Victorian Jelly: Isinglass and Irish Moss

Victorian Jelly: Isinglass and Irish Moss

Victorian Jellies were all the rage throughout nineteenth-century America and Victoria’s British Isles.

Through mid-century, cooks relied on various gelling agents to set up their moulded creations. Two of those articles from the sea–isinglass and Irish moss–are illustrated by means of Victorian-era recipe books and newspaper advertisements.

Ladies Fashions: Huge Sleeves of the 1890s

Ladies Fashions: Huge Sleeves of the 1890s

19th Century Ladies Fashions included gigantic sleeves known by many names: Leg of Mutton, Marquise, Balloon, etc. Highly fashionable, women wore them to work at home, to “walk out”, to sit for photographs, and on their wedding days. Highly fashionable for a period of time in the 1890s (through the turn of the century), they’ve returned at least twice: mid 1980s and in 2016. A favorite? You decide.

Errors of Modern Courtship: 1881

Errors of Modern Courtship: 1881

This vintage newspaper article, printed in Washington, D.C. in 1881, speaks frankly of concerns a minister has in the way young people go about courtship. Compared to today’s parents’ and grandparents’ concerns, we might draw parallel (or direct) comparisons. Much has changed, and much stays the same.