Bollywood's Emma

For those of you who enjoyed the Bollywood "Bride and Prejudice," you can look forward to the August release of India's version of Jane Austen's Emma.
To see the trailer and learn more just click on this link.

In the mail: AGM materials

Just in case you missed it, the Portland AGM has sent the registration materials in the mail. Spots always go quick. Here is the link for the registration materials available online.

Jane Austen in Context by Janet Todd

Used as a very reliable reference book, Janet Todd's Jane Austen in Context was referred to by several Janeites at our last meeting. It is available through Cambridge Press.

Jane Austen Fashion by Penelope Byrde

Jane Austen's novels often mention the way people dressed. The clothes people wore, their attitude to dress, and what they said about it, are subtally used to convey their characters. Jane herself liked clothes, her letters mention shopping trips, visits to the dressmakers, and plans for altering dresses to keep up with the fashions, which she followed with interest and amusement. She was an excellent needlewoman herself, and samples of her work can still be seen today.

Penelope Byrde, an expert in costume of the period, explains all, from corsets to topcoats: how clothes were made, what they cost, and what was worn when and by whom.

Colour illustraions of fashion plates throughout. Jane Austen Fashion by Penelope Byrde is available at Amazon.

Wedgwood Ad Campaign

Jane Austen has had a long history with Wedgwood, indeed the pottery maker is celebrating 250 years this year. In doing so, they have launched a new ad campaign, of which I'd like to think Jane Austen would find whimsically amusing. See for your self:



Here is an article from Maurice Robertson, outlining Jane Austen's relationship with Wedgwood:

Jane Austen started to write "Northanger Abbey" in 1798. It was sold to a publisher in Bath for £10 in 1803 but as he felt it was a bit out of fashion with its Gothic subject, put it in a desk drawer, and there it sat until finally published, posthumously, in 1818.

Synopsis:-

Jane's character, Catherine, goes to Bath for the season, the guest of Mr and Mrs Allen. In Bath she is introduced to the rather eccentric General Tilney and his son and daughter, Henry and Elanor. Catherine is invited to stay at the Tilney's family home, Northanger Abbey.

In this scene, Jane has Catherine seated at the breakfast table on the first morning of her visit:

"The elegance of the breakfast set forced itself on Catherine's notice when they were seated at table; and, luckily, it had been the General's choice. He was enchanted by her approbation of his taste, confessed it to be neat and simple, thought it right to encourage the manufacture of his country; and for his part, to his uncritical palate, the tea was as well flavored from the clay of Staffordshire, as from that of Dresden or Sèvres. But this was quite an old set, purchased two years ago. The manufacture was much improved since that time; he had seen some beautiful specimens when last in town, and had he not been perfectly without vanity of that kind, might have been tempted to order a new set. He trusted, however, that an opportunity might ere long occur of selecting one" - Northanger Abbey

The breakfast service so admired by Catherine was undoubtedly a Staffordshire creamware service and almost certainly a Wedgwood "neat and simple" breakfast set. At this time, it was simply necessary to dress your table with fashionable creamware, especially in Bath, the very centre of fashion! It is completely impossible to speak of creamware without first speaking of Josiah Wedgwood (1730 - 1795).

Wedgwood was born with pottery clay in his blood! Born into a family of Staffordshire potters and as was the 18th century system, was apprenticed in the potting shop at age 9. He was by nature a business man, shrewd and able to judge the direction of the market. He had a superb eye for design, was both innovative and inventive and a marketing genius. He served his seven year apprenticeship and in 1758 opened his own factory, then finally, in 1769, opening his famous Etruria factory.

Wedgwood is credited with the invention of creamware about 1770. The newly developed creamware was a fine, light, white earthenware, combined with a cream coloured lead glaze, which produced a bright, sharp and clear, or, tight glaze, as it is known to potters. The glaze was so pure and clear that the pottery needed no further decoration to be appreciated.

But Wedgwood did not stop there and creamware with its smooth clear glaze was soon being produced with tasteful, delicately painted over glaze enamels in the neo-classic style, so fashionable in the late 18th century, or, applied with over glaze transfer prints in sepia, black, blue and puce.

The finesse of the creamware pottery allowed for sharp detailed modelling and beautiful moulding to be produced, many shapes in silver style, i.e. copies of contemporary silver ware.

This, of course, was the period of Robert Adam (1728-1792) who introduced the neo-classical style of interior design and architecture and Wedgwood astutely realised that this was the direction that design was going.

Creamware completely captured the market and soon became the major production of many potters, such as Leeds, Melbourne, Spode and literally dozens of makers, both small and large.

As mentioned, Wedgwood was a marketing genius and his masterstroke of 1765 was to present Queen Charlotte, consort to King George III, with a creamware tea service.

The Queen was so delighted with the gift that she ordered a complete dinner service, including all the accessories, such as vinegar and oil bottles, pickle sets, cruets etc.

Fame followed and in 1766 Josiah Wedgwood was appointed "Potter to Her Majesty, the Queen". Josiah wasted no time and with the Queen's permission, creamware was promptly renamed "Queensware". Now, with "Queensware" on the table of the Royal Family, the door to success stood wide open!

The demand for creamware was overwhelming and production could not cope with the demand. Sales of creamware rocketed and the whole pottery industry stood in amazement.

Josiah's fame was spreading, all the way to Russia! He received an Imperial commission from Catherine II, Empress of Russia, who ordered a complete dinner and dessert service in creamware, this service became known as "The Husk" service.

When the service was delivered to St Petersburg, the Empress was delighted and promptly ordered a further service!

This service is comprised of 952 pieces and decorated with 1244 beautifully painted views of Britain, each piece painted with great detail with individual subjects of the great 18th century houses and country views.

The service is known as "The Frog Service", as the border of each piece was decorated with a continuous band of oak leaves and acorns for the dinner service and ivy for the dessert service. Into this border was inserted a bright green frog, from which the service takes its name. The crest of the frog was included to denote that the service was for use at the Chesmenski Palace, which was located in an area that was known as La Grenouillière, or, the "Frog Marsh".

The Frog Service was produced in 1773 -1774, but before its journey to Russia, Wedgwood's marketing skills once again surfaced. He put the service on show, all 952 pieces displayed in his London show rooms, admission by ticket only! This remarkable service is today housed in the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg.

Josiah Wedgwood died in 1795, just three years before Jane Austen began to write Northanger Abbey.

Knowing that Jane Austen advised her niece not to write of anything of which she did not have personable knowledge, I would say that when Jane had her character, Catherine, remark on General Tinley's creamware breakfast service as "neat and simple", she knew of the story behind it.

I suspect it was Jane who found the Wedgwood breakfast service "neat and simple".

Article Source: here

To Kill a Mockingbird

This is the 50th anniversary of "To Kill A Mockingbird."

At the Spring Lake Library Monday June 28th 7:30 -free

The author Mary McDonagh Murray will be there for a discussion of her new book "Scout, Atticus & Boo."

Just have to call to reserve a place 732-449-6654 if anyone is interested.

Save the Date: Oct 16 Rosenbach Museum and Library

Guided tours of the historic Rosenbach home are offered and our JASNA group will attend on October 16th. Please RSVP to Janeite Geri (centraljerseryJASNA at yahoo dot com)

The Rosenbach Museum’s docents will guide small groups of visitors through the beautifully-appointed period rooms of the Rosenbach brothers’ 19th-century townhouse. All of the tours strive to inspire curiosity and inquiry into the collections, our founders and the museum in general. The tour includes Dr. Rosenbach’s rare book library, Philip Rosenbach’s fine and decorative art collections, and the recreation of modernist poet Marianne Moore’s Greenwich Village living room.

Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble:
In the minds of fans and scholars alike, Jane Austen has never grown old. Now more than ever, Jane Austen is a presence in pop culture—a major accomplishment for someone who published her books anonymously all her life. Who was Jane Austen? We have only a couple of sketches and letters to tell us about her, but from this slim thread hangs a library’s worth of speculation, including countless Hollywood interpretations of her life and her books.

Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury takes you inside the author’s world—the hardships she faced, the loves she lost, and the keen sense of irony that kept her going. Fully illustrated with Regency-era artwork, the book also explains key aspects of life in Austen’s time.

This treasury also contains removable reproductions of many important documents, including a handwritten letter from Jane to her sister Cassandra, pages from the rough draft of Persuasion, and a quirky “History of England” written by Jane as a schoolgirl and illustrated by her sister. These special features, combined with the insightful narrative and evocative images, make Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury an intimate and unique experience for anyone who appreciates the timeless significance of her work.

Pride and Prejudice Mint Boxes

These elegant little lacquered slide boxes—each measuring a demure 1¾"x2¾"x¾" and made of recycled plastics—open to offer a mint (or whatever other tiny somethings you choose to keep inside them, once the included supply of mighty little breath fresheners is gone). One box features a reproduction of a 1907 cover of Jane Austen’s most renowned work, and the other shows a scene from the novel wherein Mr. Bingley encourages his reserved friend, “Come, Darcy, I must have you dance.” (What an ideal moment for a mint!) Austen fans, of course, simply must have these glamorous, literary, and multifunctional accessories. (I like to use mine on trips for carrying jewelry.) Available form Bas Bleu.

"A Large income..."

"A Large Income…" Business Card Case

“A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.” —Jane Austen

This witty quip from Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park— paired with a Regency Era illustration of a handsome woman in a green (how appropriate!) dress—grace the cover of our smart business-card case. The metal 2½"x3¾" container (with resin-coated image) holds a fat stack of standard-size cards and clasps securely shut. With an included silver-colored cloth case, this snappy accessory makes a clever—and useful—gift for all the literary working women you know! Available at Bas Bleu.

Bloomsday at Rosenbach

Wed, 06/16/2010 - 12:00pm - 7:00pm
Philadelphia's Bloomsday at the Rosenbach is one of the cultural highlights of the season, drawing hundreds of friends, neighbors, Joyce enthusiasts, book-lovers, and curious passersby to Delancey Place throughout the day. June 16, 2010 will mark the 18th annual Bloomsday at the Rosenbach—an event that is not to be missed! More

Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World by Claire Harman

Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World by Claire Harman

Text and Synposis: Bas Bleu

Part of the reason why she pleases us so much now is that she was, for years, pleasing only herself.

Scholarly yet accessible, Jane’s Fame is a sort of dual biography—of Jane Austen herself, and of her posthumous rise to a worldwide cultural phenomenon. In the first couple of chapters, British author Claire Harman relates revelatory anecdotes from Austen’s life and offers fresh insight into Austen as an author. It’s widely known, for instance, that Austen struggled for years to get her work published, and Harman maintains that “the longer Austen remained unpublished, the more experimental she became, and the more license she assumed with bold, brilliant moves.” Harman then shifts her focus to the rises and falls in the author’s popularity, from the spike in interest in “Divine Jane” fifty years after her death, to the vast increase in scholarly criticism of her novels in the early twentieth century, to her explosive arrival on the modern pop-culture scene, fueled by popular film and television adaptations of her work, among other things. An absolutely fascinating read, Jane’s Fame illuminates how a young author whose literary scope encompassed, as she put it, “three or four families in a Country Village” came to be “so intimately connected with our sense of ourselves and of our whole society.” (AG)

Lemon cake with lime curd and pomegranate topping

This week’s recipe for a Lemon cake with lime curd and pomegranate topping comes from British food stylist Kate Wesson. If you can’t find lime curd where you live, you can always use the lemon curd recipe by Marjorie Taylor as a guideline to making your own. -Kristina

About Kate: : Initially, I undertook a course in Hospitality Business Management at Leeds Metropolitan in the UK. After completing this course I discovered my passion for food surpassed all other areas of what I had learnt. Shortly after college I found myself in the kitchen of various well-respected restaurants before moving on and establishing myself as a food stylist and recipe writer. Over the past 10 years I have refined my creative and technical skills and have worked on all aspects of food styling, which include recipe development, prop styling, home economy and food styling. The job of a food stylist is to make us drool and gobble up every last morsel on the plate; this is what I aim for! You can see my other work at my portfolio site.

(Food photography by Charlotte Tolhurst)

Lemon cake with lime curd and pomegranate topping
Preparation Time: 1 hr
Cooking Time: 35-40 mins
Serves: 6Ingredients:
45g (3 tbsp) butter plus a little extra for greasing
85 ml (6 tbsp) honey
30ml (2 tbsp) Agave syrup
Juice and zest of 2 lemons (set aside two tablespoons of lemon juice for later)
125g (1/2 cup) Ricotta cheese
140ml (1/4 pint) of milk140g
(1 cup) spelt flour
5g (1 tsp) baking powder
2 egg whites
60g (1/3 cup) semolina
Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
1 jar of lime curd
1 pomegranate
Zest of 1 lime for decoration (optional)

Method:

Oven temperatures in 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark

Preheat oven to 190ºC (375F), grease and line a 7/8-inch cake tin (18-20cm). Melt the butter in a pan, when the butter is melted add 60ml (4 tbsp ) of the honey, the agave syrup, juice and zest of lemons (all but the 2 tbsp you set aside) , milk and ricotta. Whisk the ingredients together, don’t worry if the mixture appears to curdle. Next sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl. Stir in the semolina. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Mix the liquids into the flours and then fold in the egg whites. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35 to 40 mins until golden on top. Heat the remaining 25ml (2 tablespoons) honey and remaining lemon juice and prick the cake whilst still warm and pour over the honey and lemon juice. Allow the cake to cool fully and decorating by smearing the cake with the lime curd, creating attractive wave patterns and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and lime zest.

Read more at Design*Sponge http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/05/in-the-kitchen-with-kate-wessons-lemon-cake.html#ixzz0ptQlVTgo

Emily Dickinson at NY Botanical Gardens

Emily Dickinson: The Poetry of Flowers from The New York Botanical Garden on Vimeo.

During her lifetime, Emily Dickinson was better known as a gardener than as a poet. With the New York Botanical Garden’s multi-venue exhibition, Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers, discover the renowned poet’s life among gardens and spring flowers. A flower show in the Haupt Conservatory will feature a re-creation of Dickinson’s own mid-19th-century New England flower garden, and visitors can stroll through a replica of the family property in Amherst, Massachusetts, including the Homestead, Emily’s own home, as well as her brother’s home, the Evergreens, and the beloved wooded pathway that joined the two. Read about her garden and exhibition.

[Image: Interpretation of Dickinson Garden Plan. Watercolor and color pencil on paper, 2010 John Kirk, AIA.]

Spool Beds popular in Jane Austen's time

illustration by julia rothman

Our Jane Austen, had probably spent a night or two in a spool bed, as they were a very popular type of furniture style during her time. The spool bed, named for its resemblance to sewing spools, is also known as a Jenny Lind bed.

Here is a short history of Spool Beds in America:

Colonial Furniture The favorite tool of colonial woodworkers across America was the lathe. In England, 16th century woodworkers left hardly an inch undecorated on furniture pieces and while their American counterparts were more modest, they were still enthusiastic about the technique and turned wood became emblematic of colonial style. Although wood turning had been practiced by the Romans, it was virtually unknown in Medieval Europe and had only been newly rediscovered by those 16th century woodworkers – which explains their ardor for the new style!

spool-turned bedframe, ca 1875 via Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database

Spool-turned furniture in 19th century America After years of languishing in attics, spool-turned furniture came back in fashion in about 1840 as part of the colonial revival. Only this time, it had a little help from technology. Before 1820, all wood turning was done on a lathe that was operated by a foot treadle – the process was slow and arduous. The new 19th century American-invented power-driven lathe used steam power – the craftsman worked at guiding his cutting chisels. This made it much easier for the colonial look to be mass produced.

[image above, from top: first appearance of jenny lind in america, at castle garden via the new york public library digital gallery and jenny lind in 1850 via the library of congress]

Spool-Turned Beds Named for Jenny Lind OK – so why are spool-turned beds called Jenny Lind beds? Celebrity infatuation is not a new phenomenon and the “it” girl of 1850 was Jenny Lind. Jenny Lind was a Swedish singer who made her debut in America in 1851 for a P.T. Barnum production. At the time, Lind was widely popular in Europe and Barnum created a 61-stop tour all across the U.S. for her before ever even hearing her music! Ever the genius promoter, Barnum helped manufactured a Jenny Lind craze – there were Jenny Lind hats, gloves, pianos – even Jenny Lind tobacco – and of course, furniture. The Jenny Lind bed was supposedly the type of spool-turned bed that the singer slept in throughout her tour. A true Jenny Lind bed has square solid corners on the headboard.

woman inspecting a spool bed at the michigan farmhouse auction, 1938 via life magazine

Dating and Placing spool-turned beds

The earliest spool-turned beds have long straight lengths of turnings because that was initially the easiest style to produce
1830 – headboards and footboards about the same height
1850s – spool-turned furniture was made with rounded corners because spool-turners developed a method of bending the spool turnings.

Midwest and Southern spool beds have a tall-posts (somewhere from 5 1/2 feet to 7 feet high) and were made from maple, walnut, cherry, poplar, cottonwood and mahogany. If the wood had an attractive color, it was left natural but pine and other softwoods were stained or painted.

Facts to Know

Jenny Lind beds were once used at the federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Books to Read

American country furniture, 1780-1875 by Ralph and Terry Kovel
There’s a Bed in the Piano: The Inside Story of the American Home by Myrna Kaye

Thanks to Design*Sponge for photos and article.

New Book: The Lady's Strategem by Frances Gimble

Lavolta Press has published a new title, The Lady's Stratagem, that may interest you. To see a color picture of the cover, a PDF of the table of contents, andmore information about this book and our other books on historic costume,please visit their web site: http://www.lavoltapress.com/

The Lady's Stratagem:A Repository of 1820s Directions for the Toilet, Mantua-Making, Stay-Making, Millinery & Etiquette By Frances Grimble

Frances Grimble is the author of After a Fashion, Reconstruction Era Fashions, Fashions of the Gilded Age (two volumes), The Voice of Fashion, and The Edwardian Modiste.

Jane Austen's Story

Jane Austen exhibition reveals author’s life and brings new prominence to her final resting place. As the bicentenary decade of Jane Austen’s heyday and early death approaches, a new permanent exhibition at her resting place in Winchester Cathedral opened to unveil the life and times of the renowned author like never before.

The exhibition and supporting events come as this decade marks 200 years since Jane Austen wrote her famous novels. They are: Sense and Sensibility (1811); Pride and Prejudice (1813); Mansfield Park (1814); Emma (1815) and Northanger Abbey and Persuasion (both 1817). She was born in 1775 and died in 1817.

The exhibition, which will document Jane’s home and social life, will be supported by a mix of permanent and rolling exhibits borrowed from collections around the world. From 10 April until 20 September items from Winchester Cathedral’s and Winchester College’s archives will be on display. Some of these items have rarely, if ever, been displayed publicly before and include her burial register, first editions and fragments of Jane’s own writing.

Guided tours, specific exhibitions and talks will take visitors through her life and works to mark her legacy and set the stage for Jane’s bicentenary. Stand out events are:

16-18 July: Jane Austen Weekend (including Regency Dinner) which coincides with the Jane Austen Society AGM
5-6 August: Outside theatre production of Pride and Prejudice
Extended tours which take visitors beyond the Cathedral to see Jane’s final home just beyond the Cathedral Inner Close.
The Jane Austen exhibition has been brought together by Charlotte Barnaville, the Cathedral’s Marketing Officer, and a team of specialist advisors. Charlotte comments:

“Hampshire offers Jane Austen admirers a wonderful window into her life, at her birthplace of Steventon, where she lived at Chawton and in Winchester, her final resting place. The Cathedral provides the perfect space to bring together each element of Jane’s life through the public exhibition and to give prominence to her ledgerstone, which lies quietly in the north nave aisle and often goes unnoticed.

“Our focus will be on Jane Austen the person, her life, family and friends. So much of daily life during the regency period is so different to today, and we know this will reveal a totally different side to Jane Austen’s fans and followers.”

The exhibition is open during Cathedral visiting hours, and visitors will be able to enjoy the rest of the Cathedral’s treasures during their visit. There is a small charge to visit the Cathedral, and an annual pass costs just £10. Please contact the Cathedral if making a special visit, as occasionally services and events may limit access to the exhibition.

Living in Pride & Prejudice

Truth be told, I’ve never struggled over a living in post as much as I’ve struggled with this one. Every girl who holds a small but eternal burning flame in her heart for Mr. Darcy understand that Pride and Prejudice is not something to be taken lightly. These beautiful decorations based on the movie come from designer Amy Merrick.

For Janeites like us who care about these things, it’s important to note the epic war raged between the die hard BBC miniseries P&P fans and the Keira Knightly fans. All I can say is that Colin Firth will always be my Mr. Darcy. But I will allow that the 2005 version is mighty pretty, Keira or no. Now that I’ve exposed myself as a girl who spends most of her free time home alone with cats and a pint of ice cream comparing and contrasting various Austen adaptations, let’s pretend we never had this conversation, shall we? Thank you.

Sources for accessories:
Anna Griffin fabric $9/yd, mirrored sconce $135 each, french country footed bowl $39, glass cloche $99, cement candle sticks $79, hawthorne wingchair $2695, adoptable irish wolfhounds, riding boots $189, antique silk brocade $3500, antique mora clock $5500, antique marble bust $2800, quill and ink set $16, mourning locket $115, book boxes $49, campaign bed $1250, pink suede slippers $96.

Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century

During the reigns of Louis XV (1723-74) and Louis XVI (1774-92), fashion and furniture were not simply meant to be beautiful but were also intended to arouse, attract, and seduce. Published in response to the critically acclaimed and hugely popular exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum in the fall of 2004, Dangerous Liaisons focuses on fashion and its interplay with the paintings, furniture, and decorative arts of eighteenth-century France. Featuring beautiful color photographs of the exhibition’s installation, details of the garments, and supplementary historical material, the book demonstrates how the extravagant clothing of the period reiterated the splendor of Rococo and Neoclassical interiors. Read more here.

Thanks to Victoriana Daily.

Reading JA's Letters in Tinton Falls

Janeites--don't forget, we have a date with Mildred on June 12 at 2pm to discuss your favorite passage from one of JA's letters. The location is Tinton Falls, do RSVP with Meredith for directions.

Thanks and see you Saturday!

Alert: Author visit in our area

Last summer at the Boxhill meeting we had Peggy Erhart- author of Sweet Man is Gone.
On Sunday, June 6th from 1-3 PM, she will be in Manasquan at the bookstore- www.booktowne.com in case anyone would like to hear her speak.

Palladio Exhibit

Palladio and His Legacy: A Transatlantic Journey features thirty-one original Palladio drawings from the Royal Institute of British Architects. These exquisite drawings, which were exhibited only once before in America and never in New York, will be on view to the public for the first time in over thirty years. They are being presented with rare architectural texts to illustrate the journey from Italy to North America of Palladio's design principles of proportion, harmony, and beauty.

The Exhibit is currently at the Morgan Library.

Lady Dunsmore prepares for the ball

Acclaimed actor Mamie Gummer will debut as The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s first artist-in-residence. She will star as Lady Dunmore, in a new Revolutionary Story® scene, “Lady Dunmore Prepares for the Ball.”



During two performances at 11a.m. and 2p.m. May 1, Gummer will portray Charlotte, The Lady Dunmore, whose arrival in colonial Virginia was highly publicized and celebrated. Fully costumed in 18th-century attire and working from a script based on historical fact, Gummer will appear in an open air theater on the grounds of the Governor’s Palace. She is the first of several actors who will participate in the new artist-in-residence (AIR) program. AIR was created to give artists who love history a chance to appear in Revolutionary City or Revolutionary Stories, the interactive “street theatre” that is offered daily in the Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg. Revolutionary City and Revolutionary Stories have been created to involve guests in the most compelling stories that took place in colonial Virginia, keeping the lessons of history fresh and relevant for today.

“I’m very excited to return to Williamsburg, Virginia, and perform in such a unique educational setting,” said Gummer about her participation in the program.




The scene, “Lady Dunmore Prepares for the Ball” takes place May 26, 1774. It centers on Lady Dunmore’s preparation for the official welcome ball held in her honor at the Capitol. Lady Dunmore was the wife of John Murray, the fourth Earl of Dunmore, who held a seat in the British Parliament’s House of Lords prior to being appointed colonial governor of New York. When Lord Dunmore was appointed Governor of Virginia in 1774, Lady Dunmore joined her husband in America. Of all the notable arrivals in colonial Virginia, the most publicized and celebrated arrival was that of Lady Dunmore and her children.

Colonial Williamsburg’s Costume Design Center will be tailoring custom gowns for Mamie Gummer’s role in addition to constructing period fabric footwear. The Foundation’s costume center has a distinguished reputation in the global community, thanks in part to their designers’ exquisite attention to detail and authenticity in design. The costume center is currently celebrating its 75th year as a purveyor of colonial attire for the Historic Area.



Mamie Gummer made her New York stage debut in 2005 in the Roundabout Theatre production of Mr. Marmalade, for which she earned a Theatre World Award, and appeared on Broadway in Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Her film work includes Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock and the upcoming independent feature, Coach. She portrayed Sally Smith Adams, daughter-in-law of John and Abigail Adams, portrayed by Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney in the Emmy Award-winning HBO miniseries John Adams which was filmed in part on location in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. A New York native, Mamie Gummer graduated from Northwestern University and studied theater at the British Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Ms. Gummer’s appearance is just one of the many highlights of Colonial Williamsburg’s new interactive programming for 2010, which offers guests the opportunity to participate in new scenes at the Governor’s Palace, the Capitol building, and R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse, the only 18th-century coffeehouse in the United States. Other programming highlights include Festival Williamsburg, special dining events, and a wide range of family activities.

Images: All images property of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Post: Thanks to Victoriana daily

Rude Awakenings

If you haven't already seen it, here's the book trailer for Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict. Please enjoy! Rude Awakenings hits the streets June 25.

Regency Era Life

Victoriana Daily invite you to explore the era brought to life in the romantic works of English novelist, Jane Austen. Featured are informative illustrated articles about the Regency Era – fashion, decorating and lifestyle. Highlighted is Regency era clothing for both men and women from the years of Pride and Prejudice. Color prints of Regency furniture and window treatments are also showcased and you can envision Regency carriages for travel.
View our video and then visit the pages here.