Kristen: Photograph Collection

I say photograph loosely, since I have tintypes, cdvs, and photos. They're everywhere, dripping off of corkboards and leaning precariously on objects (that are already leaning on other objects). Essentially, I have started collecting old photographs since before I can remember. They're inexpensive too; I found a $1 bin at an antique store, and found so many lovelies!

And sometimes I am that lovely! Forgive my modesty...
Photo Credit: Ken Giorlando

When looking through piles of photographs, I try to find pictures of people that I wouldn't mind being around. It's silly; I'll never meet them or know their names, but I have their pictures and make up stories about them!

 Here are the real stars of my crazytown show!

Let me preface the following ramblings with this statement: yes, I know I am a little bit crazy, so calling me that would be redundant! 

 I detect a hint of a smile

When it comes to faces, this one always gets me. She seems so upright, with her glasses, necklace, and lacy white dress. Actually, I have discovered in our (imagined) conversations, she longs for so much more. An academic at heart, she always has a book in her hand. The family bookworm!

 

I'm pretty sure that's a cat on her head

Here is a sadness, so deep and serious that it cannot withdraw for a moment, even for a special picture. She grapples with mortality, and doesn't quite understand how she can keep going. I know she's not in mourning, but she appears to be mourning something. A lost love? A dearly departed? A dearly departed lost love? In any case, I can witness her grief from time to time.

The baby face!

When I came across this little girl, she was hidden, dusty in an antique dealer's overpacked shelf. The gold and leatherwork are frayed, but her face is pretty clear. She looks so calm and well-behaved. Ha! I bet she wouldn't sit still in the least. Her cheeks look very full, too full. Personally, I think she has a bit of sweets in her mouth, and that was the only way to get her to pose. I also think she grew up to be quite a hellion, giving her parents a run for their money.

Another smile?

I am dating this tintype as a little before the war because of her sleeves. There is a bit of pink on her cheeks added later too. what is her story? She does seem very proper, but I can't help but think she doesn't like the posing and sitting still. I just picture this woman in motion!

 
Finally, one of my favorites even though is much later. The picture is *very* clear, and I just can't get enough of that big bow on the back of her head! I also see the hint of a smile. I imagine that she was considered "high-spirited" as well!

I have many more pictures than this; I've displayed some of my favorites from my collection. I have a few photos that I take to reenactments and "pretend" they're my family! Yet another example of a past that I am attached to. It's a wonder I make to work or school with all of my outside historical hobby going on!

Thanks for reading, and tomorrow is the last day of my collections posts!

 

~Kristen

Becky: Athenaeum School for Girls

Calling all girls between 14 to 18!

Please dont miss your chance like I did!

I was turning 19 the year I found the Columbia Athenaeum School for Girls and I would like to encourage the girls that are of age to attend if they can.

"The Athenaeum Rectory began in 1835 and The Columbia Athenaeum School for Young Ladies was founded by the Smiths in 1852 and for over fifty years it had a national reputation for its quality and curriculum of mathematics, science, and business as well as art, music and history 

Today, The Athenaeum Rectory is owned by The Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities and two important education events are still offered. 

The 1861 Athenaeum Girls' School will be July 6 through 12 in 2013. Young ladies of age 14-18 come dressed in authentic 19th century costumes, to study etiquette, penmanship, art, music, dance, and the social graces. In addition, they participate in side-saddle horsemanship, archery and other sports. The week is highlighted on Friday evening with graduation ceremonies followed by the formal ball to which they are escorted by members of the Jackson Cadets, a local group of young men dedicated to the study of mid-19th century history and customs.

 

Samantha's mad skills

On May 3 - May 4, 2013, a condensed version of the school is offered to women of ages 19 and above. Also attired in 19th century costume, for two days the ladies participate in the same kinds of activities taught by the same qualified faculty as do the young women.

For more information on the 1861 Athenaeum Girls' School and 1861 Ladies' Weekend, you may contact them using this link."

With permission, I used Samantha Bullat's photos she took in 2009. 

Becky: A Dress In A Day

courtesy of The Two Nerdy History Girls  

This has been swarming around on Facebook for sometime now, and I finally saw the videos today.

The Margaret Hunter Shop in Williamsburg, VA replicated a 1770-1780 dress, or a mantua, as it was called then. Not only did they replicate the dress as it was built in the Early American era, but the women who worked there made this mantua in a day!

I learned that silk was made in 23 5/8 inches long! The average length of fabric today is 45 and 60 inches. Janea Whitacre mentions that the average work day in the 1770's maybe 12-13 hours! She also mentions that one's dress was only the cost of the material, but not the labor that was put into making the dress!

The videos are a great inspiration for myself to make the stays I have been thinking of. I hope the videos will be an inspiration for you too!

Enjoy!

20 Kids...Oops, I Mean Followers, and Counting!

I cant believe it! It was only 10 days ago our website reached 10 followers, but now we have 20 followers! 

Huzzah!

Ive been told that when our lovely blog has attained 50 followers, Kristen will be holding a giveaway!

I hope all of our dear readers had a wonderful Easter!

Love, Becky

Kristen: Book Collection

Perhaps the first thing I ever collected was books, simply because my parents could justify them as an "extra purchase." It's so hard to get a kid to read these days! So what if she seems to be clomping around aimlessly, she'll find her way. And that's certainly what I did!

I remember my Dad taking us to a really large, sometimes scary looking bookstore in Hillsdale, MI near my Grandma's cottage on Bird Lake. It was just the three of us, my sister perhaps 6 or 7 years old, myself around 10. Dad would head down to the basement where all the "adult" books were, while he left my sister and I upstairs. Looking back, seeing my Dad's love of reading helped to convince me to keep reading. Also, we were really cute kids, and I'm surprised we were not kidnapped in that bookstore while Dad was downstairs reading...

I'm the one on the right. Why were we behind a fence?

I will return to this beautiful story, because this bookstore will show up again! First though, I will share a book that I have grown to love simply because it comments on the hysterical nature of females. As I just so happen to be female, I thought perhaps such information could help me out!

In case you are wondering, pretty much the entire almanac has these little gems, such as "I had always been a very healthy woman until my seventh child was born..." And then it goes on to describe hear "bearing down pains" and "hysterics." Pretty much a menstrual ad from the early 1900's. This almanac always gets me, mostly because of the ads!

This next book I am very proud of, simply because it was dug out of the trash and ended up being worth $400 (No seriously, check it out here http://www.abebooks.com/Lamps-Pitchers-Trumpets-Lectures-Vocation-Preacher/802630851/bd)

 Basically, my Grandma and I will go about once a year to the dump. And when I mean dump, I mean they ship out their garbage daily, so basically it is a big warehouse with huge bins full of recycling, including one for books. I pulled this one out because of the title, though I had planned to use it as a craft project.

I even took it to school to show some of my students what a "really old book" looks like. Before chopping it up for a project, I decided jokingly to look it up. Imagine our surprise when I  pulled up that $400 price tag! Apparently the book is still in print for preachers, and an original is rare. Right now it sits delicately separate from my other books. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll sell my copy of Lamps, Pitchers, and Trumpets!

This next book is one of my favorites, and I still pull it out to read occasionally. First, let me remind you of the bookstore from the beginning of this post. It's closed now, but I found a few pictures.

Heaven!

I know there is some organization there, but to a child it just looks like a mess of books. While Dad was  downstairs reading (okay, just to clarify, the old lady at the front watched us, so maybe that's why we weren't kidnapped?) we poked around the kid's section. I had a habit of just pulling out pretty covers. Once I pulled this one out, and the cover was so pretty that I had to have it.

It has the word "children" on the front. That worked for me! I didn't really get to read it before we left, but my Dad bought it anyway. I think as an adult I can appreciate it even more!

At first for Helen, then from Aunt Carrie!

This book passed hands a few times, since it was a gift in 1902!

When I did begin to read, I was fascinated by the stories. In one of them, a man offered a pound of flesh for his ships, and just before he was to give it up, a cunning female disguised as a male asked "But did it call for a drop of blood?" I realize now that this was my first exposure to Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice."

Though I did think they dressed funny

There were many other stories, most of which had a Christian moral to pass down. Looking back, it's no wonder I didn't get along with many children my age. The world had been opened up to me through my books! 

This love of reading continues still, to the point that I am now a high school English teacher and teach reading every day! I am lucky to have a skill that can double as a hobby. My reading skills have helped me to be an awesome student to graduate from the University of Michigan with a good GPA, and my writing skills have even gotten me out of a parking ticket! And it all started with that little bookstore. Little did my 10 year old self know, that book was preparing me for the rest of my life!

I felt so civilized reading!

I couldn't stop myself!

You know it's hot if these ladies are having a foot bath!

Thanks for reading my post!

~Kristen

Kristen: Fashion Plate Collection

Time for my second post, and oh it is a treat! Now you may view my completely unnecessary but still beautiful collection of fashion plates that cover my walls. I've had a chance to take them down for a dusting recently, though the lighting does not do them justice. Just as with the dolls, they sort have become a part of the fabric of my life.

 I do adore the ruffles, and how she shows off her dainty toe

Look at the hair!

Now I realize both of these plates are a little pre-Civil War. However, the oddest thing happened when I first saw them. The sly looks, the almost impish behavior. I couldn't help but think...about my sister Alyssa and I! From that point on, I could detect the hint of a smile, even conversation topics. I started to buy more...

 Me: Oh Alyssa, I do adore flowers!

Alyssa: I need more ruffles on dress. Seven is not enough...

 Me: Alyssa, what were you doing?

Alyssa: You're not the boss of me!

Me: Seriously. We. Are. At. A. Ball.

Alyssa: I ate the whole dessert tray.

Yes, I realize that I am slightly crazy for imagining conversations with my sister. Or am I? When we were kids, we had our own television show that we created, called the "Kristen and Alyssa Show," complete with song and dance. We went everywhere together. Even now, she still calls me to ask for what she wants at restaurants (Alyssa, bookmark this page. You want the Cheese Olga Sandwich. Ask for sauce on the side, because you don't like too much). This (mostly) dependent relationship was creative and fulfilling, even when we viciously fought tooth and nail. These fashion plates somehow bring all of that back. So I kept shopping, and found my favorite of them all:

Pictured: Trouble

Me:
Dearest Alyssa, have you heard the news? The war is over! Just think of all of those men, coming home to live again! I am so happy to see father again. There are so many that suffered, there was so much pain. Our nation must heal! I am so proud of the both of us for supporting our dear soldiers...sister...would you like to read this letter?









Alyssa:
Is that a cupcake?  Do those exist yet? *sigh*

This is my favorite plate for other reasons as well. The dresses seem to be what we would wear, and her parasol is cocked ever so slightly. It's funny how my (over)active imagination can create these little stories with nothing but a picture. One day I might write a book about us...maybe time traveling? She'd totally be into a book like that.

Speaking of my sister, here are some awesome sister pictures. We would have been hellions in the 19th century...

              

~Kristen

***As a side note, I actually have more siblings. They will be popping up in here soon enough...

Kristen: Doll Collection

Alright, I admit that the title is a bit off. It just so happens that this week I am on spring break at work! I am so excited, but I am also anticipating a little boredom. I am not the type of person to sit around and do nothing for any amount of time.

My most recent Essay: The Female Hysteria Whilst Publishing

(photo credit: Ken Giorlando)

In the meantime I have decided to produce for you, my dear audience, a sneak peek into the madness of my collections. Every day for the five days I will not attend work, I shall produce an account of my treasures. Not all of them are from the 19th century, though few of them are newer than the 1920's. For my first post, I shall show you my recent (sad) addiction to dolls.

First Stop on the Crazy Train: Antique Dolls

I never thought that I would ever really collect these. They never seemed particularly pretty to me, though I'd seen them before in photos and in antique shops. When I was a kid I suppose I collected barbies and beanie babies, but never porcelain dolls. It all started during a routine look through http://thesewingacademy.org/index.php#2 , which happens to be one of my favorite research sites. There is a thread about dolls, and a small, girly voice inside of me said click here. Once I started, I could not stop! Here are the dolls that I have collected, that now adorn my (ever smaller) room.

 Look at those cheeks!

This lovely is my first doll. As you can tell in the first picture, she has this long, flowing white dress. I suppose it was knitted with love by someone, since it is very well-fitting. She has a few chips here and there, but I knew when I saw her that she wanted to be mine! I've dated her as mid to late 19th century, though I am no expert. I love her eyes!

 

I imagine her to be the most proper of the group, for some (crazytown) reason

I found doll #2 at an antique store right down the street from my house. (http://www.oddfellowsantiques.com/) They are a wonderful shop, and I recommend them highly! Anyway, she caught my eye immediately on the shelf in a fairly nice booth. I love her dress, and she is in decent condition. She is very similar to the first doll, though with less damage. I yanked gently pulled her off the shelf and kept walking around the impressive store. Before I moved on I noticed another doll next to her...

I have come to love her best!

This is where it starts to get weird. Pretty doll #3 was on the shelf right next to the other, but she had a broken foot. I also didn't like her dress at all, so I left her there. All around the nearby booths, I kept looking at my new doll, all excited. For some reason, she looked a little sad. I know that is completely irrational, because her face is made of porcelain, but she looked really upset. I heard another small voice: I want my friend. Seriously, we should be concerned that I hear voices; we should be more concerned that I listen! I walked out with both in hand, and they joined my first doll on my shelf. Now that broken foot is more of a quirk that I have come to admire.

 Those are shy braids behind her ears!

I found my most recent lovely on an antique store shelf surrounded by gaudy jewelry. Honestly, I felt so bad for her because she was pretty, and that ugly jewelry was probably making her sad. My intention that day was not to buy another doll because I already had a trio (think The Supremes). Why did I need another doll? She didn't even look at all like the others! But I knew I couldn't leave her behind. Now I have four dolls (think Little Women) that bless my home. How lucky am I to have them all! Of course I will be in the business of touching them up a bit here and there, and adding a new wardrobe...

I apologize for their immodesty. Bad girls!

I hope you enjoyed my first Collections post! This will not be the last time you see these lovely ladies, as I will be making them comfortable in their new home. I have wardrobes already planned, possibly coordinated (do I just need to have kids or what??) Thanks for reading!

~Kristen

***Editor's Note: I will have children after I am married and settled down in a quiet spot. I'd like to finish my master's and doctorate by then as well!