19th Century Inkstand, English. Ormolu and tortoiseshell. The type of inkstand that households would have in Jane Austen’s times for writing letters and keeping track of estate matters. Curved, recessed top, two square inkwells of faceted cut glass with round necks and ormolu lids. via 1st Dibs Auctions ~ 1stdibs.com
19th Century Ormolu and Tortoiseshell Inkstand, English. #Writing #RegencyEra #JaneAusten
Covent Garden is within the London boroughs of Westminster and Camden, and the parliamentary constituencies of Cities of London and Westminster and Holborn and St Pancras. The district is divided by the main thoroughfare of Long Acre, north of which is given over to independent shops centred on Neal’s Yard and Seven Dials, while the south contains the central square with its street performers and most of the elegant buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and the London Transport Museum.
In 1552, the land was seized by Henry VIII and granted to the Earls of Bedford. The 4th Earl commissioned Inigo Jones to build fine houses to attract wealthy tenants. It was the first modern square in London, with Italian arcades and a flat, open space or piazza with low railings. This layout was copied in other new estates in London.
1555 John Russell, 1st Earl Of Bedford. By a follower of John Bettes. Given land of Covent Garden by Herny VIII after the dissolution of the Monasteries.1650 The piazza of Covent Garden about 1650, as engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar. Courtesy University of Toronto.1721-1789 ca. St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden, London, U.K. From between two arches of the plaza. Watercolor with grey wash. By Thomas Sandy. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org1800s Early Covent Garden Market, London, U.K.
In 1654, an open-air fruit and vegetable market grew on the south side of the fashionable square but over time the market and the surrounding area fell into disrepute. Taverns, theatres, coffee-houses and brothels opened up, the gentry moved away, and rakes, wits and playwrights moved in.
By the 18th century Covent Garden had become a well-known red-light district, attracting notable prostitutes such as Betty Careless and Jane Douglas. Descriptions of the prostitutes and where to find them were provided by Harris’s List of Covent Garden Ladies, the “essential guide and accessory for any serious gentleman of pleasure”.
Covent Garden’s market was always disorderly, the buildings in bad shape, and overcrowded with stalls, donkeys, carts, and peddlers. The small number of passageways into the piazza were small and with bottle necks of carts moving goods and market sellers fighting for right of way. The markets supplied fruits and vegetables, mostly homegrown but with imported goods increasing. Many sellers missed paying tolls for selling in the piazza or refused to pay them so the owner, the Earl of Bedford, took many people to court for not paying tolls. He realized the markets were in such poor condition that he couldn’t charge sellers until he improved them. In 1830, a new market hall was built with sections dividing the kind of goods sold which did improve things, but the markets remained chaotic. By 1890, people were again complaining about the narrow streets and congestion.
Covent Garden’s flower girls attracted attention by shouting:
“Two bundles a penny, primroses!”
“Sweet violets, penny a bunch!”
In 1851, Henry Mayhew wrote London Labour and the London Poor describing two types of flower girl. The young girls, or waifs, sold flowers to feed the family. The other type of flower girl stayed out late, doubled as prostitutes, and had bad reputations.
In 1913, Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford agreed to sell the Covent Garden Estate for £2 million to the MP and land speculator Harry Mallaby-Deeley, who sold his option in 1918 to the Beecham family for £250,000.
1809 View Of the New Covent Garden Theatre, London. From Hart Street, showing the King’s entrance. Watercolor drawn by James Winston. via British Museum. 1811 Bird’s Eye View of Covent Garden Market, London, UK. Main fruit, flower and vegetable market in London in early 19th century. Began here in 1656 with few temporary stalls in back garden of home of Earl of Bedford. Charles II granted market lease and in 1678 bought by Adam Piggot and others who built permanent stalls. By 1811, smelly, dirty, and overcrowded. Engraver J. Bluck. After Augustus Charles Pugin and Thomas Rowlandson published by Ackermann. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org
1827 Covent Garden Market, Westminster, London, U.K. By Frederick James Havell.
In 1830, Charles Fowler’s neo-classical building was erected to cover the market and as the market grew, the prostitutes moved on. The Floral Hall and Charter Market were added and the Jubilee Market in 1904.
1835 Covent Garden Watch House, London, UK. Next to the church of St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden. Two story white building with ‘Watch House’ painted on its upper floor is shown with a lively street scene in the foreground. via Museum of London.
1852 J.M.W. Turner’s birthplace in Maiden Lane, Covent Garden. Brick terraced house at night with a figure in top hat walking past and two figures with a candlelight in the doorway_Watercolour with body color over graphite. Drawn by John Wykeham Archer.
In 1913,Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford agreed to sell the Covent Garden Estate for £2 million to the MP and land speculator Harry Mallaby-Deeley, who sold his option in 1918 to the Beecham family for £250,000. By the end of the 1960s, traffic had become congested until in 1974 the market relocated to the New Covent Garden Market about three miles (5 km) south-west at Nine Elms. In 1980, the central building re-opened as a shopping centre and then became a tourist location with cafes, pubs, small shops, a craft market called the Apple Market, and another market in the Jubilee Hall.
1817 March. Opera Dress, English. Blue dress with flowers around the hem above a lace frill, long draping shawl, blue hat with white feather. The sort of outfit Jane Austen and her contemporaries would wear for an evening at the opera or theatre. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
1817 March. Opera Dress, English. Blue dress with flowers around the hem above a lace frill, long draping shawl, blue hat with white feather. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
1817 March. Blue Opera Dress And Hat. #Regency #JaneAusten #Fashion
1818 December Mourning Walking Dress. Round dress of black bombazine, body tight to the shape and up to the throat but without a collar, long sleeves, with white crape weepers, skirt is finished at the bottom with a broad black crape flounce, disposed in large plaits. Over this is a very narrow flounce, which is also plaited to correspond; a little above this is a third flounce, which is quilled in the middle to correspond, and the whole is surmounted by a broad band of bias crape. The spencer worn with this dress is composed of black clothing; it is cut without a seam, and ornamented with a fullness of black crape, disposed in large plaits at the bottom of the waist: a high standing collar rounded in front, made to stand out from the neck, and edged with a light trimming of black crape: long loose sleeves, finished at the hands with black crape trimming, and surmounted by epaulettes draperied with black cord and ornamented with small tassels. Head-dress, a bonnet of black crape of a moderate size; the edge of the brim is finished with a row of large hollow plaits; the crown is trimmed to correspond. A white crape frill stands up round the throat. Gloves and shoes black shamois leather. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’, London, U.K.
1818 December Mourning Walking Dress. A round dress of black bombazine; the body is made tight to the shape and up to the throat, but without a collar. Gloves and shoes black shamois leather. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’, London, U.K.
18th Century Gorgeous Georgian frock coats and waistcoats for men. via The Argory, County Armagh, National Trust Collections, U.K.
Typical men’s fashion in the 1700s was a silk three piece suit. This consisted of a vest or waistcoat, a coat and breeches, Fabrics were luxurious an usually featured multi-colored embroidery and buttons, often of the same fabric. Vests were generally collarless and coats had turned over collars.
18th Century Gentlemen.
Frock coats and waistcoats. via The Argory, County Armagh, National Trust Collections, U.K.
18th Century Gorgeous Frock Coats and Waistcoats For Gentlemen. #Georgian #Fashion #Men
1800 ca. Gentleman’s White Dimity Waistcoat, England. This vest is typical of the move away from the 18th Century’s formal styles and fussy fabrics and matched the shift of women’s fashions towards lighter and airier styles and fabrics. via Whitaker Auction whitakerauction.smugmug.com
Waistcoats worn at the very beginning of the early 19th century generally had a straight bottom, double-breasted and with wide lapels. Not long after this, waistcoats began to be cut higher up to the waist in front so men during Jane Austen’s lifetime would have worn both styles.
1818 September 18th Le Palais Royal de Paris. ‘A Peep at the French Monstrosities’. Two English tourists dressed as dandies walk arm-in-arm under the arcade of the Palais Royal, interested in the promenading courtesans. Their dress is rather similar to that of the Englishmen, but the latter wear bell-shaped top-hats, while the Frenchmen have flower-pot shaped hats. By George Cruikshank. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org (PD-Art)
1809 February Walking or Carriage Dress, English. Polanese coat, Saragossa mantle of spring green Virgnia cloth, trimmed round the edges and up the front of the coat with black velvet bindings, and edgings of gold lace. High puckered collar, confined round the throat with a gold cord and acorn tassels. Belt of black velvet, and rich gold clasp. Military cap formed of the same material, and trimmed also with black velvet and gold. Short white lace veil falling from the edge of the cap just below the chin. Half-boots of green kid or cloth, calashed and bound with black, and laced with gold cord. Fashion Plate via John Belle’s La Belle Assemblée or, Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine, London.
1809 February Walking or Carriage Dress, English. Polanese coat, Saragossa mantle of spring green Virgnia cloth, trimmed round the edges and up the front of the coat with black velvet bindings, and edgings of gold lace. High puckered collar, confined round the throat with a gold cord and acorn tassels. Belt of black velvet, and rich gold clasp. Military cap formed of the same material, and trimmed also with black velvet and gold. Short white lace veil falling from the edge of the cap just below the chin. Half-boots of green kid or cloth, calashed and bound with black, and laced with gold cord. Fashion Plate via John Belle’s La Belle Assemblée or, Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine, London.11809 February Walking or Carriage Dress of Polanese coat and spring green Saragossa mantle. #RegencyEra #JaneAusten #Fashion ttps://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1805-1809 Share on XFashion Women 1805-1809 History Notes Book 26
What did Jane Austen and friends wear? This book looks at early 1800s fashions, which were elegant and pretty with high waists and fabrics that were almost transparent. These Empire style gowns, named after Napoleon’s first Empress, became popular throughout Europe, and were then copied around the world. Colorful outwear was added to make an ensemble more attractive and warmer.
https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1805-1809
The wedding dress of Princess Charlotte Augusta as described in La Belle Assemblee magazine for May, 1816.
1816 May Wedding Dress Of Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817). Worn at her wedding to Prince Leopold Saxe-Coburg. Silk satin high-waisted bodice with short puffed sleeves, dipping neckline, underskirt, overskirt, train and apron. Created by Mrs Triaud, London dressmaker although this may not be the original skirt. Metallic embroidery was very fashionable for court dress in early 19th Century despite the cost and delicacy but was an unusual choice for Princess Charlotte who preferred to dress simply. via Museum of London, UK. museumoflondon.org.uk
“As we have been gratified with a sight of the wedding dresses of this amiable and illustrious female, a particular yet concise account of them cannot but be acceptable to our fair readers. The Royal Bride, happy in obtaining him whom her heart had selected, and whom consenting friends approved, wore on her countenance that tranquil and chastened joy which a female so situated could not fail to experience.
Her fine fair hair, elegantly yet simply arranged, owed more to its natural beautiful wave than to the art of the friseur; it was crowned with a most superb wreath of brilliants, forming rosebuds with their leaves. Her dress was silver lama [lamé] on net, over a silver tissue slip, embroidered at the bottom with silver lama in shells and flowers. Body and sleeves to correspond, elegantly trimmed with point Brussels lace.
The manteau was of silver tissue lined with white satin, with a border of embroidery to answer that on the dress, and fastened in front with a splendid diamond ornament. Such was the bridal dress … The jewellery of the royal bride is most superb; beside the wreath, are a diamond cestus, ear- rings, and an armlet of great value, with a superb set of pearls.
1816 May Wedding Dress Of Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817).
Worn at her wedding to Prince Leopold Saxe-Coburg.
Silk satin high-waisted bodice with short puffed sleeves,
dipping neckline, underskirt, overskirt, train and apron.
Created by Mrs Triaud, London dressmaker.
Metallic embroidery was very fashionable for court dress in early
19th Century despite the cost and delicacy but was an unusual choice
for Princess Charlotte who preferred to dress simply.
via Suzi Love suzilove.com
& Museum of London, UK.
museumoflondon.org.uk1816 May. Wedding Dress of Princess Charlotte From La Belle Assemblee #RegencyEra #Wedding. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819 Share on X