tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15343369552281219542024-03-18T19:57:00.378-07:00EdwardianPromenadeI am very interested in the Edwardian age so this blog will include articles about interesting Edwardian characters, Edwardian fashion, and lots of Edwardian subjects!
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</a>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-52953005663103340112021-12-19T21:03:00.004-08:002021-12-19T21:03:36.589-08:00Coolgardie and the White Plague<p> Tuberculosis, often called the White Plague along with several other infectious diseases, swept through Australia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Something needed to be done to separate the contagious patients from the healthy, so sanatoriums were soon being considered in all of the states. The first one was established in Coolgardie, about 550 km north of Perth, in 1906.</p><p>As the focus for treating TB patients was sunshine and fresh air (not closed and isolated hotel rooms where coronavirus ) According to an inhabitant in 1906, the sanatorium was attractive, comfortable, and the patients had every care possible - all paid for by the government! The wards were long and airy, shaded by trees, making them cool on hot days, and there were small gardens. The patients ate well (although the food sounds stodgy) and they were given 'delicious' cups of hot milk when they got up. The sanatorium sounds awful for 'owls', though. The hot milk arrived at 6.00 am! Those who were very sick received extra luxuries, such as roast chicken or custard.</p><p>He also praised Dr Mitchell, who was the resident government medical officer and head of the sanatorium. Dr Mitchell eventually became a leading expert on lung diseases. He wrote that Dr Mitchell was 'most patient with the most despondent and nervous'.</p><p>The people who lived in the nearby town were, of course, terrified of catching the disease, so, according to another letter, the inhabitants were sadly prevented from leaving the grounds. This deprived them of their daily walks, so they were very upset. </p><p>The Coolgardie Sanatorium was replaced by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooroloo_Sanatorium_and_cemetery" target="_blank">Wooroloo Sanatorium</a> in 1914.</p><p>You can see a picture of <a href="https://catalogue.slwa.wa.gov.au/record=b2040832~S6" target="_blank">servicemen convalescing</a> at Wooroloo here.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKwbz8NPUJ39jnjUWqpddvtFkOwCkUlbRTtQof68ye_AQepGZuU0Qcd2lhigNNpxV5cY9nS4Cl_bzNXO7tt_EUfyNgrWY07NVUPtao_ClnvadKEmAM9SkwQISGeqBCnhf-_-uUOFGhl0WzPSi-xDabXmFJP_ic7jisWYzW7DQRqd8CBOsHxfvWj2Q=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKwbz8NPUJ39jnjUWqpddvtFkOwCkUlbRTtQof68ye_AQepGZuU0Qcd2lhigNNpxV5cY9nS4Cl_bzNXO7tt_EUfyNgrWY07NVUPtao_ClnvadKEmAM9SkwQISGeqBCnhf-_-uUOFGhl0WzPSi-xDabXmFJP_ic7jisWYzW7DQRqd8CBOsHxfvWj2Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Children in a Sanatorium Finnish Museum of Photography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons</p><p>Sources</p><p><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25648155" target="_blank">Letter, <i>The West Australian</i>, 20 December, 1906</a></p><p><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/90476059" target="_blank">Letter, <i>The West Australian</i> 23 September, 1908</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-37951475246085111332021-10-17T23:38:00.004-07:002021-10-17T23:38:49.079-07:00Would You Like To Buy An Unchanged Edwardian House?<p> I am sure that the price of this <a href="https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/inside-time-warp-terrace-frozen-6028744" target="_blank">Edwardian house</a>, inhabited for a long time by an artist, will soar!</p>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-68130726426585961002021-01-31T15:35:00.004-08:002021-01-31T15:35:51.039-08:00The Long Struggle of the Shopgirls<p> </p><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">‘Nine-tenths of the fallen women in London were once shop
assistants,’ Lord Brabazon said in 1883. Denise, the heroine of Zola’s famous
novel Au Bonheurs des Dames, certainly had a struggle to keep her morals
intact, and not seek extra ‘employment’. Even when they were probably innocent
of soliciting, shopgirls were looked down on as at least ‘cheap’. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Zola’s novel, some of the bourgeois women
think that the shopgirls are ‘all up for sale, the wretches, like their
merchandise’.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Industrialization and imports from the colonies, such as
India, saw the rapid growth in the amount and variety of goods coming from all
over the world, including fine materials, exotic fruits and fancy china.
Department stores and specialist shops sprung up throughout the country. Women
began to enjoy shopping for leisure, and they preferred to be served by young
women rather than men. Jessie Boucherett founded the Society for Promoting the
Employment of Women to promote women shop assistants. ‘She asked pointedly, “Why
should bearded men be employed to sell ribbon, lace, gloves, neck-kerchiefs,
and the dozen other trifles to be found in a silk mercer's or haberdasher’s
shop”?<a href="file:///C:/Users/stars/Documents/The%20Long%20Struggle%20of%20Shopgirls.doc#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Many girls started to want independence, and a better career
than being a servant. Being a shopgirl was increasingly regarded as ‘respectable,’
and they received better wages than servants. Shopkeepers preferred to employ
girls and young women, because their wages were much lower than those of male shop
assistants. The wages were usually two-thirds or even half the amount that
their male counterparts received. It was also a cleaner and less physically
demanding occupation than factory work.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, many girls who got jobs working in shops didn’t
know what they were in for. Low wages were not their only problem. They often
had to work incredibly long hours from early in the morning until late at
night. Sometimes they worked until midnight on Saturday if they got Sunday off.
Understandably, they were usually too tired to go to church on Sundays. The
battle for a half-day on Saturday was a surprisingly long one. They also had to
pay fines if they breached any of the numerous rules. Whiteleys had over 100
rules.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The shopgirls often had to live-in. This usually meant
living in crowded dormitories with nasty food, which they often had to buy. Many
received meagre breakfasts while they watched the shop managers and superior
staff eating bacon and eggs. Margaret Blomfield, the first woman Cabinet
minister in the UK, worked as a shopgirl when she was sixteen in a large draper’s
shop in Brighton. She was incredibly unhappy, sleeping in a bare crowded
dormitory, which was ‘incredibly hot in summer’ and ‘miserably cold in winter’.
It was so difficult to get a bath that to get a hot bath once a week the girls
had to run ‘at full speed for about half a mile’ to the public baths. Then they
only had a quarter of an hour to undress, bathe and dress before the assistant
ordered them out because the baths were about to close.<a href="file:///C:/Users/stars/Documents/The%20Long%20Struggle%20of%20Shopgirls.doc#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">She was also incredibly scared when men knocked at the
ground-floor windows, and tried to pull them down during Race Week. They had a
struggle to slam and bolt the windows.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Margaret decided to join the Union, and spent time secretly
observing conditions. She wrote about them as Grace Dare. Vaughan Nash used her
reports in <i>The Daily Chronicle</i>, and they attracted the attention of Sir
John Lubbock, who used them to improve living-in conditions in The Shop
Assistant’s Act.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Conditions Improve</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even though the Coal Mine Act was passed in 1842, the first
committee on shop conditions only reported toa Parliament forty years later.
There were three committees, but nothing was done, because opposition remained
strong for three main reasons. Many thought that the State shouldn’t interfere
with working hours. Shopkeepers felt obliged to be at the mercy of the
customer, and the need for profits was difficult and competitive. Also, shop
assistants mostly didn’t want to join a union, because they felt that it was
beneath them.<a href="file:///C:/Users/stars/Documents/The%20Long%20Struggle%20of%20Shopgirls.doc#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A few acts of Parliament improved conditions, but it wasn’t
until the Shop Assistants Act of 1911 that a statutory half-day and a mandatory
weekly holiday were introduced. The next two acts of 1912 and 1913 shortened
the maximum weekly working hours, and made washing facilities mandatory in
every shop.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/stars/Documents/The%20Long%20Struggle%20of%20Shopgirls.doc#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
‘Association for Promoting the Employment of Women’, English Woman’s Journal,
vol.4, September 1859, p.57, quoted in Horn, Pamela and Annabel Hobley, <i>Shopgirls,
The True Story of Life Behind the Counter, </i>Hutchinson, London, p.45<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/stars/Documents/The%20Long%20Struggle%20of%20Shopgirls.doc#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Horn, Pamela and Annabel Hobley, <i>Shopgirls, The True Story of Life Behind
the Counter,</i> Hutchinson, London, p.90<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/stars/Documents/The%20Long%20Struggle%20of%20Shopgirls.doc#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Whitaker, Wilfred B. <i>Victorian and Edwardian Shopworkers. The Struggle to
Obtain Better Conditions and a Half-Holiday</i>. David & Charles Newton
Abbot, 1973, p.180<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</div>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-77111590213942248502020-04-28T22:30:00.001-07:002020-04-28T22:30:19.848-07:00Spanish Flu in AustraliaThis terrible pandemic occurred well after the Edwardian era, but I thought that I'd include the link to my article anyway: <a href="https://medium.com/@starshine_37804/how-did-the-spanish-flu-affect-australia-3b7d83ebaf1">Spanish Flu in Australia</a>.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-40449094944028616792019-04-29T17:38:00.002-07:002019-04-29T17:38:32.143-07:00New Post Soon!I am sorry that I have neglected this blog for so long. I hope to write a new post soon!Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-407331405436998362017-09-25T23:11:00.004-07:002017-09-25T23:11:57.637-07:00The Taglioni of the North. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2X9-2mmrT7Kdj_im_DhmV-wKzhW2lNcYbstiIpEWvVunbcLJsIDrHIwtSuyH9-hubdJIed1HtpN8uU-F1nBZUn-Pm7gi4hFiEZ9czFy6xpksCOQuGcR-VYS8VV4PDkx37U10WBYlzX4/s1600/220px-Kathi_Lanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2X9-2mmrT7Kdj_im_DhmV-wKzhW2lNcYbstiIpEWvVunbcLJsIDrHIwtSuyH9-hubdJIed1HtpN8uU-F1nBZUn-Pm7gi4hFiEZ9czFy6xpksCOQuGcR-VYS8VV4PDkx37U10WBYlzX4/s1600/220px-Kathi_Lanner.jpg" /></a></div>
Imperious and formidable, Katti Lanner was a famous ballerina, choreographer and dancing mistress who taught many English ballerinas in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Her career lasted until almost until she died at seventy-eight! Prima ballerina Phyllis Beddells recalled 77-year old Katti Lanner yelling at the <i>corps de ballet</i> if there was the slightest defect in their work or if they were out of line. Lanner didn't realise that she could be heard by the audience in the front.<br />
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Born in 1845 in Vienna, Lanner was the daughter of the great dancing teacher Josef Lanner. She began dancing at eight and trained at the Vienna Court Opera where she had lessons by Pietro Campilli and Isadore Carey. When she was 16, the young ballerina obtained her first starring role in the pas de deux in the ballet, <i>Angelica.</i> The great ballerinas Fanny Elssler and Fanny Cerritto were impressed with her dancing and Lanner was soon given more starring roles, for example, as Myrtha the Queen of the Wilis in <i>Giselle</i> in 1852. Famous Danish choreographer Bournonville chose her to play the leading role in the ballet <i>Der Toreador.</i><br />
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After her beloved mother's and brother's deaths, Lanner decided to leave Vienna and went on to have a glittering career in Germany, where she was complimented by the King of Bavaria, New York and Lisbon, where the king gave her diamonds. She was nicknamed the 'Taglioni of the North' because of her similarity to the splendid Marie. She formed her own ballet company, taught ballet in Hamburg and produced ballets but she is known mainly for her ballets in England today.<br />
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Chosen to be the dancing mistress at the National School of Dancing in England when she was almost 50, Lanner settled in London with her husband Johann Geraldini and their three daughters, Sofia, Katharine and Albertina. Unfortunately, the marriage was not happy and he returned to Vienna. Apparently, Lanner preferred the Neapolitan dancer Giuseppe Venuto de Francesco and their relationship caused some scandal.<br />
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In the late 1880's, Lanner began teaching ballerinas and producing spectacular ballets at the <i>Empire Theatre i</i>n Leicester Square, such as <i>Rose d'Amour</i> about a fairy escaping a malignant elf who is rescued by Cupid. This included a Hungarian wedding dance and a Chinese dance of tea-flowers. At the end of the ballet, all the flowers were massed into a huge bouquet. The great C. Wilhelm's costume designs also featured in this ballet and several others.<br />
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Watching <i>Cleopatra</i> in 1889 must have been a delight! Maria Cavallazi starred and French composer Herve wrote the music for this amazing production. According to Ivor Guest, the spectacle was 'magnificent indeed, with the stage filled with a colourful throng of Roman soldiery, Nubian's, Egyptians and Greek slaves'. <i>The Girl I Left Behind Me</i> in 1893 about a young soldier who joined a Highland regiment in Burma also stunned audiences with its beautiful scenes. A critic in the <i>Sketch </i>called it 'a carnival of colour, of movement, of gaiety'.<br />
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One fun ballet that Lanner produced was <i>Katrina</i> in 1894. This featured ballerinas 'dressed up to represent cats in their nightly flings on the tiles' according to <i>Pick-Me-Up </i>magazine. The ballet starred <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Quattrocento, Taviraj, Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px;">Miss Ada Vincent as Princess Frou-Frou, a fairy cat, and Miss Lizzie Vincent as Tom Grey, a cat bridegroom. You can view pictures of scenes from the ballet <a href="https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/bitstream/handle/10472/374/b16042220_0006_216.jpg?sequence=3&isAllowed=y" target="_blank">here</a> and see why some of the critics were especially impressed by the cat costumes. Lanner loved cats herself - she had five of them!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Quattrocento, Taviraj, Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Quattrocento, Taviraj, Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px;">Lanner died peacefully in 1908 on a Sunday morning at 9:00. She didn't know that her faithful dog predeceased her by a few hours. Many of her colleagues and her pupils attended her funeral and she is buried at West Norwood Cemetery.</span>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-56282141882036443182017-07-30T17:52:00.001-07:002017-07-30T17:52:56.286-07:00A Good Place To Meet Potential Husbands?William R. Martin, the founder of men's clothing store Rogers, Peet & co, was concerned. He watched the hordes of young working women settling in New York and worried about their dismal lodgings and boarding houses. Where could these shopgirls and clerks find nice, suitable young men to marry?<br />
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He decided to build a residence on Hudson and West 12th streets which would provide them with respectable lodgings so that they could entertain 'desirable, young men' in the parlour, and he called it The Trowmart Inn after his son Trowbridge, who had tragically met an early death. Women who stayed at the inn had to meet certain conditions. They had to be under 35 and earn less than $15.00 per week. A bed in one of the 228 dorm-like rooms cost as little as 50 cents while a more private room could be obtained for $4.50 per week, including breakfast and dinner. The young women also had an ironing room on each floor and laundry was also provided. There were six parlours where the girls could entertain men and there was no curfew, but men were not allowed upstairs. The young women also had a library and a full-time nurse was in attendance. Dances were held three times a week.</div>
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Even though The Trowbridge Inn sounds as though it was nicely decorated with muslin curtains and solid antique oak furniture, there were many complaints about the small rooms. One 21-year old office clerk told <i>Munsey's Magazin</i>e that the Trowbridge and similar residences had narrow rooms with bad lighting and 'mincy wardrobes.'</div>
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Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-11054837652661884252017-06-26T20:43:00.003-07:002017-06-26T20:43:48.825-07:00Petition for Free School Lunches in AustraliaPlease sign my <a href="https://www.change.org/p/senator-the-hon-simon-birmingham-free-school-lunches-for-all-infant-children-in-australia">petition.</a>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-72781778414219800152017-06-07T22:25:00.000-07:002017-06-07T22:30:19.519-07:00Lemon Wax and Cameraderie in New York. Part One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8NpHYH2VY9yHPlLd096zRTGHAuVk_mm_kMw9ulrm82_giJJk6qJbwrTTqiC09t9e4bXNxMHfSE53fuBCAknv0s_ciaKgEc1_7xo0XkqmORfhe0tHvNZpIO_vg2B9YGscU4rBHy1HYWM/s1600/63_big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="697" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8NpHYH2VY9yHPlLd096zRTGHAuVk_mm_kMw9ulrm82_giJJk6qJbwrTTqiC09t9e4bXNxMHfSE53fuBCAknv0s_ciaKgEc1_7xo0XkqmORfhe0tHvNZpIO_vg2B9YGscU4rBHy1HYWM/s320/63_big.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Katharine House, NYC, Wikimapia) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Enza and Laura, two young ambitious seamstresses in <i>The Shoemaker's Wife</i> by <a href="http://www.adrianatrigiani.com/">Adriana Trigiani</a> are delighted to find rooms at the relatively luxurious Milbank House in New York. This residence for single working women, Trigiani writes, was 'in the middle of a wide, tree-lined block of opulent homes, anchored by a lavish Episcoap church on the corner of Fifth Avenue and the charming Patchin Place houses across Sixth Avenue on the other, this block had character and whimsy, a rare combination in New York City at the turn </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">of the progressive century.'</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> This double brownstone with its formal library, parlour and 'deep garden' was a much nicer alternative to the many cheap and nasty lodgings which were the common lot of struggling girls away from home. I read that one </span>shopgirl<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> complained that there were 'six of us in the garret!' </span>Milbank<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> House was reasonably priced and breakfast and dinner were even included in the rent. . </span>Enza<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> loves her beautiful room bathed in sunlight at </span>Milbank<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> House with its fresh scent of lemon wax.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">But 'more important than all these lovely features of gracious living,' according to Trigiani, ' was the camaraderie of the young residents, who aspired to better lives on the wings of their talent and creativity. Finally, Laura and Enza were with like-minded peers, who understood their feelings and drive'.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Milbank House, opened in 1919, was one of several houses run by the Ladies' Christian Union which decided to start building comfortable residences for single working women as far back as 1860 Seamstresses, shopgirls and factory workers were flocking to the city in search of better lives and they were often reduced to extremely poor living conditions and in serious danger of being compromised. Another house owned by the Ladies' Christian Union was Katharine House. This also had a library, a parlour and sewing machines for the residents. There was even a relief fund to help the sick go to hospital and those who had trouble paying for meals.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Katharine House only closed in 2000. According to a <a href="http://a%20baby%20grand%20piano%20in%20the%20second-floor%20lounge%2C%20a%20terrace%20for%20summer%20socializing%20and%20maid%20service/">New York Times article in 1997</a>, many of the women living there were extremely pleased to find it. One ballerina had paid $600.00 a month for a 'rotten deal,' so she was amazed by the '</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 17px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">baby grand piano in the second-floor lounge, a terrace for summer socializing and maid service.' They didn't mind the rather Victorian rules - for example, men weren't allowed in the bedrooms and had to leave the beau parlours at 11;00 p.m.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 17px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">You can read more about Katharine House <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/katharine-house.html">here</a>. (At first, it sounded rather good, but after reading Jeremiah's article and the comments, I am not so sure!)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-20487496349497595672016-07-10T00:01:00.002-07:002016-07-10T00:01:47.890-07:00Bachelor Boys' Accommodation in Edwardian London<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Lk5XkmTgvX8GNlQYLixn-6vFvO9sDgcEGALwzZvMZrfNzkTClJFuRkTGcBJsqrU-QdmhnCSz-s00geBzB2aUeVHTnoxxKGLpDtiKpj1vrq6wr4MWwyO8xsK476LzVsoaTXwOdKkegPQ/s1600/320px-ParagonHotelBirmingham_%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Lk5XkmTgvX8GNlQYLixn-6vFvO9sDgcEGALwzZvMZrfNzkTClJFuRkTGcBJsqrU-QdmhnCSz-s00geBzB2aUeVHTnoxxKGLpDtiKpj1vrq6wr4MWwyO8xsK476LzVsoaTXwOdKkegPQ/s1600/320px-ParagonHotelBirmingham_%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></div>
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(A former Rowton House in Birmingham, Wikipedia) </div>
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Although the majority of young and single working men lived
with their families in the Edwardian age, several left home for the bigger
cities, especially London. Here, they
often boarded in lodgings where they were provided with meals and perhaps cleaning. They were not allowed to cook in their
rooms. Many of these lodgings were cheap
and nasty, so philanthropists started to provide alternatives for these men. Some of these sound even worse!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rowton Houses were built by Lord Rowton, for example, so
that men didn’t have to stay in squalid lodging houses. Here, the young men paid a shilling for a
cubicle, or a half and crown for a special which George Orwell in a later era
described as ‘practically hotel accommodation’.
There were strict rules in these houses.
Cooking and playing cards were not allowed, and there was no entry before
7 p.m. and the boarders had to leave before 9:00 a.m. each day. Alcohol was
forbidden and men could be punished for wetting their beds or other
misbehaviours. Jack London who lived in the Tower House in East London in 1902
thought that it was packed with life that was ‘degrading and unwholesome,’ but
George Orwell described the Rowton Houses as ‘splendid buildings’ and thought
that they were better than the other available accommodation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes, men who worked in particular occupations were
actually provided with living quarters.
The London Road Fire Station in Manchester, opened in 1906, had flats
for single men and families. They were
well-cared for, with a laundry, gymnasium, billiard room and a playroom for the
children. This building with its sculptures by Milson seems to have been quite
an enlightened idea for its time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Wealthier single men, such as MP’s, often had pied a’
tierres in London in buildings like the ‘bright and charmingly decorated’
Marlborough Mansions with its coffee rooms.
There were usually servant’s quarters and meals were sent up from
restaurants or kitchens. Mansion flats were very popular with their elegant
rooms and maid and laundry service.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jack Worthing in <i>The
Importance of Being Earnest</i> lived in the luxurious <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/william-hanham-apartment-tour-london-albany-piccadilly-195756">Albany</a> in London. This was the haunt of aristocrats and the
very wealthy. Lord Byron famously carried on his many affairs there in earlier
times. The Albany is the epitome of
elegance with its high ceilings, large windows and light-filled rooms. Some of
the occupants complained that their apartments were ‘cramped,’ however. This would definitely have been my choice!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-5624003454582721462016-06-13T01:06:00.000-07:002016-06-13T01:06:05.609-07:00Eating Rice Pudding Under the Fig Tree. Bachelor Girl's Accommodation in London<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv6x5HfrTiKR-PAY3mr5-oBH_N4hTdO7J0htbRREgz1bBm92t3wtwQNhUR1S9W0R9QVl-km_4nvz7kgHB3EjMls_zA1sLSeRnUDTS4BReFRzZV9dgsQCIxs73vM8KMwUNUBrzGTFzieU/s1600/DH_Laundry_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv6x5HfrTiKR-PAY3mr5-oBH_N4hTdO7J0htbRREgz1bBm92t3wtwQNhUR1S9W0R9QVl-km_4nvz7kgHB3EjMls_zA1sLSeRnUDTS4BReFRzZV9dgsQCIxs73vM8KMwUNUBrzGTFzieU/s1600/DH_Laundry_2.jpg" /></a></div>
Sah10406, <i>The Mangle, Driscoll House</i>, Wikipedia<br />
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Y<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">oung teacher Molly Vivian (who later became the famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Vivian_Hughes">Molly Hughes</a>) was tired of sharing cold mutton with her friend each night in their dreary London flat. As soon as she became the head of training at Bedford College, she decided to move. She dreamed of 'being free of landladies and being able to eat our own rice pudding under our own fig tree!' She and her friend soon obtained accommodation in a Ladies' Residential Chamber nearby, but it didn't live up to this vision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">They found themselves in a top-floor flat with two rooms and a tiny kitchen/scullery. They prepared their own breakfasts but shared dinner in the communal dining room. It couldn't have been much fun to go to the one bathroom on their floor on a cold night. Walking up the six flights of stairs must have been tiring as well! However, they did have their own keys so they did have some freedom and privacy. They had to pay a considerable rent for this uncomfortable-sounding accommodation, surprisingly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Molly Vivian and her friend were just two of the many thousands of 'New Women' in the Edwardian era. These single working women included professionals, such as teachers and librarians, and working-class women such as typists and clerical workers. There were increasing worries about these women having to live in nasty lodgings and falling into danger, so many organisations and philanthropists started to build suitable women's residences. These included the Chenies Street residence opened in 1889, Sloane Garden's House, Waterlow Court and the Ada Lewis House.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The <span style="background-color: white;">Chenies Street Residential Chambers was built by the Ladies Dwelling Company, whose founders included the Garrett sisters, one of whom was the doctor, Elisabeth Garrett.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This consisted of purpose-built flats with two or three rooms, often with private bathrooms. It was intended for middle-class professional women and servant's quarters were added, so that they could hire help. Although there were gorgeous 'Persian tiles' in the dining room to inspire the young women, unfortunately, the cooking must have ruined the effect. There were so many complaints that the cooks had to be sent to classes! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Waterlow Court in luxurious Hampstead would be my choice. This consisted of fifty flats for professional women around a beautifully green English lawn. There was also a central dining room here, as well as a common room and a kitchen. A servant's hall and annex were added later.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sloane Garden's House was another possibility. This was made up of bed-sits with a shared kitchen or cubicles on the upper floors. There were also cleaning services and linen change. The elegant building included a music room and a library. Unfortunately, according to <i>Work and Leisure</i>, the residence was not within the means of 'working gentlewomen with no fixed income'.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ada Lewis House, founded by a wealthy Jewish philanthropist, was opened by Princess Louise of Argyll in 1913. This was more suitable for working women who could not afford high rents. This consisted mainly of single rooms with some double bedrooms. There was also a sewing room, a library and a reading room. The women could wash their clothes in the shared laundry and the drying room was famous for drying garments within a few hours. The decorations of the House also included colourful glazed tiles.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Although some of this accommodation sounds uncomfortable, the lives of young women had vastly improved since they lived at home until they got married. Molly Vivian and her friend certainly enjoyed their new-found freedom!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I also intend to write a post about residences built for Edwardian bachelor girls in New York.</span><br />
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<br />Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-71309499863313915572016-05-31T16:58:00.001-07:002016-05-31T16:58:56.210-07:00New Post Soon!I am busy at the moment planning renovations but I hope to write a new post soon!Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-39837619122795432552016-01-05T21:56:00.001-08:002016-01-05T21:56:09.329-08:00An Edwardian Christmas DinnerA sumptuous Downton Abbey-style <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-3362457/A-REAL-Downton-Christmas-dinner-Food-historian-reveals-Edwardians-festive-feast-included-braise">Christmas dinner</a>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-67745745236367775072015-12-02T22:09:00.001-08:002015-12-02T22:09:14.280-08:00Edwardian Renaissance StyleAn excellent<a href="http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/only-in-the-territory/great-grandson-of-tsar-found-dead-after-walking-his-dog-but-nobody-knew-who-he-was/story-fnk2tg5d-1227622811537"> article</a> with some examples of splendid Edwardian architecture in London.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-81095583556666462572015-11-12T00:15:00.000-08:002015-11-12T00:15:07.600-08:00Edwardian Splendour on the Royal ScotsmanI am thinking of putting t<a href="http://www.vogue.com/13369038/luxury-railway-journey-scotland-royal-scotsman/">his</a> is on my <a href="http://100things.com.au/">100 things list!</a>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-55858506203383067672015-11-10T21:50:00.001-08:002015-11-10T21:50:27.282-08:00Sunderland in Edwardian TimesWatch Edwardian scenes from 'Auld Sunderland' in North East England <a href="http://www.sunderlandecho.com/history-nostalgia/watch-canny-auld-sunderland-captured-on-film-in-edwardian-times-1-751">here.</a>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-25225855464719040342015-10-03T23:35:00.000-07:002015-10-03T23:35:22.475-07:00Arthur Guinness's Edwardian House<a href="http://www.independent.ie/life/home-garden/homes/arthur-guinness-edwardian-party-pad-could-be-yours-if-you-have-385m-to-splash-31518452.html">Will someone please buy me this house?</a>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-80124395651982422372015-09-09T15:45:00.001-07:002015-09-09T15:45:56.903-07:00Mother Passed Away Last WeekMy beloved mother passed away last week. I may not feel like writing any blog posts for a while.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-71331933193156736812015-07-04T01:28:00.000-07:002015-07-19T23:53:25.390-07:00Syrie and Mr Selfridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgNxeVRZ2wYg9xc8r1icby4GQBkN0NzZ-d9dTjr7yo9OHwYMGr7YE4Hv3CC6mlie324FrJ7NtmlFBUaWKqWyFNI2tLWZUaMnIJT5v6tZGy2H3alWyc48SJdRKV0Zw6N0hfxGrnDwc6_A/s1600/Syrie_Maugham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgNxeVRZ2wYg9xc8r1icby4GQBkN0NzZ-d9dTjr7yo9OHwYMGr7YE4Hv3CC6mlie324FrJ7NtmlFBUaWKqWyFNI2tLWZUaMnIJT5v6tZGy2H3alWyc48SJdRKV0Zw6N0hfxGrnDwc6_A/s1600/Syrie_Maugham.jpg" /></a></div>
Beaton, Cecil, <i>Syrie Maugham</i>, Wikipedia<br />
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One of my favourite shows on TV now is the costume drama "Mr Selfridge," based on the larger-than-life Harry Selfridge who founded the huge London department store Selfridges. Selfridge introduced several great innovations, including placing the cosmetics section on the first floor and spectacular store windows. One of these was a tribute to ballerina Anna Pavlova. Unfortunately, even though the store-owner was married with four children, he enjoyed the company of women and gambling rather too much! Syrie Wellcome (later Maugham) was one of his many girlfriends.<br />
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Syrie Barnardo, born on July 10, 1879, had an extremely unhappy childhood. Her father, who started Dr Barnado's homes for slum children in London's East End, kept strict control over the household. He banned smoking and alcohol in his house, and he didn't even let the children go to the theatre. He also liked them to read the Bible and 'good books'. </div>
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The family home was quite luxurious, however, and the children went to expensive schools, so it wasn't all bad. Syrie, who was a striking young woman, wanted to escape her restricted life, This probably caused her to marry the wealthy and much older pharmacist and businessman, Henry Wellcome when she was only 21.</div>
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There are many different stories about the marriage. According to one, he beat her and he was generally very cruel, even making her ride camels in the Egyptian heat when she was pregnant. He needed to travel for his business and Syrie often got sick. They did have a son, who was probably dyslexic and physically delicate. I have read that Henry Wellcome was kind to the son, supporting his decision to become a farmer. This is hard to reconcile with the accusation of the beatings.</div>
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The marriage broke up after ten years but Wellcome didn't want a divorce. Syrie could continue to mix in society in spite of the scandal because she was chaperoned by her widowed mother. Sophisticated and intelligent, she soon caught the eye of Harry Selfridge. He even bought her a lovely house in Regent's Park and paid to have it lavishly furnished. She lived there with her mother.</div>
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Some people apparently thought that Syrie wasn't all that keen on Harry. However, her friend Rebecca West wrote that it was 'certainly a love affair. But they were only lovers when it suited'.</div>
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Syrie eventually obtained a divorce from Wellcome because she was pregnant to gay writer, Somerset Maugham! She had a miscarriage but she later married him, two years after having his daughter Liza, named after the character in Maugham's novel, Liza of Lambeth.</div>
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Poor Syrie had no luck with the men, and Maugham was rotten to her and Liza, because he concentrated on his gay lovers. She is still famous, however, because she began her own extremely fashionable interior design business frequented by clients, such as the Duchess of Windsor, and popularised the 'all-white' room.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r-8i3nfdtJo" width="420"></iframe></div>
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Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-37834900657782335772015-04-19T17:04:00.001-07:002015-04-19T17:04:42.727-07:00The Popular Australian Song Written in a Cemetery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ouU3ubrYHpvsnOK8_Rhpcp8-P7heigEvWFM1iVJw-mKieYizNyQP89UZBJo5Ryb1djR_pClfmwdl1ubOcIzNiispmGw_24xw_LuwY4Q2omAZ33ZMoQuoDgndfU0DU71hCQQ7yLYGoPY/s1600/Caroline+Carleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ouU3ubrYHpvsnOK8_Rhpcp8-P7heigEvWFM1iVJw-mKieYizNyQP89UZBJo5Ryb1djR_pClfmwdl1ubOcIzNiispmGw_24xw_LuwY4Q2omAZ33ZMoQuoDgndfU0DU71hCQQ7yLYGoPY/s1600/Caroline+Carleton.jpg" /></a></div>
Caroline wondered why the muse visited her at such strange times. Nevertheless, she was thankful. She had decided to enter the competition for a national song run by the Gawler Institute, but she had failed to find inspiration until today. It was so peaceful here in the cemetery while she sat and watched her children play nearby that she took out her notebook and started to write...<br />
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The lyrics that Caroline Carleton composed that day won the competition in 1859, and it remained one of the most popular Australian songs for over 100 years, especially in Mrs Carleton's native state South Australia. The stirring music written by German immigrant Carl Linger helped convince the judges. "The Song of Australia" as even shortlisted for the National Anthem in 1977, but "Advance Australia Fair" won the day. Some people still think that this is a pity.<br />
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Although not many people know of the song today, it played a small role in the moving love story of the tomboy Olive and Pat Dooley in the Australian series "Anzac Girls". I especially enjoyed the scene in which Olive plays the song on the gramophone when she is conflicted about whether she should marry Pat!<br />
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Born near London in 1819, Caroline was well-educated, especially in languages and music. She spoke French and she played the piano and the harp. Caroline married Charles James Carleton in 1836, and the couple migrated to Australia three years later with their two young children on the <i>Prince Regent.</i> The two children died during the harsh voyage, but the couple had two more children. Charles Carleton was the ship's surgeon and worked as a medical officer in South Australia. Carleton died in 1861.<br />
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Caroline taught at private schools after her husband's death, but she also wrote poems and articles for newspapers. She died when she was only 54.<br />
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The song was one of famous singer Peter Dawson's favourite songs. Here is a clip of him singing it:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6FfQ8x-Wv8w" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Here are the lyrics:<br />
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<b>THE SONG OF AUSTRALIA</b>There is a land where summer skies<br />Are gleaming with a thousand dyes,<br />Blending in witching harmonies, in harmonies;<br />And grassy knoll, and forest height,<br />Are flushing in the rosy light,<br />And all above is azure bright -<br />Australia!<br />
There is a land where honey flows,<br />Where laughing corn luxuriant grows,<br />Land of the myrtle and the rose,<br />On hill and plain the clust'ring vine,<br />Is gushing out with purple wine,<br />And cups are quaffed to thee and thine -<br />Australia!<br />
There is a land where treasures shine<br />Deep in the dark unfathomed mine,<br />For worshippers at Mammon's shrine,<br />Where gold lies hid, and rubies gleam,<br />And fabled wealth no more doth seem<br />The idle fancy of a dream -<br />Australia!<br />
There is a land where homesteads peep<br />From sunny plain and woodland steep,<br />And love and joy bright vigils keep,<br />Where the glad voice of childish glee<br />Is mingling with the melody<br />Of nature's hidden minstrelsy -<br />Australia!<br />
There is a land where, floating free,<br />From mountain top to girdling sea,<br />A proud flag waves exultingly,<br />And freedom's sons the banner bear,<br />No shackled slave can breathe the air,<br />Fairest of Britain's daughters fair -<br />Australia!</center>
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<br />Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-84396648919529740962014-12-30T16:39:00.001-08:002014-12-30T16:39:33.217-08:00When the Prince came to Ballarat in 1920<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The rain fell in torrents on the cold June day, but excitement swept through the crowd. The handsome Prince of Wales would arrive soon! The Lucas girls* massed on each side were especially delighted. The Prince was going to formally open the Avenue of Trees and the impressive Arch of Victory, and the Lucas girls had waited a long time for this day.<br />
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The girls were famous for their fund-raising efforts during the First World War, but this was the highlight. They sold dolls made from scraps of the clothing made in the factories, and they also gladly sacrificed some of their pay, so that this tribute to the fallen soldiers could be built. When the time for the Prince's arrival drew near, the Lucas girls even armed trucks with bricks so that the Arch could be completed in time!<br />
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The avenue of beautiful trees, including elms, oaks and poplars, named the Avenue of Honour, was almost 14 miles long. Bronze plates with the names and battalions of each of the fallen soldiers from Ballarat were attached to every tree. The girls and other volunteers planted the trees lovingly during cold, wet and windy weather.<br />
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The huge crowd cheered when Prince Edward arrived. He was presented with a pair of gold scissors, so that he could cut the greenery across the arch. The girls giggled when one of the heads of the firm also gave the Prince a pair of silk pyjamas which he accepted with a blush. The pyjamas had a picture of his crest on one side and a picture of Victory on the other. I somehow doubt that he wore these pyjamas when he was with the Duchess of Windsor!<br />
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* The Lucas girls worked for the Lucas clothing factory in Ballarat.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-702872950510584602014-12-16T23:02:00.001-08:002014-12-16T23:02:27.554-08:00The Enterprising Widow: Eleanor LucasMy mother gave me an exquisite pink slip one day, and I noticed that it was made in Australia by Eleanor Lucas. I had never heard of her, but when I looked her up I was quite amazed. This enterprising widow lived a tragic life - she lost two husbands and two children. However, she found the strength to start a clothing business that eventually employed hundreds of girls and she also devoted much time to charity work.<br />
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Eleanor's family immigrated to Australia from Yorkshire with their parents. The children were left in the care of friends when their mother died, and Eleanor only went to school until she was 14. She married John Prittard Price when she was 18, but the marriage ended tragically when her husband died in a fall at the soap factory where he worked. Eleanor was penniless at 30 with four children. The youngest was a baby of only seven months. Funds were raised for the family, enabling them to live in a cottage.<br />
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Eleanor decided to make money herself, so she bought a sewing machine. She made underwear and shirts, even sewing in bed! She also married again to a William Lucas, but he was killed in a mining accident two years later in 1888. Eleanor continued to work at her sewing.<br />
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She formed her business into a company called E.Lucas and Co., and it became the first mechanised factory in Ballarat. Her employees, the 'Lucas Girls', made beautiful lingerie with eyelet embroidery, blouses, children's wear and dresses. The factory had a showroom to display their items. This impressed Sydney Myer (the founder of the famous Australian store Myers) who became one of the first large customers.<br />
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The Lucas girls became famous for their fundraising during the First World War. They planted an avenue of trees to honour the enlisted men of Ballarat and raised enough funds to build an Arch of Victory that was opened by the Prince of Wales in 1920. (More about this next time).<br />
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Mrs Lucas died in 1923 but her son took over the business which lasted until the early 1960s.<br />
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<br />Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-65550054294968232252014-08-02T23:48:00.000-07:002014-08-02T23:48:00.430-07:00Anna Pavlova at the Music HallWhen Bronislava-Nijinska saw the great Anna Pavlova dance at the famous music hall, the Palace Theatre, in London, tears came to her eyes. She thought that appearing on the same bill as musicians, clowns and acrobats had ruined Pavlova's dancing. (Our Albert Whelan, the 'great Australian entertainer', was sometimes on the same stage, so he might have been included in this indictment!) Some of the papers also looked down on Pavlova's appearing at a music hall. One critic wrote that Pavlova had been 'rescued from the music-hall' when she joined Diaghilev's company again.<br />
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However, most ballet stars such as Adeline Genee did perform on the music-hall stages in the Edwardian era, and they helped ballet to become popular. It was part of Pavlova's mission to make ballet accessible to the ordinary people, so she saw nothing wrong with moving to the Palace. She would probably have been foolish to refuse the attractive salary that she was offered. This started at 400 pounds a week, and it eventually rose to 1200 pounds - an enormous amount in the early 1900s. <br />
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Pavlova's most popular dance was probably the 'Bacchanal' from <i>Autumn</i>, which she performed with Michael Mordkin. Mordkin looked like a 'Greek God', and, according to Kerensky, his strong and manly physique provided a dramatic contrast to Pavlova's ethereal fragillity and grace. In this abandoned dance, Pavlova wore flimsy chiffon and danced wildly with her long dark hair tied in a scarlet ribbon. * ( Mordkin actually flung her onto the stage at the end of the dance. Once he dropped her rather too hard, and she created a sensation by slapping him! (There were rumours of an affair, but Mordkin's widow didn't believe it). Perhaps he did it because he was jealous of her popularity - Pavlova performed more solos. Once he complained that there were no dishes named after him, but some were named after her!<br />
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* Years later, some of the audience in Sydney complained that this dance was unpleasant.<br />
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(Anna Pavlova in <i>The Dragonfly</i>)<br />
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<br />Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-87664155997446605992014-07-22T23:25:00.001-07:002014-07-24T00:58:01.043-07:00Website of the Week: FlutissimoAre you a fan of Edwardian parlour songs? Do you live near Perth in Western Australia? If you can answer "Yes" to these questions, please go to concerts by <a href="http://www.flutissimo.com.au/" target="_blank">The Weatherly Club</a>. These feature the lyrical and heartwarming songs by Frederic E. Weatherly, such as "Danny Boy" and my favourite, "Roses of Picardy". John Hardy hosts the events and sings, accompanied by Emily Gunson's beautiful flute.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534336955228121954.post-64857488356258351602014-06-15T17:21:00.002-07:002014-06-15T17:26:42.054-07:00Harry Gordon SelfridgeMy new article at Wizzley: <a href="http://wizzley.com/the-fairy-tale-rise-to-success-of-harry-gordon-selfridge/" target="_blank">The Fairy Tale Rise To Success Of Harry Gordon Selfridge</a>.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.com0