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Hair today, gone tomorrow
My wife’s family had hair jewelry – her great-grandmother’s hair and her grandmother’s jewelry – which we display every Christmas as part of our Victorian crafts exhibit. When tour-goers visit, they...
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Feel that breeze!
Fans C. 1900The hand fan served many purposes in the Victorian Era. It was, first and foremost, a fashion accessory. A fashionable Victorian woman would make sure her gloves, boots, stockings and fan...
View ArticlePlay it again, Emlen
For the Victorians, music was an anchor of sorts. In a time when the world was rapidly changing due to the Industrial Revolution, music offered families a chance to gather in the peace of the home....
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Cool it!
IceboxManufacturer: FrostairIn the days before electric refrigeration, perishable foods were stored in iceboxes. Ice was readily available, even in the summer months. During the winter, ice was...
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Aging in style
One of the things I’ve noticed as I grow older is the tendency to mark the advance of time in other people or things. Maybe it’s a defense against aging. If I can see a movie on TV that was made before...
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Music to my ears
PhonographManufacturer: Standard Talking Machine CompanyDate: 1909The Victorian Era saw the advent of recorded music that could be played in homes. Phonographs became popular in the 1890s with Thomas...
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Pack it up!
For most picnickers in today’s world, these outings call for paper plates, paper cups, plastic bottles, coolers, plenty of ice, and as many convenience foods as possible. The world in the Victorian era...
View ArticleIt's vacation time
The concept of a “vacation” has its roots in the first decades of the 19th century. Wealthy planters from Southern state escaped the heat and mosquitoes by traveling to cooling springs, the mountains,...
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What shall I wear?
Plus FoursEarly 20th century Plus Fours are a type of men's pants that became popular in America in the early 20th century. Unlike knickerbockers, which ended at the knee, plus fours extend four inches...
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Think cool thoughts!
Remarkably, the technology for cooling air did exist in the Victorian Era. As early as the 1880s, factories were installing primitive air conditioning systems to cool the machinery. The relief felt by...
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A dip in the ocean
Bathing in the ocean prompted fierce discussion among social critics and visitors. One Cape May visitor in 1870 commented about the women he saw who were brave enough to enter the water in their...
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Hot stuff!
Although most of us associate the light summery dresses exhibited in Mrs. Ralston’s bedroom at the Physick Estate as the summertime norm for women, in actual fact, dresses in lightweight materials were...
View ArticleOne scoop or two?
In addition to its advantages as a food preserver, ice could also be used to make ice cream. To our founding fathers, ice cream was associated with the elite and wealthy. Ice cream’s necessary...
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Crabs & summer...perfect together!
I’ve always loved life’s contradictions. How ironic is it that I left New England with my family more than 30 years ago because one of the things I was tired of was cold, snowy winters and now I find...
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Croquet, anyone?
Leisure and entertainment options expanded dramatically for Americans in the late 19th century. More discretionary time, rising income levels and technological advances all increased the number of...
View ArticleAround the Board
Board Game: Round the World with Nellie Bly Manufacturer: McLoughlin Brothers Date: 1890Nellie Bly, born Elizabeth Cochran, started writing for the Pittsburgh Dispatch in 1885 when she was only 21...
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Table for two?
The idea of voluntarily dining outside the home at an establishment solely devoted to fine dining is a Victorian concept. Prior to the era, the only time one didn’t dine at home was while traveling and...
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Creepy Cape May
I can remember, as a youngster living in New England, driving to Long Island to visit my grandmother. It seemed that no matter when we went, we should have come either the week before or waited a week....
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May I have this dance?
Dance Card Manufacturer: Daily Star Print Date: 1876Dances, or hops, were very popular leisure activities in the Victorian era. They were especially common in Cape May during the summer months....
View ArticleCreepy season in Cape May
I timed my visits to the dentist perfectly this year, because I was able to see his waiting room decked out for Halloween. As in past years, you are greeted by the deep voice of Hanibal Lecter who...
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![Raveena – Blissed Out – Single [iTunes Plus M4A]](http://i.imgur.com/03XzSQn.jpeg)
