Penguins, Pineapples and Pangolins

It was with a great sense of excited anticipation that I sat down to dip into Claire Cock-Starkey’s marvellous new book, Penguins, Pineapples and Pangolins. Claire is a great friend of the salon and her books are always a treasury of little-known facts, eyebrow-raising tales and fascinating moments from history.

Penguins, Pineapples and Pangolins asks readers whether they remember the first time they saw a penguin or even tasted a pineapple and if they do, what their reaction was. Of course, we probably don’t remember, because there is nothing that remarkable about these events today. Once upon a time, however, the thought of encountering a completely new animal, piece of fruit or even indigenous culture, was one that fascinated explorers and academics.

This book takes us back through the centuries via the archives of the British Library. In this meticulous researched work, Claire puts us in the shoes of these explorers and scholars, capturing their wonderment, excitement and, occasionally, fear as they record first encounters with all manner of flora and fauna.

Whilst the book is perfect for dipping into for a quick historical fix, it really rewards a more through read too and it’s easy to get caught up and lose hours! The archive material is wonderfully complemented by evocative illustrations and Claire’s writing is authoritative, accessible and entertaining too.

I really can’t recommend Penguins, Pineapples and Pangolins enough; treat yourself to a copy - you might even get to find out what polar bear tastes like! 

Available here!

The Long Weekend

Once in a while, one is lucky enough to find a book that is quite simply breathtaking; it pulls you into another world and keeps you there, immersed in a time long-since gone. Adrian Tinniswood's magnificent, The Long Weekend, is one such book. It is a definitive and unique work on life in the English country house between the wars and I really can't recommend it enough. Everyone should read this stunning work!

The Long Weekend 

Life in the English Country House Between the Wars 

Adrian Tinniswood 

Published 2nd June 2016 | Jonathan Cape | £25 | Hardback | eBook also available 

The definitive social history of England’s stately homes, by the acclaimed social and architectural historian Adrian Tinniswood. 

Containing over 60 illustrations. 

There is nothing quite as beautiful as an English country house in the summer. And there has never been a summer quite like that Indian summer between the two world wars, a period of gentle decline in which the sun set slowly on the British Empire and the shadows lengthened on the lawns of a thousand stately homes. 

Real life in the country house during the 1920s and 1930s was not always so sunny. By turns opulent and ordinary, noble and vicious, its shadows were darker. In The Long Weekend, Adrian Tinniswood uncovers the truth about a world half-forgotten, draped in myth and hidden behind stiff upper lips and film-star smiles. 

Drawing on hundreds of memoirs, on unpublished letters and diaries, on the eye-witness testimonies of belted earls and unhappy heiresses and bullying butlers, The Long Weekend gives a voice to the people who inhabited this world. 

In a definitive social history which combines anecdote and narrative with scholarship, it brings the stately homes of England to life, giving readers an insight into the guilt and the gingerbread, and showing how the image of the country house was carefully protected by its occupants above and below stairs, and how the reality was so much more interesting than the dream. 

Adrian Tinniswood is the author of fourteen books of social and architectural history. A Senior Research Fellow at the University of Buckingham and a Visiting Fellow in Heritage and History at Bath Spa University, he has worked for and with the National Trust at local, regional and national level for more than thirty years. In 2013 he was awarded an OBE for services to heritage. 

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The Stuarts in 100 Facts

It is rare indeed that I venture outside of the long 18th century and yet today I ill do just that, to share my thoughts on something Stuart, of all things!


The Stuarts in 100 Facts by Andrea Zuvich is a small yet, it must be said, perfectly formed book. This will come as no surprise to those of you who are already familiar with Andrea through her website, The Seventeenth Century Lady. Andrea's passion for the era is infectious and she delves joyously in one hundred facts about the years she knows so well. 

Some of the nuggets Andrea unearths might be familiar but no matter whether you are new to the Stuarts or share her love for those turbulent years, you're bound to find something new and surprising. Each of the titular one hundred facts, whether John Evelyn's dietary preferences, Sir Christopher Wren's architectural marvels, or Stuart canine companions, is explored in Andrea's accessible, wonderfully lighthearted style but there is real depth here and her research just shines through. For those wishing to learn more about the era and the characters who feature here, a trip to Andrea's website should be just the ticket.

Whether you dip into this book for a delightful surprise, or devour it in one sitting, it's a volume I heartily recommend!

Treat yourself to a copy of The Stuarts in 100 Facts at the links below!

Amazon

Signed copies direct from Andrea

A Book of Cookery, by a Lady

Earlier this year, I was delighted to discover A Book of Cookery, by a Lady, a guide to 18th century cookery compiled by Kimberly Walters.

The book offers a wonderful insight into life in the 18th century kitchen and is invaluable not only as a research tool, but even as a cookery manual for those who fancy a taste of the Georgian world in the 21st century. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and I think that any 18th century or cookery fan would be delighted to find it in their Christmas stocking!

I'm really delighted to welcome Kimberly to the salon today to discuss what inspired her to compile the book and choose a favourite recipe of her own.

---oOo---

I love living history. While, I don’t live it every day, I do dress up and pretend to be a lady, an indentured, or sometimes a convict servant of the 18th century to support historic sites and events. Those who take part in this hobby have various reasons why they put on “funny” clothes and reenact what our ancestors did on a daily basis. I am a bit of a stickler for historical accuracy. The research aspect of living history of any period is very important in order to get your impression right. Living history is a lot like family history and I think of it as honoring my ancestors whether they were rich or poor, regardless of the social and political norms that they lived under during their lifetimes. Getting my impression right brings history to life so that visitors walk away with a sense that they’ve stepped back in time to catch a glimpse of what it was like to live back then. When I first started participating in 18th century living history I became interested in many things, but hearth cooking became one of my main focuses. I have become passionate about the art of what has been called “historic foodways.” After taking some period cooking classes to correctly learn how to use the equipment and utensils, I then started researching recipes trying to find day-to-day information on how they cooked their food. I know that I had to delve into the period cookbooks. I often got lost in the minutia, trying to remember it all, and knowing that I could not possibly do so. resulted in A Book of Cookery, by a Lady.

During the research process, I found that there were many historic cookery books containing the same information (they had no plagiarism laws before the 20th Century), or some very unique information describing how to set a table or even how to carve meat. Trying to remember where a specific bit of information was located became harder and harder as I was researching. It became apparent that it really needed to be gathered into one compendium for my own personal use. A friend suggested that I share what I had gathered by publishing it. This seemed a great idea as any profits could go to help off-set some of the costs of my rescued horses.

Hopefully the reader will find lots of useful chapters in my book that are not only interesting from a historical viewpoint, but are also very practical for use in today’s cooking. Some of the information includes food items in season, period cooking terminology, measurements, recipes (known as receipts in the 18th century time period), how to carve meats, needed equipment and utensil terms, how to take tea, and even how to choose produce at the market. During my research I became enamored with an article by Ms. Nancy K. Loane about Elizabeth Thompson, General George Washington’s housekeeper during the Revolutionary war years. Loane published an article about Thompson for the Past Masters in Early American Domestic Arts newsletter. According to the article and my further research, Mrs. Thompson’s contribution to the Washington’s household was tremendous; I therefore decided to dedicate my book to Thompson and to my parents.

With the holiday season fast approaching, readers will even find a chapter on period Christmas dishes. When looking for information about the holidays, I wanted to keep it simple and focus on how Christmas was observed during the 18th century. I found a wonderful description from The History of Newburyport Massachusetts, Volume 2, published by the New Hampshire Publishing Company in 1978, as well as information from the George Washington Papers in the Library of Congress about the General paying for a bank of music. Here is an excerpt from my book from that chapter:

“It is also the custom for the family to go to church and the men may go out and fire their guns all around the house and grounds. Compliments of the season are a courtesy, such as wishing others a “Merry Christmas & all the Compliments of the Season,” or Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas” by the heads of house to all and each other, and he is expected to carve the meat, drink to the health of others, and make conversation at table. All in all, 25 December is just considered another day but it was special. Additionally, the religious customs varied from Colony to Colony and the holiday was celebrated differently based upon those beliefs. On Christmas Day of the year 1779, General Washington paid £15 for a band of music. He also wrote to Robert Morris on 25 December 1776 from Head Quarters in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, “I hope the next Christmas will prove happier than the present to you and to Dear Sir Your sincere Friend and humble Servt.”

 “Christmas Dinner with the Washington’s would typically be simple, but His Excellency was still known to put on an elegant table even during the war years. They were known to have set the table during this time of year with the same intent as if they were home One description says, “in the middle of the table was placed a piece of table furniture of wood gilded, or polished metal, raised only about an inch, with a silver rim round it like that round a tea board; in the centre was a pedestal of plaster of Paris with images upon it, and on each end figures, male and female, of the same. It was very elegant and used for ornament only. The dishes were placed all around, and there was an elegant variety of roast beef, veal, turkeys, ducks, fowls, hams &c.; puddings, jellies, oranges, apples, nuts, almonds, figs, raisins, and a variety of wines and punch. We took our leave at six, more than an hour after the candles were introduced. No lady but Mrs. Washington dined at table. We were waited on by four or five men servants dressed in livery.”


Regardless of what you serve during the holidays, a good ginger bread is always a delicious addition. An article about food should also include a receipt – here is a receipt for Ginger Bread taken from Murray’s Modern Cookery Book, Modern Domestic Cookery based on the well-known work of Mrs. Rundell... by John Murray, While this recipe is taken from the mid-19th century, I found it to be a mini-history:

“THIS is amongst the most ancient species of cake known throughout England and the north of Europe. In this country it is rarely eaten, except by children, but in Holland it is the common accompaniment of the "schnaps;" and in Ghent there are shops as famous for it as our "Leman" for biscuits. The following are selected from amongst the numerous ways of making it - Take 1 lb. of treacle, 1 lb. of butter, 2 lbs. of flour, 1 oz. of ground ginger, sliced candied orange, and a glass of brandy. If not intended to be rich, omit 1/2 the butter, the brandy, and lemon, and make it of rye flour, household flour, or oatmeal. At Leeds it is made with equal quantities of oatmeal and treacle, mixed with an eighth part of melted butter and brown sugar, and 1 oz. of powdered ginger, with 1/2 that quantity of other spice, to 4 lbs. of meal. This is called in that neighbourhood "Parkin," and is made in almost every cottage on the 5th of November, and pieces sent about as presents. The treacle should be perfectly sweet, for, if in the least degree sour or too thick, the bread will be indifferent in flavour and appearance. Ginger, too, should be fresh ground, as it loses much of its strength by keeping. When baked, the tin must be well buttered to make the cake come out; and when done, a fork, if thrust into it, will come out clean.”



During this holiday season, think about purchasing A Book of Cookery by A Lady to learn more about historical cooking and support my rescued horses. For more information about my book and jewelry please visit: www.kwaltersatthesignofthegrayhorse.com.


Written content of this post copyright © Kimberly K. Walters, 2015.

Mr Foote's Other Leg

Recently I took a trip to the stunning Theatre Royal, Haymarket to see Ian Kelly's rightly celebrated new play, Mr Foote's Other Leg. The theatre, which dates back to 1720, is breathtaking and the marvellous play proves more than a match for its surroundings!

Mr Foote's Other Leg takes as its central premise the life of actor-manager Samuel Foote, contemporary of Peg Woffington and David Garrick, the man who staged a comical take on Othello, strutted the stage in gowns that would shame a duchess, won and lost the favour of George III and took on the censors and (almost) won. Along the way he saw his beloved Haymarket become a Theatre Royal, was accused of sodomy and lost a leg in an ill-judged bet. 

Foote's life, so torn between triumph and tragedy, proves perfect for the stage and it is hard to imagine an actor better suited to the role than Simon Russell Beale. In the first act he flies high, celebration and success at every turn as Kelly's own Prince George makes regular excursions backstage to visit the charming Peg (effervescently played by Dervla Kirwan) and Garrick (a suitable charming Joseph Millson), segueing from broad Brimingham vowels to a perfect leading man gravitas as Jenny Galloway and Micah Balfour keep things running smoothly backstage at the Haymarket. 

There is a lot of humour in Kelly's play but tragedy too and the scene in which Forbes Masson, as John Hunter, narrates the amputation of Foote's ill-fated titular limb, is not for the faint of heart nor weak of constitution. Masson, capturing perfectly the pioneering spirit of Georgian medicine, handles the scene with all the élan of a carnival barker, pulling the audience into the grisly procedure in a scene that manages to show nothing yet, somehow, leave no stone unturned or bone unsawn.

Though Foote adopted a prosthetic limb made by the puppet makers of Covent Garden, the accident had a permanent impact on him and this play is by no means all comedy, with a touching seam of pathos emerging as the evening progresses towards its inevitable conclusion. 

Tim Hatley's design production captures the era marvellously, conjuring the sinister surroundings of Hunter's collection of curiosities and the chaos of the Haymarket dressing room before taking us all the way to the roof of the theatre. Richard Eyre's direction, meanwhile, keeps the pace fairly bowling along in act one, slowing it just a little for the unfolding tale of act two. Slapstick comedy and bitter tragedy do not always make a happy mix yet Kelly and Eyre juggle the two masterfully in the service of this remarkable tale; at no point does one overwhelm the other.

This is a remarkable play about a singular man; it's a pleasure to welcome Samuel Foote back to the West End!

Mr Foote's Other Leg is at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, until 23rd January 2016.

http://www.mrfootesotherleg.com

Darkness and Light: A Review

On Halloween my good friend, Kathy, and I gadded over to Manchester and the beautiful surroundings of the John Rylands Library to view an exhilarating exhibition, Darkness and Light: Exploring the Gothic. It seemed like the perfect day for a little Gothic and we certainly weren't disappointed.

There can be few better spaces for this exhibition that the John Rylands Library, a stunning building in the heart of modern Manchester. Entering through the modern wing of the building one is treated to a small collection of photographs of modern day goths, accompanied by their thoughts on what Gothic means in the twenty first century world and features a piece by Sylvia Lancaster, founder of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

From here visitors ascend a modern staircase and catch glimpses of the original building, sensitively incorporated into this new architecture but once you reach the top, you are plunged right into glorious Gothic surroundings, venturing into the cavernous, dark corridors of this magnificent building.

The exhibition takes the visitor through three decades of the Gothic in our culture from first editions of classics including The Castle of Otranto and, of course, Dracula and Frankenstein, to Galvanism and anatomical manuals that lend a rich, dark artistry to scientific diagrams, and blood-chilling surgical implements. In the architectural grandeur of the library, elevations for Strawberry Hill and illustrations of this and other iconic buildings remind us that Gothic isn't just an artistic movement, but a way of life.

As resurrectionists, authors, physicians and artists vie for our attention, the curators bring us into the modern age with recent works of art that demonstrate that the influence of the Gothic is still everywhere, from fashion to film to the art being created today.

© Kathy Boulton, 1015

This is an important and inspirational exhibition and for those of us who love the long 18th century, there is so much to enjoy, so many wonderful artefacts of our era that it felt like a very Gothic Christmas had come early. For those who are perhaps less familiar with the movement, illuminating and informative notes provide context, laying out a journey from the origins of Gothic to its place today.

I really cannot recommend Darkness and Light highly enough; it closes on 20th December 2015 and is perfectly suited to these misty days and dark nights!

Photographic content of this post copyright © Catherine Curzon, 2015 except where stated.

An Evening with Jane Austen

I'm enormously chuffed to announce my involvement in a theatrical venture today as An Evening with Jane Austen finds a home here at the salon!

There is, of course, a story to tell...

Regular visitors to the salon will know that I recently took a trip to Godmersham Park to see Adrian Lukis, who some of you might know as a certain Mr Wickham, and Caroline Langrishe perform their show, An Evening with Jane Austen, with music and songs courtesy of Camilla Pay and Rosie Lomas. The show combines period music and song with readings from Jane Austen's works, encompassing romance, tragedy and a generous sprinkling of humour. To spend an evening at Godmersham listening to Jane's words being brought so vividly to life was a wonderful experience and one that I shan't forget in a hurry. 

That same evening, in the very library where Jane Austen once settled down to work, Adrian and I hatched a scheme to give An Evening with Jane Austen a permanent berth at the Guide. As well as clips from the show, the new pages offer a chance to meet the performers, read some reviews of past performances and keep up to date with future events. 

I do hope you will take a look around the new pages and if you have any suggestions for sites of historical interest that might make suitable hosts for a performance, do get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!

Joshua Reynolds: Experiments in Paint

Regular visitors to the salon will know that I have long nursed a love of the work of Joshua Reynolds, so it was with no small measure of excitement that I took myself along to the Wallace Collection to view Joshua Reynolds: Experiments in Paint. A trip to the Wallace Collection is always a treat but this was a particularly special occasion as it combined one of my favourite galleries with my artistic hero!

Self portrait, 1776

The exhibition is the culmination of a four year research project headed by Wallace Collection director, Christoph Vogtherr, and brings together twenty works by Reynolds to demonstrate Reynolds's skill, innovation and experimental approach to painting in terms of both technique and composition. This free exhibition runs until 7th June 2015 and is, I think, a must-see!

By utilising techniques including infrared imagine and x-ray, the curators of the exhibition have been able to peer behind the pigment to see how these iconic works of art were developed and, telling, how Reynolds refined and finessed his work throughout the process. Famed portraits reveal tantalising glimpses of other paintings beneath, which Reynolds has painted over, or that what have become celebrated works of art once looked cry different, sometimes down to something as small as the position of the subject's arm!

Kitty Fisher and Parrot, 1763/4

By taking the visitor on a journey through Reynolds's processes, we are able to see the deterioration of pigment and better understand the sometimes subtle differences it can make to a painting that was once vibrant, as well as learn something of the conservation techniques employed to halt any further deterioration. Paintings including the portrait of Nelly O'Brien can be viewed in breathtaking close-up, the brushstrokes placed there by Reynolds visible today, a truly amazing experience for a fan like me!

Miss Jane Bowles, 1775

Reynolds is sometimes dismissed as a rather fussy, fancy painter but by bringing his technical innovations to the fore, this exhibition lends a new depth to our understanding of his work. Among all the grand canvasses, what really stood out for me was the canvas on which he had collected an archive of paint, each one accompanied by his own notes regarding how a particular colour was mixed. This small, apparently insignificant item is at the heart of his artistic achievement and shows his deep understanding of the importance of innovation; one must keep moving forward, trying new things and noting what worked and, of course, what didn't. Nowhere is this clearer than in the fate of William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensbury, whose grand portrait has lost much of the pigment in its face, leaving him a deathly pale phantom among ruddy-cheeked ladies.

If you are able to get along to the exhibition before it closes, I heartily recommend that you do so, it is a revelation and a lovely oasis of the 18th century in the heart of the city.

Find out more at http://www.wallacecollection.org/collections/exhibition/114

To see more by Reynolds, please click here! 

How to Skin a Lion: A Treasury of Outmoded Advice

Last year I reviewed The Georgian Art of Gambling by Claire Cock-Starkey, a slim but wonderful volume packed full of anecdotes and cautionary tales regarding one of the favourite pastimes of the glorious Georgians, who were not shy of having the odd flutter.

I was delighted, therefore, to learn that Claire has written a second volume of historical tidbits entitled How to Skin a Lion: A Treasury of Outmoded Advice. Once again beautifully produced and presented, How to Skin a Lion contains all sorts of useful advice and instructions gathered from the archives of the British Library. This time not confined to the 18th century, the advice is gleaned from centuries of documents, many of which are wonderfully obscure.

If you're looking to become fluent in the language of flowers, trap and smoke an eel or read the meaning of a mole, let alone learn dozens of other useful skills that will enhance and improve your life, you really do need to own this book. Whether discussing the polite way to turn down a proposal of marriage, quieting bees or quelling ants, Claire's style is witty and engaging and, crucially, never afraid to let the marvellous source material speak for itself. 

And what source material it is.

Reproduced in faithful detail, it is easy to become immersed in these often obscure asides, with publications ranging from domestic manuals to specialist works intended for the English traveller who wished to venture into the furthest flung corners of the globe. With plenty of instructive and witty illustrations from those same original publications, you can be sure you're getting it straight from the horse's (or skinned lion's) mouth. 

This beautifully produced hardcover book is an absolute delight. It comes comes highly recommended and plenty of my friends will be getting a copy... after all you never know when you might need to select a good manure or instruct someone on how to dress like a gentleman!

Read more about How to Skin a Lion went from idea to page at Claire's blog at http://nonfictioness.com/blog/, or even better, treat yourself to a copy!

How to Skin a Lion: A Treasury of Outmoded Advice is out on 14th May 2015 in the UK and 15th June 2015 in the US; click on the links below to buy a copy!

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Book Depository