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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...
View ArticleBragging rights
Historical Register of the Centennial ExpositionPublisher: Frank Leslie’s Publishing HouseDate: 1877The Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, the first of its kind in the United States, was held to mark...
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Haul out the holly....
I admit it. I’m one of those people who begin (in September) counting off the number of days until Christmas. I do not object when Christmas music begins smack on the heels of finishing the last of...
View ArticleThe most wonderful time of the year!
I am such a Christmas fanatic. I watch every single, sappy Hallmark Christmas movie, even though I either know the outcome because I’ve watched it for years or because a 5-year-old could figure out the...
View ArticleAnd so it grows...
Remember the old sci-fi movie classic about the mutated man who couldn’t stop growing? Christmas, and celebrating it, evolved that way during the Victorian Era. It grew from a rather staid, relatively...
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e-cards not an option
Christmas Cards Date: 1900Sir Henry Cole is credited with inventing the Christmas card. During the holiday season of 1843, Cole saw letters of Christmas greetings from friends begin to pile up quicker...
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The quiet season
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that January is not my favorite month. Christmas, my favorite time of year, is just behind us, which means I have a long time to wait until that merry season rolls...
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A housewarming gift
Majolica BowlC. 1879Majolica wares have a porous earthenware body painted with colored glazes and finished with a thick layer of shiny clear glaze. The term “Majolica” refers to the island of Majorca...
View ArticleUnder the weather?
Feeling under the weather this winter? A stuffy head and runny nose probably sends you to the drugstore for decongestants and cough drops. A hundred years ago you might have bought bitters or celery...
View ArticleThanks, George and Abe
I’m sure whatever piece of legislation created Presidents’ Day had more lofty thoughts than just a holiday or a big sale. As a matter of fact, I still remember when George and Abe each had their own...
View ArticleRites of spring
Do you have a tradition of spring cleaning in your home? If so, you’re following a rite of spring that goes back at least two centuries in America. This seasonal desire for cleanliness turned whole...
View ArticleIt's elementary
I have always been a voracious reader, primarily fiction, and a healthy mix of genres with the notable exception of romance, unless the heroine had four feet, that is. To this day, even when picking...
View ArticleDo your eggs taste fishy?
In 1875, a year before the centennial in 1876, Philadelphians published a book celebrating the history and heritage of their city. Included in the volume was a short description of Cape May, the...
View ArticleKick the can
Although we do not have any period tin cans in our collection, they were nevertheless very important to all Victorian homemakers. Canned food was still somewhat of a novelty in the later decades of the...
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Where's the microwave?
Coal Stove James Spear Stove and Heating Company Date: 1898At the end of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution helped popularize the cast iron ranges which would dominate Victorian kitchens....
View ArticleRemember Mom
Children have been honoring their mothers since the beginning of time. However, it wasn’t until 1872 that serious thought was given to honoring all mothers with a special day. Although Julia Ward Howe,...
View ArticleWelcome Spring!
I never thought I’d say it, but I had more than my fill of Winter this year and it wasn’t even a bad one. I always thought if I could plan Mother Nature’s calendar, I’d have one month of Spring, two...
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What's for breakfast?
Post Toasties Post FoodsIn the early 1890s, C.W. Post found himself inside a sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan under the care of Dr. John Kellogg. During his stay, Post had to adhere to a healthy...
View ArticleThoughts on Memorial Day
The first weekend of summer: the first “official” cookout in the back year; wreath-laying ceremonies, a day off from work, the Indianapolis 500…all these things can only mean one thing – Memorial Day...
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...
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 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 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 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...
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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,...
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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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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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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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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...
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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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 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...
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...
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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...
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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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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...
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...
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...
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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...
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