortunately I don’t have a date for this item: an on-line search for “A.M. Co” didn’t turn anything up about the manufacturer, and neither did searching on silver hallmark identification sites. I’m not even sure if it’s American or British.

I have a couple of theories…but I want to hear what you think. No theory too crazy! And anyone who can provide a positive identification for this object will win a signed copy of your choice of Bewitching Season or Betraying Season.

Let the guessing begin!

It's Mystery Object Time Again!

Are you ready for a new Mystery Object? I love doing these.

Isn’t this latest one adorable? Not to mention tiny—its dimensions are a mere 1 ¼ inches by 7/8 inches by 5/16 inches, as you can see in the photo below.

The material is silver, and the workmanship is lovely, with elaborate engraved scrollwork on top, sides, and bottom. On the top is a cartouche where the original owner’s initials—MMH—are engraved.
As you can see in the photo above , the object is hinged, and opens to reveal more scrollwork, this time with pierced cut-outs. This piece is also hinged, but on the side, and also lifts up, as shown below. The interior of both the top and bottom are polished and undecorated, apart from the silversmith’s marks. Sorry about the color change--this really is a nice shiny silver as seen in the first photo, but I changed lighting in order to get the focus better.
So what is this cute little thing, commonly carried by 19th century ladies?

If you think you know, post your guess in the comments section. If you know you know, post your answer also…but please, don’t post links to pictures to prove that you know. That tends to bring the guessing to a screeching halt, which isn’t much fun for anyone. All correct guesses will be entered in a drawing to receive an autographed review copy of Betraying Season and, just for fun, a Leland Sister tote bag (perfect for summer beach/pool going!) featuring the yummy covers of both Bewitching Season and Betraying Season.

I’ll accept guesses through next Monday evening and post the answer—and the name of the winner—on Tuesday. Have fun!

Flirting with Props, Part 3

I hope you all had a pleasant Memorial Day weekend! Here in New England we had a little foretaste of summer on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures in the low nineties…definitely fan weather! So today we’ll be learning about how to flirt with fans (preferably the handheld model and not the type that requires electricity!)…but first we need to announce the winner of last week’s Name That Mystery Object contest!

The correct answer was indeed a skirt lifter—a lady could fasten the toothed clamp end onto the lower edge of her dress, and be able to lift her skirt slightly to avoid muddy or dusty areas (or otherwise unpleasant patches of ground—remember that this was the age of horses!) when out promenading. Jane, you were correct about it being a skirt lifter, but a chatelaine is an entirely different thing--it was a brooch or clip with chains to which a lady could attach little necessities, like a notepad, scissors, needle-case, pencil, or thimble-holder (here's an image of one.) And the winner, drawn from among the correct guesses, is Ammietia!

Ammietia, please send me your mailing address through the contact form on my website so I can get an ARC of Betraying Season out to you. And stayed tuned for next month when I have another mystery object for you all to puzzle over!

Now, on to how to flirt with fans. Mr. Shafer’s intro to fan flirtations in his Secrets of Life Revealed (Baltimore, 1877) is short and to the point:

The fan is also used for flirtations, and the following rules govern the subject:

Carrying in right hand: You are too willing
Carrying in right hand in front of face: Follow me
Carrying in left hand: Desirous of an acquaintance
Closing it: I wish to speak with you
Drawing across the forehead: We are watched
Drawing across the cheek: I love you
Drawing across the eyes: I am sorry
Drawing through the hand: I hate you
Dropping: We will be friends
Fanning fast: I am engaged
Fanning slow: I am married
Letting it rest on right cheek: Yes
Letting it rest on left cheek: No
Open and shut: You are cruel
Open wide: Wait for me
Shut: I have changed
Placing it on the right ear: You have changed
Twirling it in left hand: I love another
With handle to lips: Kiss me

Well! Again I see a lot of potential for miscommunication here, especially for those of us who tend to be klutzy! Then again, we might end up with a wide circle of acquaintances that way…

Come back next week when I'll finish up this series with parasol flirtations.

Mystery Object Contest #3: What is it?

Well, here it is:
I told you it would be diabolically difficult!

This little metal 19th century whatchamacallit measures 5 inches long and 2 inches at its widest. The black cord attached to it is 3 feet, 10 inches long and has a loop at its end. I am not quite sure of what the material is—perhaps steel, as it is quite sturdy, or maybe German silver (an alloy of nickel, copper, and zinc.)

As you can see from the pictures, the little circular piece with a daisy on it slides up and down the shank, permitting the object to open and close quite securely. The flat disks at the bottom which almost meet when the object is closed have what looks like desiccated rubber pads with a somewhat worn but still noticeable raised "tooth" pattern on their insides.

Care to venture a guess on the identity of this very useful (at least to a 19th century lady) item?

All correct guesses on the identity of my latest Mystery Object left in the comment section between now and next Monday night will be entered in a drawing for a signed review copy of Betraying Season…if no one guesses correctly, I’ll draw a winner from among all the commenters, so go for it! Don't forget to stop by next Tuesday when I'll tell you what this is, and post the list of fan flirtations--just what you'll need to know as warm weather approaches!

Flirting with Props, Part 2

Gloves…once an essential part of both ladies’ and gentlemen’s wardrobes. If you had any claim to gentility you did not stir out of doors without them, summer or winter. You wore them when making calls, when shopping, driving or riding, going to parties, and dancing—the only time you took them off was at a meal. In fact, letting a young man touch your ungloved hand was considered quite risqué (and very titillating as a result!) So I don’t suppose it’s terribly surprising that Mr. Shafer included a list of Glove Flirtations for the edification of fashionable young ladies and gentlemen in his Secrets of Life Revealed. Here’s his take on glove flirtations:

Like the handkerchief, the glove at times takes an important part in flirtations. The following are the known rules on the subject:

Biting the tips: I wish to be rid of you very soon
Clenching them, rolled up in right hand: No
Drawing halfway on the left hand: Indifference
Dropping both of them: I love you
Dropping one of them: Yes
Folding up carefully: Get rid of your company
Holding the tips downward: I wish to be acquainted
Holding them loose in the right hand: Be contented
Holding them loose in the left hand: I am satisfied
Left hand with the naked thumb exposed: Do you love me?
Putting them away: I am vexed
Right hand with the naked thumb exposed: Kiss me
Smoothing them out gently: I am displeased
Striking them over the shoulder: Follow me
Tapping the chin: I love another
Tossing them up gently: I am engaged
Turning them inside out: I hate you
Twisting them around the fingers: Be careful, we are watched
Using them as a fan: Introduce me to your company

Somehow, going to the trouble of turning a pair of kid gloves inside out just to tell someone that you loathe them seems a little over the top—isn’t a stony glare just before turning one’s back on someone equally effective? And what about "smoothing them out gently" meaning "I am displeased"? Does smoothing them out violently mean "I’m so mad I could spit nails"? Unfortunately this system doesn’t seem to allow for shades of meaning…

And speaking of gloves…last year I posted pictures of a couple of 19th century mystery objects for you to guess the identity of, with a drawing from among the correct guesses to win an ARC of Bewitching Season. Well, it’s Mystery Object time again…with the prize being a signed ARC of Betraying Season. Come back next Tuesday for a look at my diabolically difficult object, and register your guesses!

Aw, That Was Too Easy!

So all of you who sent in a guess as to the identity of last mystery object are way too smart. It is indeed a shoe button hook, though a nice lady at my nearby antique shop thought it was a crochet hook. Unfortunately I couldn't find any pictures of buttoned boots in my collection, but I thought these slippers were adorable.

And now the important part...(cue drumroll)...the winner of this month's drawing for a review copy of Bewitching Season is...The Book Muncher! Ms. Muncher, I'll be contacting you off-blog about getting your mailing address.

In the meanwhile, this is going to be a short entry because I have some work that needs doing in the next day and not much time to do it in...so I thought I'd take a minute to ask if there are any suggestions for topics that you'd like us to post on in the future. Do you want to hear more Weird History Stories? What about learning about guys' clothes? Or about the books people were reading? Or what exactly happened at all those balls where the fluffy dresses we post pictures of were worn? Or what girls did for hobbies or fun? Or what they snacked on?

Talk to us. We'd love to hear from you.

Mystery Object Contest #2

Well, I had so much fun reading the answers you sent in for our last mystery object contest that I'm doing another one.

I think you'll find this one a tad easier... but even so, the folks in the antiques shop where I bought this mis-identified it. As in the last contest, this is something found on a nineteenth century young lady's dressing table, but would more likely be seen there toward the middle and later parts of the century. This item is made of sterling silver and is 6 3/4 inches long.

So...(cue drumroll...) What is it?

All correct guesses as of next Monday evening will once again be put into my 2007 Red Sox World Champions hat and the person whose name I pull out will win a review copy of Bewitching Season. So stop back in next Tuesday to see if you've won. And have fun!