Screen Doors, a new invention!

Screen Doors, a new invention!

Pop Quiz! Were screen doors (and window screens) invented BEFORE or AFTER 1870? Do you know?

This article includes images of the screen doors on historic homes (taken recently), images from Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalog and Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalog, as well as historical information about why and how screens were invented during the Victorian era, as well as a solid answer about whether these household basics were invented before or after 1870. The answer just might surprise you.

Victorian Ladies Underwear

Victorian Ladies Underwear

Throughout the 19th century, ladies undergarments remained quite similar. Drawers (or bloomers), yesteryear’s most related item to today’s panties, ranged from knee- to ankle-length, were constructed of various fabrics, and were held up by a button or drawstring, with an open crotch.

Item listings in vintage catalogs and magazines illustrate the standard items available via mail-order throughout the United States Victorian era.