THE VICTORIAN SOCIETY IN AMERICA
205 S. Camac St, Philadelphia, PA  19107 ~ Phone: 215-545-8340 ~ Fax: 215-545-8379
Click here to make the VSA your home page.
 

EMAIL NEWSLETTER
 Summer, 2004

Welcome to the august  issue of the VSA's email newsletter.

I n the dog days of summer, one often desires a happy excursion to whittle away the hours with family and friends. What better way to do so than to arrange a Victorian summer picnic?

Eating al fresco has been popular throughout history. The word "picnic" first appeared around 1740 and was derived from two French words: "piquer" which meant "to pick at food" and "nique," meaning "something small of no value." But they were even popular before the Georgian era. During the Medieval era, picnics were included as an important part of hunting parties. They featured rich foods such as cooked hams, roasted meat, poultry, pies and tarts.

Picnics became most popular during the Queen Victoria's reign in England. Victorians delighted in picnicking and made it quite fashionable. Picnics were held at families' homes or other scenic locations. Although servants often attended wealthy families on picnics, they were casual gatherings, and only a few servants were required to be present.

Victorian etiquette prescribed that careful consideration should be taken in choosing an appropriate site for a picnic. Even though a view near a cliff may have been quite breathtaking, such spots were considered to alarm the ladies present. Gentlemen had to be careful not to seat their guests near ant hills or places without proper shade.

Many times, each guest brought along a dish, but eventually, it became customary for one family to organize and provide the food for the picnic. Armed with baskets filled with dishes and utensils, Victorians believed picnics should be just as civilized as eating in a dining room. And the food was just as sumptuous: iced champagne rolled in wet newspapers to preserve the chill, lobster tails with homemade mayonnaise, cold poached chicken with cream sauce, trifle (chunks of pound cake, fresh fruit, rich custard and cream) and whiskey punch to wash it all down. And Victorian picnickers did not dream of eating outdoors without a kerosene burner to boil their kettles for tea. After the last dessert was served, those with musical talents were expected to entertain the party.

Games like croquet, tag and blind man's bluff were played. Ladies often conversed with each other. Some would explore the area and look for flowers or wild mushrooms. Men and women followed rules of propriety. It was not looked upon favorably if they wandered away from the party alone for too long.

Kindly provided by: Shelly Chen and Rhoda Yen
Eras of Elegance

Of course, past-Presidents of the VSA deserve just a little more than a summer picnic...

Guy Lacy Schless at the Palace
July 8th, 2004

As you would expect, Queen Elizabeth has a back yard.  But you might not realize that in fact it is a 42-acre private wild life sanctuary in the heart of London. Home to gardens, lakes, manicured lawns (and a flock of captive flamingoes!).  Just the place for a royal garden party.

Garden parties have been held at Buckingham Palace since the 1860s, usually two a year, and have included, more recently, presentation parties to honor  large organizations. One such was held on July 8th in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Royal Society of Arts, for whom HM Queen Elizabeth and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh are the patron and president respectively. 

We are pleased to report that, as a Benjamin Franklin Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, our distinguished  past-President, Guy Lacy Schless, received an invitation. At a typical royal garden party, some 400 waiting staff serve around 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake from a 408-feet long buffet.  Fortunately for Dr. Schless, eight thousand other people also attend.

And considering this,  it was a proud moment indeed when Dr. Schless received the additional news from the Lord Chamberlain that he had been selected for the Royal Presentation itself,  to be recognized for services to medicine since 1962 as Honorary Visiting Consultant in Metabolic Medicine to Guy's Hospital in the University of London.

So on a cloudy afternoon at 2:45 pm,  Dr. Schless presented his Personal ID at the outer gates of Buckingham Palace.  He tells us, "I progressed through the open gates past the Grenadier Guards; up the central stairs to the opulent reception rooms;  thence to the back of the Palace to the terrace;  and down the grand staircase leading to the royal gardens".

Dr. Schless goes on, "For the next hour I strolled with the other 8,000 guests along the endless paths, enjoying all the natural beauty. The Queen arrived at 4.00 pm,  and those chosen for the Royal Presentation had been lined up in groups of ten." 

 "She descended the terrace steps preceded by a company of Beefeater Guards carrying pikes", observed Dr. Schless, clearly cognizant of increased security.

Regina v VSA:

After introductions by the Equerry, the Queen proffered her hand to shake that of our proud guest.  (For the uninitiated, Royals always extend first!).  It was then time for Dr. Schless' day in the court, and he quotes the royal exchange verbatim:

HM: "We appreciate  your services."
GLS: "Thank you for having us your Majesty."

[aside]: Heavens open producing light rain.  Equerry hands open umbrella to HM [presumably not covering Dr. Schless].

HM:  Smiling: "Please forgive our usual weather."

Exeunt.

And so to the spacious tea tents for refreshments as two bands played.  

Dr. Schless concludes, "I meandered for an hour around the lush gardens sitting by the lake enjoying all immensely. After the Queen's departure at 5:45pm  I walked back up the terrace stair and out of the front gate." "I looked at the great statue of Queen Victoria feeling that the afternoon had indeed been most Victorious".

2004 Summer School Alumni
We wish to welcome new and returning members to the VSA the alumni from our successful Summer Schools of 2004. 
A full list of attendees appears at the bottom of this newsletter.

LONDON SUMMER SCHOOL 2004
Ian Cox, the director of the London School, is the Director of Education at Christie's in London.  Kit Wedd, the assistant director of the London School, works as a freelance writer and editor, specializing in architectural conservation and historic interior decoration. 

Based at the University of London, participants will have an opportunity to be immersed in English Victorian Society. A broad overview of the period will be provided through study in London, Oxford and Liverpool. A highlight of the school is a five-day tour of the Midlands and the North of England.

NEWPORT SUMMER SCHOOL
Renowned scholar, Richard Guy Wilson, noted author and chair of the Department of Architectural History at the University of Virginia, is the director. 

The school is based at the historic campus of Salve Regina University in Newport. In addition to exploring the rich cultural heritage of Newport, participants will have an opportunity to experience the Victorian legacy in many other parts of New England, including Providence, Rhode Island, North Easton and New Bedford, Massachusetts.

The Victorian Society in America announces the dates for its year 2005 Summer School programs in Newport, Rhode Island and London, England.

 Newport June 3 - 12, 2005
London July 9 - July 24, 2005

These programs provide in-depth study of the multi-faceted architecture and culture of the nineteenth century. The courses include lectures by leading experts, site visits and guided tours.

St. Michael's Episcopal Church is the oldest continuing institution on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Its history reflects not only a legacy of service to the community but also a rich heritage in art, architecture and music. It has been chosen as a recipient of one of the Metropolitan Chapter 2004 awards for preservation.

The current church building is the third on this site. It was designed by architect Robert W. Gibson and completed in 1891. It is made of Indiana limestone in the Northern Italian renaissance or Romanesque-Byzantine style - a daring departure in church architecture at the time. Chancel decorations by Louis Comfort Tiffany include the impressive lancet windows in the apse, depicting St. Michael's victory in heaven. The interior is, in fact, one of the world's largest extant Tiffany ecclesiastical installations in its original setting. Over more than three decades, Tiffany and Tiffany Studios provided furnishings, decoration, leaded glass windows, light fixtures, and mosaic decorations for the church, and two more leaded glass windows located in the chapel.

For most of its first 100 years, the sanctuary had been painted in neutral colors. In celebration of its centennial, the church was repainted using colors in the palette of the Tiffany decorations. This decoration suffered extensive water damage shortly thereafter. Canning Studios was selected to repair and stabilize the plaster walls and reinstate the ornate, high Victorian style decoration for which they were selected to receive the honor from the Metropolitan Chapter of the VSA .

Sharing in this honor are: St. Michael's Congregation and Rector Rev. George W. Brandt, Jr.; Hans Rolf, Rohlf's Stained & Leaded Glass, Inc.; Tom Garcia, the Gil Studio, Inc. (window conservation); and, Richard Renfro and Steve Heuss, Renfro Design Group, Inc. (lighting design).

During the Victorian era, drinking lemonade on one's porch was a popular pastime in the summers. A "ladies-only" light luncheon may also have been served. Below is a simple recipe for lavender lemonade, a drink enjoyed during the 19th century. Consider serving your lemonade in an antique style, glass footed pitcher and tumblers. Victorians believed the violet-hued glass preserved good tidings within their homes. Below is an easy recipe from Eras of Elegance  for this refreshing beverage, perfect for your Victorian picnic.

VICTORIAN LAVENDER LEMONADE

5 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
12 stems of fresh lavender
2 1/4 cups lemon juice

1. Boil 2 1/2 cups of water with the sugar.
2. Add the lavender stems and remove from heat.
3. Place on the lid and let cool.
4. When cool, add 2 1/2 cups of water and the lemon juice.
5. Strain out the lavender.
6. Serve the lavender lemonade with crushed ice & garnish with lavender blossoms.

Queen Victoria, Abraham Lincoln, Florence Nightingale (pictured) and other characters from history may soon be able to speak again, as scientists perfect techniques to recover the sound from recordings that are far too delicate to be played.

 In the corner of a California university laboratory, two men are battling against time to perfect a machine that will read old recordings - using special microscopes to scan the grooves - and software that can convert those shapes into sound. Their work could bring history to life.
Full story at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3917849.stm

Falls Church chapter
Victoria’s Messenger

 The Autumn Splendor Ball

You can now renew your membership online; and request an email reminder in future.  You can also make other payments to VSA online:

MEMBERSHIP PAYMENTS



Renew your membership online

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

August  2004

Digital History
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/

Designed and developed to support the teaching of American History in K-12 schools and colleges and is supported by the Department of History and the College of Education at the University of Houston.

The materials on this Web site include a U.S. history textbook; over 400 annotated documents from the Gilder Lehrman Collection on deposit at the Pierpont Morgan Library, supplemented by primary sources on slavery, Mexican American and Native American history, and U.S. political, social, and legal history; succinct essays on the history of film, ethnicity, private life, and technology; multimedia exhibitions; and reference resources that include a searchable database of 1,500 annotated links, classroom handouts, chronologies, glossaries, an audio archive including speeches and book talks by historians, and a visual archive with hundreds of historical maps and images. The site's Ask the HyperHistorian feature allows users to pose questions to professional historians.

previous websites of the month

Arts & Crafts News

The Roycroft Campus and Chautauqua Institution invite you to a new Arts and Crafts Conference, including a tour of Arts and Crafts sites at Chautauqua, over the weekend September 24^th to 26^th For details www.roycroft.org/conference or www.roycroftconference.com

 

Historic Seattle have announced the dates for their Annual Bungalow Fair. The 2004 fair is Saturday and Sunday, September 25 and 26. We also have a pre fair embroidery workshop by Ann Chaves on Friday, the 24^th. For details larryk@historicseattle.org

 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York have an exhibition, ‘Ruhlmann: Genius of Art Deco’ running until 5^th September, with a complimentary exhibition ‘Art Deco Paris’. For details Met Museum

 

The Gamble House in Pasadena (pictured) is nearing the completion of its $3.4 million restoration, which commenced in October 2003, and scheduled for completion in July 2004. For updates and details www.gamblehouse.org

 

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex in Buffalo, New York that the Society visited on its Annual Meeting 2003 is still under restoration, but still open for guided tours. For opening times and details www.darwinmartinhouse.org

 

Courtesy VSA member The Arts & Crafts Home

Mount Pleasant, Hague, Virginia

On Saturday, August 21, 2004, the Washington, DC Chapter pays a visit to Mount Pleasant, Hague, Virginia

The property was given a Commendation in the VSA 2004 Preservation Awards for the meticulous restoration from a virtual ruin of this 1886 Queen Anne country house and outbuildings to their original splendor.

Mount Pleasant is a grand Queen Anne country house constructed in 1886 by John Crabbe, a successful Baltimore dry goods merchant, on land that belonged to the famous Lee family for six generations. Based on published architectural illustrations, the house was assembled from prefabricated parts and had its own acetylene gas plant to fuel its gasoliers. After leaving the Crabbe family, the house survived almost 30 years of abject neglect until purchased by Mr. and Mrs. William Carden in 1994.

 The complete restoration of the property included the barn/carriage house, well house, and smokehouse, as well as the main house. Missing ornamental elements were meticulously duplicated, and restoration of stained glass, faux finishes, and wall coverings was undertaken. Historic exterior and interior color schemes were respected. The house is now available for tours by interested parties. 

Click here for the DC Chapter flyer

AND FINALLY..

Your staff of one at the email newsletter has acknowledged the crazy days of summer.

http://www.victoriansociety.org/stuff.html

web site links

Let us know what you think of the e-newsletter and what you like to see in it.

UNTIL NEXT TIME
visit us on the web at www.victoriansociety.org

The Victorian Society in America
205 S. Camac Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
info@victoriansociety.org

Copyright 2004. Victorian Society in America. All rights reserved.