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Saving coal
Ash Sifterc. 1900Coal was one of the top energy sources during the Victorian era. In fact, during 1889, almost 82,000,000 tons of coal was produced in Pennsylvania alone. Coal was used for everything...
View ArticleGiving back
I was never a joiner. I was always one of those solitary souls who sat in the back row in classrooms whenever I could and raised my hand as seldom as possible. My name wasn’t on the roster of any...
View ArticleBaby, it's cold outside!
The original heating system in the Physick house was, most likely, a gravity hot air system. The coal furnace was located in the basement and the coal stored around the perimeter of the basement, in...
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Chock full of Christmas
I may not be a really big fan of Halloween, but I am head over heels for Christmas. In my childhood years, Christmas was not the happiest of times. It usually meant unemployment for my father, a...
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Jingle all the way!
Sleigh BellsDate: c. 1890The Christmas season conjures up images of decorating trees, cookies, snow, and maybe even sleigh bells. In fact, Jingle Bells is one of the most popular songs around...
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Pass the cream
Name: Cream PitcherCraftsman: Philip Syng Jr.Date: c. 1770Philip Syng Jr. (1703 – 1789) was a significant silversmith and inventor. Syng immigrated to Philadelphia and became friendly with many...
View ArticleSave the drumstick for me
As with Christmas, the Thanksgiving holiday as we know it today is a product of the Victorian era.Although days of giving thanks to God have been celebrated since the Pilgrim fathers paused to offer...
View ArticleTurn up the heat!
Next time you adjust your thermostat, consider what the Physick family had to do in order to stay warm and toasty as the days grew colder.The original heating system in the Physick house was, most...
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Barking up the right tree
The Cape May Wave (forerunner of the Star & Wave) reported on the doings of the local chapter of the Society or the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals occasionally, including this blurb from August...
View ArticleThe right thing to do
For many of my years at MAC, my routine took me out to the World War II Tower on Sunset Boulevard. I’m a morning person, so most of these side trips I needed to take happened shortly after sunrise,...
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Hide the can
Condensed Milk Can Holder c. 1885The middle of the 1800s saw the proliferation of larger cities in the United States. Dense populations in small areas created problems with provisions. Items such as...
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Beat the heat
Before air conditioning, Victorian life followed seasonal cycles determined by the weather. Not surprisingly, workers’ productivity declined in direct proportion to the heat and humidity outside – on...
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Staying fit
As the Victorians approached the 20th century, new fads in home entertainment gave them new and enjoyable ways to interact with family and friends, and new opportunities for physical fitness. New...
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Putt away
Semi Putter Crawford, MacGregor & Canby Co. c. 1900Recently, the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities received a donation of four golf clubs from the United States Golf Association...
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Follow the recipe
The Boston Cooking School Cookbook Author: Fanny Farmer c. 1896 Cookbooks began to gain in popularity in the latter half of the 19th century due to higher literacy rates, the lower cost of printing,...
View ArticleFitness fanatics
As the Victorians approached the 20th century, fads in home entertainment gave them new and enjoyable ways to interact with family and friends, and new opportunities for physical fitness. New medical...
View ArticleOverdressed?
Now that summer is in full swing and we are basking in the sun and the relative cool of the beach, we are reminded of the torture that our Victorian predecessors went through during these months. In...
View ArticleA fabulous fourth
A Victorian Fourth of July was not complete without a parade, picnic, fireworks, and perhaps even a historical pageant. The Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876 gave the holiday an extra...
View ArticleTea time
A late-19th century tea, whether served for one’s own family or for guests, was the epitome of tradition and hospitality. It was a chance to gather for some restful moments with one’s spouse and...
View ArticleThey're playing my song
My taste in music has always been rather eclectic. As a teenager in the ’60s, I was introduced to some of the artists who are considered musical icons even today (although I did not go to Woodstock, I...
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