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Dedication
The articles posted here are dedicated to the memory of Georgette Heyer in gratitude for the many hours of enjoyment her books have given me. She was an artist with words whose meticulously researched novels never fail to transport me to the Georgian or Regency eras.
© 2008 – 2019
Kathryn Kane, Kalligraph
Copyright Statement
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Tag Archives: Light
After Furniture Escaped the Walls
It was the English who first liberated furniture from the walls of their rooms. However, by the time the Prince of Wales became Regent, most people in other countries, both on the Continent and in America, had done the same. … Continue reading
Of Work or "Pouch" Tables for Ladies
Women have been doing various kinds of needlework for millenia. Initially, most of that work was utilitarian, primarily making and mending clothing and household textiles. But as the centuries progressed, more and more women, particularly ladies of the upper classes, … Continue reading
Posted in Furnishings
Tagged Art, Books, Drinking, Furniture, Interior Decor, Light, Regency, Technology, Writing
1 Comment
When Walls, Ceilings and Even Floors Got Mirrors
Though many people assume that the idea of putting a mirror on the walls and/or ceiling of a room originated in the twentieth century, they would by off by more than two centuries. The French, who had first invented plate … Continue reading
Of Riding Houses
Though this specialty form of luxury equine architecture was falling out of fashion in England by the turn of the nineteenth century, there were still several in place across Britain. In addition, the Prince of Wales had commissioned more than … Continue reading
Of Corpse Roads and Corpse Lights
With the approach of Halloween, it seems a most propitious time to discuss an ancient set of British superstitions which relate to apparitions and phantoms associated with death and the dead. Corpse lights were most often seen along corpse roads, … Continue reading
The Secret Cave of the Sisterhood at Windsor Castle
Lest you think that what follows is a tale of a feminine version of the Hellfire Clubhouse, please disabuse yourself of that notion immediately. "The Sisterhood" to be discussed here was about as far distant from that lecherous league as … Continue reading
Regency Bicentennial: Opening Night at the Royal Coburg Theatre
Two hundred years ago, today, a new theatre opened in the Lambeth area of London. Though it is known as the "Old Vic" today, it was originally named after the beloved young Princess of Wales, who, along with her new … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainments
Tagged Art, Interior Decor, Light, Regency, Regency Bicentennial, Travel
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Of Mirrors and Looking Glasses
Though it may seem incomprehensible to most of us today, until the mid-nineteenth century, only a small percentage of people ever saw the reflection of their entire body in a looking glass. That was due to the fact that looking … Continue reading
Posted in Furnishings
Tagged Furniture, Interior Decor, Light, Regency, Science, Technology
5 Comments
Hall and Entranceway Lanterns
As winter approaches and the days grow shorter, it seems an appropriate time to discuss an important lighting fixture in most upper- and middle-class Regency homes, the lantern which illuminated the main entrance hall to the house. Though such lanterns … Continue reading
Regency Bicentennial: Gaslight Makes Its Debut on the London Stage
This coming Sunday marks the two-hundredth anniversary of the first instance in which gaslight was used to light the stage of one of London’s legitimate theatres. A non-patent theatre had been fully lit with gas, including its stage, the year … Continue reading
England’s Triumph
Yet again, I have come across a very handy resource which I believe will be of value to many Regency authors. This book will be particularly useful to those who are writing about the events which took place between the … Continue reading
Regency Bicentennial: Davy Tests His Safety Lamp
Two hundred years ago, tomorrow, Sir Humphrey Davy tested his mine safety lamp in a working coal mine. Davy had invented and perfected his safety lamp in the autumn 1815. Was this first test a success? More importantly, was the … Continue reading
Regency Bicentennial: The Duchess of Richmond’s Ball
This coming Monday will be the two-hundredth anniversary of perhaps the most famous social event in history, the ball hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Richmond in Brussels on the same day news came of the French army’s advance … Continue reading
Portraits Floating in Glass: Crystal Cameos
Though we most often associate cameos with jewelry, a special type of cameo which became popular during the Regency was to be found primarily on very fine glassware. Such pieces were very expensive and were typically to be seen only … Continue reading
Halloween in the Regency
Or not. In fact, it depended upon the part of the British Isles in which one lived whether, or how, that particular holy day eve was recognized and/or celebrated. Halloween has ancient roots as a pagan new year and … Continue reading
Nights on the Streets of Regency London
The title of this article might just as well be "Lights on the Streets of Regency London," except that in the Regency, the dark of night was more powerful than any light which was used against it at that time. … Continue reading
Of Wax-Jacks and Bougie-Boxes
Recently, I posted an article here about sealing wax. During the Regency, sealing wax was an essential part of correspondence, as this was several decades before the introduction of the adhesive paper envelopes which we take so for granted today. … Continue reading
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