Postcards from the Past #7: The Age of Chivalry
Instagram Post of July 24, 2020:
Do you think that Catharine’s observation about the value of time in 1839 still holds true? The context of the quote was her opinion of American and English women’s “time-wasting mode of making morning visits,” which involved driving around town leaving visiting-cards. For someone so opposed to wasting time, it is a little ironic to read Catharine’s letter about a dinner party in today’s Postcards from the Past #7 Facebook post at https://www.facebook.com/awomanofthecentury. :) Even Big Ben’s enormous clock couldn’t have helped her out of that mess.
Facebook Post of July 24, 2020:
Catharine used various letters of introduction to meet people all over Europe, and she devoted a significant amount of time in London to attending social events. One evening, her own admitted carelessness combined with a dawdling coachman at least gave her a story to write home about!
Catharine used various letters of introduction to meet people all over Europe, and she devoted a significant amount of time in London to attending social events. One evening, her own admitted carelessness combined with a dawdling coachman at least gave her a story to write home about!
In the images, you’ll see an excerpt from Catharine’s letter that reminds us how accomplished a writer she was, as well as a drawing of 1834 English dinner dresses. To give you an idea of what Catharine’s horse-drawn carriage might have looked like that evening, see the 1838 image of passenger and mail coaches in London.
Next week, we leave England and follow Catharine’s travels to Germany.
