Tuesday night I was unable to get to the Risky site to finalize my post (an interview with Susan Broadwater of The Regency Library.) Unfortunately, I leave for work before 6 AM and that means I couldn’t get back to this until now.
I have Susan’s post scheduled for next Wednesday. I’m putting up an awesome giveaway, so make sure you check out the post.
In the meantime, here’s a picture of tulips.
Photo by Yours Truly
Last week I did a “review” of The Georgian Bawdy House” by Emily Brand. I continue this week. The previous post.
For next week, by the way, I am lining up an awesome post….
Pregnancy was definitely an issue for prostitutes, since it’s an issue for all fertile women who have sex. This book lists remedies that persisted among women until the advent of the birth control pill. My father, who was a resident in San Bernardino when abortion was still illegal, including in California, once told me about what women did to themselves to attempt to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. I can tell you this: pick your era prior to the pill and legal abortions: self-administered toxins and poisons, mutilation, abandonment, and infanticide.
I’ve blogged here before about my copy of Mysteries of London (1834-1844) features an engraving of a young woman, come far down in life, who has just killed her newborn. I know we sometimes romanticize the Courtesan, but she, too, was at risk of pregnancy, and there were few foolproof methods of contraception.
With professional opportunities severely restricted for most women, while there was demand for sexual services, virtue continued to be overthrown. (31)
Two brothels that catered to the wealthy were Jane Goadby’s establishment and Charlotte Hayes. Notions of women leading men to their sexual doom abounded. Women did go to brothel’s in search of their husbands. The book also contains a really excellent photo of an early 19th century condom, that looks to have been put over a cylinder. This gives a much better view than the more usual laid out flat photos.
Men and women alike had to worry about venereal disease, with all the accompanying dangers of remedies that, as we know, could not possibly have been effective.
Mr. Harris’s infamous “Harris’s List” of prostitutes sold 250,000 copies.
This I hadn’t heard before: “Mother Douglas” had footmen give condoms to the men before they went upstairs.
There were women who went to brothels to indulge themselves. According to Brand, they peeped though windows and selected the gentleman of their choice. Brand says these women had to pay much more for their pleasure.
And I will leave you there, because the rest get depressing, when the discussion turns to all the ways women were punished, and the men? They weren’t.
This is an interesting, fact-filled book with a nice list of references.
This week I have Susan Broadwater visiting here. After some time off-line, she’s back on line with The Regency Library. It’s a research service for anyone who needs information about the Regency. She also runs the email list Regency Library. I was a longtime subscriber and now that she’d back, well, I’m back, too. I asked her if she’d be interested in doing an interview here because she’s been researching the period for so long, I thought Risky Readers would enjoy hearing from her.
I’m offering one commenter a year’s subscription to The Regency Library email list.
Susan Broadwater lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 1996 she opened Moonstone Research and Publications and began providing private research services and Regency and Research Libraries, e-mail based subscription services. Susan is a graduate of Asbury University and holds a masters degree in Theology from Emory University. Currently she is focusing most of her time on Regency and Research Libraries.
1. Why the Regency? What got you interested in the period?
I always loved Regency romance novels. I devoured everything I could find by Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, Stella Cameron and others. Then I got involved in the online services. This was in the mid-90s when online was basically three or four services and there was no widespread access to the actual internet. By the late 90s this changed and I became involved with Carmel Thomaston’s Painted Rock Writers Colony to provide research materials. At that time there was very little to be found online regarding the Regency period so I began to accumulate materials in order to provide them to writers who needed them. After Carmel’s death I basically took the regency part of the materials I had collected and began Regency Library. For other time periods and materials Research Library was created.
2. Where do you find your materials? Did you just have a big pile of stuff at your house?
I live in Charlottesville, Virginia and worked for the University of Virginia for 16 years. They have one of the best libraries in the country and what they don’t have they can get it for you. I used a lot of their materials at first. Then I discovered right across the street from the library in a little alley an antiquarian book store, which had a good selection of 18th and early 19th century materials. I began buying as I could afford the books. Later there was E-bay and I even met (through a now defunct list) a university professor who was giving his collection away. He knew what I did and sent me about 400 books which included Gentleman’s Magazines, European Magazines and half a year (1814) London Times among other goodies. I’m still going through this stuff. Eventually I had to distribute the collection over three rooms of the house and turned one bedroom into an office and another into a library.
Sometimes you come across things in very unusual places. When I was dropping off my taxes to be done the receptionist was still at lunch so instead of waiting in my car I went to a pawn shop that is located next to the tax preparer’s to look for CD’s and DVDs. Instead of that I found an 1812 Ackermann’s Repository—with all its plates—price $50.00. I asked the pawnbroker how he had come to have this in his shop and he said that he paid 15.00 for it and usually didn’t take such things but felt sorry for the person pawning it. I bought it and asked him why he hadn’t researched it online to see what it was worth. He said he had tried but could not find a full volume on E-bay. I distributed some of the plates from this last week to the Regency Library. Of all places to obtain Ackermann’s this was the one I never would have thought of in a million years.
I got another year of Ackermann’s in the meantime. I left a number for the pawn broker and he called me up and told me he had another set — cost more this time but wasn’t too bad and well worth it.
3. What’s the most surprising/unusual thing you’ve come across? Anything that made you laugh?
I am currently getting an exhibit together for the regency library website that involves Ladies Court Costume and court etiquette. I came across a description of one worn to the Queen’s birthday that was decorated with fossils! Had to read it twice because I couldn’t believe it. There is also a picture of the Princess of Wales in a court dress that was published in La Belle Assemblee in 1807. Just looking at that dress and her in it makes me laugh every time.
4. One thing I’ve noticed is when you spend a significant amount of time research a certain subject, one day you realize that your knowledge has become a resource in itself — you know that x and y happened, but you’re able to make connections between all the various sources. I imagine you as this treasure trove of knowledge retained from your work. Can you talk a bit about your view of the Regency period and how it’s changed (or not) over time?
I recently helped with Noel Ivor Hume’s biography of Belzoni as a literary researcher. This is when I realized that there was a connection between the actual facts of the history of that time and that literature could provide extra facts and clues to help illuminate the history and in this case it actually brought a clearer picture of Belzoni’s wife Sarah through Lady Morgan’s writings (both fiction and non-fiction) and even through the fashions of the day. There was actually a fashion plate in a Lady’s Monthly Museum showing the Belzoni fabric that was fashionable. Sometimes you go on one quest and end up somewhere you really didn’t expect to go and learning about someone that had basically been pretty much overshadowed by her husband.
I’ve learned a lot since I started with Regency Library not only about the facts of the history of that time but also a lot about the human side of the people who lived at that time. My view of it is that it’s not too different than our own when it comes to the human nature and foibles.
5. Do you read fiction? What kind?
I read historical romance—just about any time period but love Regencies and Westerns. I also read classics like the Bronte’s. I like mysteries also. My favorites are Ann Perry’s Monk series. If a book is good or sounds good from the back cover I’ll try it out. We do have a used book store here and that’s the only place I can find the old gothics so I buy some Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney when they have them—which is rarer and rarer now.
6. If you won a bazillion dollars, I know you’d buy me a fancy house, but what’s the second thing you’d buy?
A full, complete set of Ackermann’s Repository. Saw one at ABE for a mere 27,000! Was in great condition though.
7. Favorite Regency outfit?
Susan’s Favorite Outfit
I like that hat.
8. You have an email-based group called Regency Library. Can you tell us a little bit about about what it is?
The Regency Library distributes both primary and secondary research documents weekly to subscribers. The documents range from late 18th century to 1830 and come from a wide variety of resources. I try to select documents that shed light on the manners and customs, basically the everyday life of the people who lived during this time period. I try to include fashion plates from one of the periodicals La Belle Assemblee, Ackermann’s, Ladies Monthly Museum and Lady’s Magazine. When I go looking for something to include in the week’s distribution I try to find something that is interesting, informative and sometimes funny. I lately came upon a book (found it through a review in one of the above mentioned periodicals) that was published in 1821 and was used for evening entertainments at home. It got a particularly bad review because the forfeit for losing some (actually more than one) of the games included too much kissing! I had to have a copy of this book and found one through ABE Books and bought it. It will be serialized this year on the list. Subscribers receive approximately 30 or 40 documents a month and we do serialize entire books/periodicals so it’s a good way for people to have searchable copies of materials without having to pay the price for owning the entire book.
9. What do you have planned for the Regency Library over the next few months?
I’m going to serialize that game book. We’ll also continue with one of my favorite research projects which are travel accounts of foreigners to England during the time period. I’m also delving into accounts of English travelers to the US during the time period because they tend to compare manners and customs in England with American manners. I want to begin making a list of what I intend to distribute during the month and send it to all subscribers with some alternative documents listed, and if they want to opt out of some of the regular things, they can substitute from the alternatives or put in an individual request. I want to tailor the list as much as humanly possible to the subscriber’s needs. I announced this to the list and the only exception would be if a request is really off the wall and I couldn’t fill the request. I’ll try to look for what is requested but if I can’t find it then it would not be done. In all the years of doing this there have been only two instances where I could not find an answer for a question either because the records had been destroyed or were in private hands in England. I’m also going to distribute tips for doing research—like reading the reviews in some periodicals to find some real gems. Last but not least, I want to begin distributing a puzzle game weekly—crosswords, riddles, etc. that center around the Regency time period.
Void where prohibited. Must be 18 to enter. No purchase necessary. Winner will be chosen at random. Multiple comments do not increase your odds of winning. Odds of winning depend on the number of entrants and your ability to follow the rules.
To enter, leave a comment to this post by midnight Pacific March 29, 2013.
Hero of My Heart by Megan Frampton
In about a month, my Regency-set historical, Hero of My Heart, will be available for your e-reader of choice. Meanwhile, I’ve just finished the revision of the first draft of What Not to Bare, which is due to my editor next Friday (yay for making a deadline!).
Hero of My Heart is an angsty book, filled with Life-Altering Decisions. What Not to Bare‘s biggest decision is what horrible outfit the heroine will choose to put on–and how the hero will manage to get it off her.
The two books are completely different in tone, and so writing WNTB was refreshing after dealing with the sturm und drang of HoMH. I’m including the description of the–of course!–stunningly gorgeous hero from WNTB:
He was even more stunning the closer he got. From far away, of course she’d noticed his commanding presence and brooding good looks; he’d walked into the room like he owned it, his height and dark hair making him stand out from the shorter, lighter-haired men. Which were all of them. He was the darkest and tallest. And definitely the handsomest.
Up close, she could see his dark eyes, which she’d assumed were brown, were deep blue, like a lake under a full moon. His hair was so dark brown as to be almost black. And his mouth, dear lord, his mouth was sinful to look at, with full lips curled into a knowing smile, which of course meant Charlotte couldn’t look away.
And he was speaking now, which meant she had to stare at his mouth, didn’t it? “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Charlotte. Perhaps you would save me a dance for later this evening?” His voice was low and husky, as though he’d recently recovered from a cough.
Charlotte wanted to giggle at the thought of offering him a poultice for his throat. “Yes, of course, my lord. I would be honored.” She stood silent, feeling as awkward as she ever had. What did a young lady say to such an impossibly handsome man: Goodness, you are lovely. Perhaps you would care to undress so I might compare you against all those statues my mother never wants me to see?
She felt her cheeks flush up a bright red; unlike Emma, Charlotte didn’t get a delicate lady-like blush, but instead looked as though she’d been sticking her face directly into a blazing fireplace.
And next up, I have an entirely different piece of writing, the potential second book to follow my contemporary women’s fiction title, Vanity Fare. Vive la difference (in writing!)
Because it’s a holiday weekend and I’m running a bit late, you get a short post with lots of pretty pictures. Today, we’re looking at Jewelry of our era. The information and pictures are from Georgian Jewellery 1714-1830, a gorgeously illustrated overview of Georgian jewels.
Click on any of the thumbnails to get a larger image of the various pieces.
Cameos and intaglios are lumped together because they’re both made from carving stone. The difference is that in cameos, the design stands out and in intaglios it’s carved into the surface. agate, onyx, malachite and lapis were the stones of choice because of the their natural bands of color.
Opaline glass or opal paste was made in Derbyshire and in France. This was a milky glass in which cooling during its manufacture caused a separation of various oxidex. Opaline glass was a favorite for daytime wear.
Diamonds. There is much to be said about diamonds and probably not much that needs saying. During our period, the table cut (flat on the top, faceted on the sides) of the 16th and 17th centuries was superseded by the rose cut (many different shaped and sized facets over a small culet, allowing the least amount of light to escape through the bottom of the stone.
The chain was a particularly Georgian piece of jewelry. It could be woven, knitted, engraved or stamped out links. It would frequently feature a distinctive clasp. There was a seemingly endless array of option. Besides the gold, the chains were made out of silver and other materials such as iron, steel, gilt metal and pinchbeck.
Steel was an interesting jewel choice during the Georgian period. The steel was fine cut and highly polished and primarily a night-time adornment as it reflected candle-glow particulary well. Queen Charlotte wore a cut-steel chain made by Matthew Boulton.
Seed pearls, tiny natural pearls from India were an essential part of Georgian jewelry. They were used in a variety of ways: long tasseled sautoirs, threaded into intricate designs on slides or clasps, used as surrounds for gemstones.
Iron is probably not the first metal that jumps to mind when thinking about jewelry but black-lacquered cast iron jewelry was made by the Royal Berlin Foundry beginning in 1804 and became fashionable during the Napoleonic Wars. It was made by moulding shapes into wax, impressing them in fine sand and then filling the impressions with molten iron. Once cooled, it was usually lacquered black.
Coral had a brief period as jewelry desired for both day and evening wear. It came in the form of cameos, carved rosettes, acorns, or cherubs’ heads, and beads carved in facets or crosshatched. In the early 1800s it was even paired with diamonds for evening dress.
Paste – It’s more than just something to replace the jewels you’ve pawned to support your gambling habit. Much of the paste used in jewelry during the Georgian era was celebrated as jewels in their own right. Paste was highly regarded because the stones could be cut into any shape required for a setting. There are still some beautiful examples of fine paste jewelry.
Wedgwood jewelry is distinctly English. Josiah Wedgwood’s ceramic-ware plaques were included in brooches, pendants, rings, buckles, clasps and earrings. Mathew Boulton of Birmingham used jasperware ceramic, with its soft matte finish set into gold, silver, marcasite or cut-steel. The beaded necklaces are particularly lovely.