1810 Les Invisibles. By James Gillray. Two men walk towards each other, each with a lady hanging to each arm, all have their faces concealed by some part of their dress, hat, or collar, or both. One man has a round hat, with a fantastically curved brim projecting downwards. The other has a huge crescent-shaped cocked hat with the peaks dipping over face and back. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org (PD-Art)
1810 “A Bonnet Shop” By Thomas Rowlandson.A shopkeeper with a hat in each hand converses with an elderly woman wearing a similar hat. A child holding a rattle looks up at them at left, a plump woman wearing a bonnet sits at center, and a group of young women make bonnets in the background. Many groups of hats hang overhead in the shop. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org (PD-Art)
1811 Green Dress French. High waist with bow under the bust, Mamaluke sleeves as “a long full sleeve partitioned into five sections, each section being drawn and seamed to fit around the arm up sleeves, white collar lining, fashionable blue bonnet tied under the chin and wearing yellow shoes. The sort of fashionable outfit worn by women in Jane Austen’s times, or 1800s, or Regency Era. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
Mamaluke Sleeves: Long full sleeves partitioned into five sections, each section being drawn and seamed to fit around the arm up.
1771 Tattersall’s Horse Training School, London, U.K. via Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection.
Tattersall’s was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall (1724–1795), the Duke Of Kingston’s stud groom in premises near Hyde Park Corner, London. Two Subscription rooms were designated for members of the Jockey Club and became a meeting place for sporting and betting men. ‘Old Tatt’ conducted sales for the Duke of Kingston’s stud in 1774 and the Prince of Wales, or Prinny, in 1786. The prince often visited Richard Tattersall who was succeeded by his son, Edmund Tattersall (1758–1810), who extended the business to France.
Hawkesbury House in Belgravia, London
“Be warned, my lord,” the woman said. “I shall return. Tomorrow. Early. Very early. And if you refuse to speak with me, I’ll haunt your house until you are prepared to listen to me.”
Justin Tremayne, Viscount Hawkesbury, felt the air suck out of the room. Movements ceased, breaths held, no one spoke. Every person in the room, including the courtesans, was aware of the reason he’d spent four years debasing himself before the wealthiest members of the ton.
The reason he forced himself to get out of bed each day, to place one foot in front of the other and go through the rituals, the pretense of living a normal life. Why he arranged wild bedroom antics for women and men that he barely knew and certainly didn’t like or respect. His guilt festered like an open wound and the pain never lessened. His obsession was to locate his mother and two sisters, to bring them home, and try to make amends for his absence at the time his deranged father had evicted them.
Unable to reply, he shook his head, robbed of coherent thought, unable to believe her declaration. Unable to convince himself it wasn’t another misery-causing lie. Unable to gather the energy to conclude his night’s business. Nothing mattered above the bait she dangled before his nose, the thing he yearned for more than any other—to bring his family back to him. This tiny despot had forced him into negotiating with her.
“Bart, Thomas. I ask you to leave me to my visitor. Then I’m off to find my bed.”
https://books2read.com/suziloveTVPH The Viscount’s Pleasure House. Irresistible Aristocrats Book 1 By Suzi Love.
1804 Royal Mint, Stamping Room, London, U.K. As Jane Austen would have known it. From Ackermann’s Microcosm of London by A.C. Pugin and Thomas Rowlandson.
1860 New Hebrides, Pacific Ocean.
Nothing had prepared Lady Katharine Montgomery for the jumble of feelings overwhelming her when Alex worshipped her body, first with words and later with his hands and mouth. For years around this house, she’d been forced to appear dowdy, unintelligent, and totally self-effacing to never anger her father, or draw his wrath. Now, though, every degrading restriction was lifted from her mind, body, and life.
Her father was dead. Yesterday, she’d buried her hatred for the despicable man who’d given her life during the quarter hour it took to stand at his grave and, along with all the other hypocrites present, pretend to mourn as they buried his mortal remains. He’d cheated traders, beaten plantation workers, and horse-whipped her within an inch of her life. She and all the other mourners hoped he’d rot in hell.
Last night, she’d felt free to liberate the passionate nature she’d kept buried for six and twenty years for fear of her father’s explosive wrath. But one night with Lord Alexander St. John had changed everything. One night with a lover who was gentle and caring had her aching for more, more of Alex and more of life with him.
1810-1820 ca. Pantaloons, Probably Military, British. The type of pants worn by men in Jane Austen’s times when wars were being fought all over the world, especially in Europe. Machine-knitted white cotton decorated with cream silk braid on sides and fronts as seen on Hussar uniforms. Cut to fit the leg and button bottom at waist with three buttons. Front fall buttons over five buttoned fly, two horizontal pockets at front below waistband and fob pocket in waistband. Four metal buttons for braces, two front and two back. Cotton ‘puff’ centre back waist and two linen tapes for waist adjustment. via Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK. collections.vam.ac.uk.
Pair of men’s pantaloon trousers made of machine-knitted white cotton and decorated with cream silk braid applied down the sides and on the fronts. This imitates the hussar uniforms of the period and appeared on fashionable men’s dress. The pantaloons are cut to fit the leg and button at the bottom with three buttons. The pantaloons fasten at the front with front falls buttoning over a five buttoned fly. There are two horizontal pockets at the front below the waistband and a fob pocket in the waistband. There are four metal buttons for braces, two at the front and two at the back. These probably are original. There is a cotton ‘puff’ at the centre back waist and two linen tapes for waist adjustment.
Pantaloons also brought the glamour of military uniform into men’s fashionable dress, especially when teamed with Hessian boots. Uniforms worn by the various armies during the Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815) were often very colourful and lavishly adorned with braid and tassels. It is hardly surprising that some of these attractive trimmings should have infiltrated fashion, particularly when nationalistic feelings ran high. Civilian pantaloons were often ornamented with military-style braid that was applied in a vertical band of topside Russia braiding. They were not, however, generally decorated on the front, which suggests that this pair was for military use. The silk braid is applied in the form of an Austrian knot, which was a popular motif on pantaloons of the light cavalry such as the hussars and light dragoons.
1800 North Side Of Cavendish Square, London, U.K. By Thomas Malton (1748-1804) British. Aquatint of the north side of the square. (PD-Art)
1801 November 9th Playing Cards. Men and women play cards at round table. Supreme Bon Ton Plate 2. Published by S W Fores. Men and women play cards at round table. Man and woman talk to players. Woman sleeps in upright chair, two others, one with parasol and other fan, walk off arm-in-arm.Men: High-waisted coats, high collars, huge neck-cloths, with pumps or Hessian boots. Women: High-waisted dresses, short sleeves, long trains, very low necklines, short ringlets, two in caps. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org (PD-Art)
In Jane Austen’s times, cartoons posted in the windows of shops were one of the main ways people found news. Common people couldn’t afford newspapers so cartoonists ridiculed the people and the places with cartoons of the daily events happening in London and other cities. The ridiculous fashion trends of the late 1700s and early 1800s were easy targets for satirical cartoons as was the addiction to gambling by women and men alike.
