Experiments in Elegance: 19th Century

Showing posts with label 19th Century. Show all posts

Monday, December 10, 2012

Fezziwig's Ball 2012

This Saturday was Fezziwig's Ball! Hooray! It was wild and fun and a great success. But I was chastised repeatedly for not posting anything in my blog, so I must be better now. Life is hard (and so is grad school, go figure!). I had been toying with the idea of making a new ballgown for this event, but had given up on the idea when I realized how busy I am. On Thursday night, Mother convinced me to go for it. So we worked Thursday night, and Friday night after a long day of work. Then I worked through the day on Saturday, and wore the dress (mostly finished) to the ball that night! Whew. There are some unfinished edges that you can't see, and obviously no closures (why do I never get as far as closures???), but it was a pretty solid effort anyway. I'll write a different post about my dress, and for now mostly show you great pictures of people dancing. I made a real effort to get more nice photos than usual!

Raven went caroling looking just like a doll, don't you think?

Quinn is far too together. She had an amazing new 1820s ballgown (with fabulous appliques!), but also a new pelisse and lots of fur for caroling. Can't compete with all of that!

Dancing!

More dancing. I might not caption these all if I have nothing to say.

I attempt to do Art. With a capital A.

Massive Grand March

A very Grand March indeed

If you tie everyone up on one side of the room, it looks like there is more space.

I don't recall which dance this is. I think the Opera Reel.

There's Mother, on the sidelines

So much Spanish Dance

You can always spot Mr. Fezziwig, because he's so very tall!

Sneak Preview of THE CORALINE

Friday, August 10, 2012

Mid-Nineteenth Century Ball at Ochre Court

Then we went to Ochre Court for a fabulous ball in a spectacular hall. It really is very pretty. I was going to wear blue, but we couldn't locate my dress (eek!), so I wore gold instead. Hopefully it isn't too bad that Mother and I both wore gold dresses.

Flop!

Death from above! Or maybe it is a quadrille.

Chairs in the pretty side room

Don't we look lovely?

Some people dance, rather than just posing all the time...

Oh, more dancing people

Looking good on the stairs.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

My Busam is Yawning for Jools!

I was just reading a fun article (for a somewhat less fun assignment) called "Embodying imperial spectacle: dressing Lady Curzon, Vicereine of India 1899-1905." Although most of the article has fabulous and interesting details about her clothing, there is a small section that discusses jewelry. Here is the important chunk:

Among the jewellery that Mary brought with her to India were her tiara, strings of
pearls, and a large sapphire necklace that was in fact a piece of costume jewellery,
with stones painted on the back to give the appearance of a sapphire. Mary wrote to
her mother in 1900, indicating she needed ‘a brooch or some stomach adornment’,
telling her ‘my “busam” is yawning for “jools” – paste not scorned!!’

Isn't that the most wonderful thing? I have claimed it for my new catch phrase - my bosom is yawning for jewels! Every time I get a sparkly brooch or necklace, that is what I think. And indeed, I've been just as inspired as Lady Curzon for some brooches or stomach adornments - which I'm calling corsage ornaments. I saw that one at the MFA, and Olga Paley's, and now here are some more! I am especially drawn to and impressed by the really large or long drippy ones, but they are all quite pretty. I'm often surprised by the dates on these - they are something I would associate with the late 19th century, with the South African diamond mines and the silver rushes and all. But that doesn't mean I haven't found several 18th or mid-19th century whoppers!