Saturday, August 29, 2015

A History of Penmanship

Penmanship has existed in one form or another for thousands of years, so forgive me if this is a very brief overview!  Do note that this, like the project, is focusing very specifically on Western Europe and the United States.

 While people who could write have been writing since about the invention of writing (for our purposes, we have extant letters of everyday people from the very beginning of our timeline), handwriting did not become an "accomplishment" as such until the late 17th century with the standardization of non-Gothic fonts for copperplate engraving.  Before that, it was mostly for professional document calligraphers who created the illuminated Gothic scripts with which most of us are familiar.

Psalter in Gothic calligraphy and illumination, c. 1400-1424.



One of the Paston Letters, c. 1467, displaying the typical handwriting style of the period.  While calligraphy remained Gothic in style, this was the script used for most everyday (and later, even most formal) documents until the widespread influence of the invention of copperplate engraving.


While penmanship as a profession was mainly male until a few exceptions, mainly in 19th and 20th century America, and handwriting was not taught in schools until the late 19th/early 20th century, penmanship as a skill was taught at home to every lady worth her salt from the very beginning of copybooks circulating in England.  Ladies were expected to keep diaries, keep up correspondence, and often make their own calling cards.  In a period when letters were treated almost like currency (ladies would often, upon receipt of a letter, read it, black out personal or intimate parts, and trade them with acquaintances for news as we might use magazines), your handwriting was just as much a statement of your character as what you wore.  Because of this, handwriting was a part of every well-bred child's education from a very young age.

Sign written by an eight year old child, c. 1840.


I had the pleasure to be given a couple reproduction penmanship manuals when I was at Victorian ladies' finishing school four years ago,  and manuals like these abounded, not just to do with what to write in letters, but how to write:


Very generally speaking, 18th century handwriting styles are called round-hand or Copperplate, and from the about the second quarter of the 19th century handwriting becomes what is known as the Spencerian style, which leads into Ornamental Handwriting.


IAMPETH (the International Associatio of Master Penmen, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting) has an excellent video presented by Dr. Joseph Vitolo on the "Golden Age" of Handwriting, which will be my main focus with this project.  This focuses on American handwriting, but round-hand is brought to the States from England, and Spencerian doesn't take very long to go the other way.

Enjoy! 




Making Lavender Water

Leave it to me to make the first project ambiguously labeled!

I am going to try to post at least once a week, and since this week has involved attending a plethora of meetings, I haven't had time to do anything extensive.  But, every little bit counts, so first a bit about lavender water and why it matters to the Project.

Lavender water is, for all intents and purposes, timeless.  The ancient Romans (apparently- if I have any ancient world historians in the audience, please do correct me!) used to use lavender in their baths, and the oldest actual receipts (recipes) for and references to lavender water I have seen date to the mid-14th century; I'm sure the practice of using it is probably much older.  Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, its supremacy was intermittently usurped by more citrus-based scents like Eau de Cologne (originally its own scent, which I'll address in another post) and Florida Water, but it still remained popular enough to be mentioned in ladies' magazines throughout the period, and enjoyed a massive comeback in the late 19th and early 20th century.

I've seen a number of uses listed for lavender water, some of them more surprising than others.  One thing is certain though- no lady's toilette (or pantry) is complete without it!
Lavender water can and has been used for:
-Perfume.
-Face/body wash.
-Freshening linens.
-Cleaning (usually recommended to be put into vinegar solutions to combat the smell).
-Mouthwash
-Flavoring.*
-Sunburn relief.
-Bug repellent (this really works).
-Calming the nerves (lavender is described as "mildly narcotic", and will actually act as a relaxant if put in bathwater, rubbed into the temples, etc.  Make sure to mix essential oils with something else like witch hazel if you put them in water or the oil will just float on top).

*When you see lavender water in recipes, ALWAYS make it of actual water infused with lavender and proof alcohol, NOT the kind made with essential oils and witch hazel.  I don't recommend ingesting this as made with essential oil- while neither it not witch hazel seem to actually be harmful, especially in trace amounts, the scientific jury is split enough that I'd think twice about it.  One drop of essential oil is the equivalent of about 50 plants, and you wouldn't drink 50 cups of any other herbal tea.

The three basics of lavender water are:
-Soaked lavender in water OR lavender essential oil.
-Water
-Some kind of dispersant to mix the water and oil.  This is usually some kind of proof alcohol (vodka works) or witch hazel.   Depending on what you want to use your water for, change the dispersant accordingly.

For my recipe I used:
-3 ounces distilled water (tap water will work fine if you can't get distilled).
-1 ounce witch hazel
-10 drops lavender essential oil.

Add all ingredients together and shake well.

(Note: 1 fl. oz= 1/8 cup)

I was filling up a glass jar I bought to hold the water, so I ended up multiplying the whole recipe by ten.  I decided to use oil and witch hazel because I'm not going to be ingesting this.  Witch hazel is wonderful for the skin, and is sure to lend itself to the task if you intend to use the water for any skin-related purposes.
I also (as you can see below) ended up dyeing the water slightly purple with blue and red food dye, one drop of each- I wanted it to be more blue so I put in a drop of blue in a glass and then dabbed the red on my finger, which I used to stir the colors together in the glass.  When I got the color I wanted, I dumped the glass into the bottle.  Original lavender water was rarely actually purple, and making it so was an innovation introduced to give products in glass bottles some appeal.  It is in such trace amounts in my bottle that it will not actually show up on the skin, though many Victorian skin creams were in that color range because of their ingredients, though I have found that it is also a color which, when blended, makes the wearer look more pale.  While I am fairly pale (though perhaps not so much as I should wish), I am a very yellow-white, and those creams help me to look a more desirable blue-white.  But I digress!

You can buy all of the ingredients at CVS or Walgreens, etc. if you don't want to order them- just check their in-store availability on their sites first.  I ended up making this because I didn't want to buy it, which is funny, because my overall cost ended up being $8 over what I would have payed to just add it to my order.  It all worked out though, because I ended up getting an even nicer bottle and label than what I could have bought.  I got a glass bottle with a cork stopper at the Goodwill (this blog's tagline should be "how to achieve aristocracy on a budget"), and found an extant lavender water label online.  Printed and glued on a couple minutes later and voila- lavender water!  I will be using this mostly for perfume, washing, scenting linens and cleaning around the house.





Friday, August 28, 2015

The Usual Suspects...


In this post I must ask your assistance, dear readers!

I have those accomplishments in mind that I have found, and I should greatly like your help in both adding to the list and establishing tangible benchmarks of proficiency that I might work towards.

So, without further delay, I present The List.  Keep in mind that we are spanning approximately 800 years, so things that might not occur to you as being "ladylike" in one period may be from another entirely!  I will elaborate on the "heyday" of different accomplishments when I post about them.  This is a very messy list- my comments are included where I need your advice, otherwise feel free to fill in the blanks- so I promise to be adding a cleaner-looking one to the post explaining the Project.


Accomplishment:
Horsemanship (Side Saddle)
Goal:
Being able to jump aside?  Is that too overzealous?  I do have a good deal of experience riding astride, but I have also had the opportunity to ride aside, and they are admittedly two different creatures entirely.



Accomplishment:
Sewing
Goal:
Those of you who know me know that I already have a great deal of experience sewing historical clothing.  What do we think of... one complete set of clothing per rotation of fashion with period-correct construction for each?  That could get to be a lot, especially come the 19th century.  Might be interesting to chronicle, though, and it would give me an excuse to have something available for every time period I could wish to do.  What do you all think?

Accomplishment:
Lace Making (Reticella, Punto in Aria, Knotting, Tatting, Tambour, and Broderie Anglaise)
I've chosen so many- and these in particular- because they span both the time periods and forms of lace nicely.  They are also laces which would be worked by ladies, not just piecework farmed out to poorer ladies or made by master lace makers.
Goal:
This is going to be a one-piece goal.   The goal will be making a piece of lace that I can attach to something or use independently as some kind of superfluous table covering.  I simply adore superfluous table coverings!


Accomplishment:
Spinning, Dyeing, & Weaving
Goal:
This goal is going to have an exception- unless I come into contact with a full sized loom that I can easily access, I'm going to let finger weaving satisfy.  This would have to be a requirement anyways, being enormously popular in the earlier part of my timeline.  Shall we say, a pair of garters made from wool I've spun and dyed myself?

Accomplishment:
Embroidery
Goal:
There are of course several types of embroidery prevalent in different periods, and I'll pick a "sampler project" from each and post about it in its turn.



Accomplishment:
Personal Grooming
Goal:
Experiment with and perfect the toilette of a lady from each era in question. (The goal itself will coincide with the Sewing goal, and will accompany each ensemble.)  I'm thinking about experimenting with the cleanliness regimens of each era, maybe by month (contrary to popular belief, there has never been a period in recorded history when people just didn't clean themselves on a regular basisit just wasn't always the way we do today)?  We'll see if time allows.

Accomplishment:

House Care (Laundry, Upkeep of Furnishings, etc.)
Goal:
Perform "spring cleaning" in a period home using entirely period techniques.


Accomplishment:
Cooking
Goal:
Make a full course meal for each period.

Accomplishment:
Geography & Politics
Goal:
Identify the flags, locations, and political makeup (monarchs, etc.) of Europe from 1200 to 1960, of Britain from the fall of Rome to 1960, and of the United States from its foundation to 1960.

Accomplishment:
Society Knowledge
Goal:
Be able to identify "who's who in the zoo" of British and American high society in the pertinent eras.

Accomplishment:
Music
Goal:
I took piano lessons for a good three years when I was young, and I hated practicing.  I could just cop out and count singing as my musical accomplishment, but that would be seen as deficient in period (after all, Miss Bingley differentiates between them), so I shall do both.  As a piano is going to be the instrument most readily available (that is, it's already provided in homes and would not require transport and is therefore not something I would have to buy), I figure I'll give it another shot!
I will also be learning the psaltery, a medieval instrument pictured below.  I will bring it medieval Christmas caroling as my goal.


Accomplishment:
Popular Culture
Goal:
Know the major musical artists and theatrical productions of each period.

Accomplishment:
Medicine
Goal:
Be able to identify the home remedies of the sick room for which a lady would be responsible for in each period.



 Accomplishment:
Language
Goal:
I will endeavor to attain a basic knowledge of two languages.  While Ms. Bingley calls an accomplished lady master of "the modern languages", I am only going to expand my own knowledge to encompass Latin and French, the lingua francae of their respective periods.

Accomplishment:
Art
Goal:
Complete a watercolor and ink on paper family record.



Accomplishment:
Literature
Goal:
Complete a reading list of contemporary works as yet to be compiled (suggestions welcome!).

Accomplishment:
Dancing
Goal:
Memorize by heart the top ten most popular dances of each of the time periods.  Attend a ball or dance utilizing these dances.

Accomplishment:
Penmanship
Goal:
Study penmanship through courses provided by IAMPETH (International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting).  This is a personal passion of mine- if you've ever received a letter from me, you know I have a fondness for artistic embellishment and fine handwriting.



Accomplishment:
Historical Miscellany
Goal:
If I come across something that would have been common knowledge or practice for ladies of a certain era and I have a chance to participate in it, I will make a post about it under this tag.


Please do feel free to add to the list in the comments!

Saturday, August 15, 2015

The Project

"It is amazing to me,'' said Bingley, ``how young ladies can have patience to be so very accomplished as they all are.''
``All young ladies accomplished! My dear Charles, what do you mean?'' 
``Yes all of them, I think. They all paint tables, cover skreens, and net purses. I scarcely know any one who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard a young lady spoken of for the first time, without being informed that she was very accomplished.'' 
``Your list of the common extent of accomplishments,'' said Darcy, ``has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse, or covering a skreen. But I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing more than half a dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished.'' 
``Nor I, I am sure,'' said Miss Bingley
``Then,'' observed Elizabeth, ``you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished women.'' 
``Yes; I do comprehend a great deal in it.'' 
``Oh! certainly,'' cried his faithful assistant, ``no one can be really esteemed accomplished, who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved.'' 
``All this she must possess,'' added Darcy, ``and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.'' 
``I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any.'' 
-Pride and Prejudice (1813) by Jane Austen

I must first off say that I do not intend to pursue this project as a devotee of Ms. Jane Austen's, but I did find the passage wonderfully appropriate to its ends, and it is a reference with which most readers will be familiar.

I suppose I am obliged to lay down what possessed me to begin this project (or at least, formally announce it in a way that makes myself and my progress answerable to others!), but if we're being perfectly honest, it has stemmed from staying up all night going down an historical rabbit hole of research that has led to very little more than a feeling of utter inadequacy.

You know the feeling- it usually involves Pinterest, possibly a spontaneous 2am attempt at "that crafty thing that looked really easy but in retrospect who were you kidding?", and an optional undisclosed amount of red wine, or, if you're me, copious amounts of caffeinated beverages.

In this particular instance it was watching Ruth Goodman getting excited about early 20th century vacuum cleaners on BBC's "Edwardian Farm," and let's be honest, once you've gotten to that point, there's really no turning back.

Before that point, this idea had been brewing in my head for a while.  I have always loved history, and I have always loved sharing it with others, so this seems the logical medium with which to execute this project.

So!  Getting to the point.  What exactly is this great, hazelnut coffee-induced idea?



The Idea:
I am going to determine (by examination of primary sources, etc.) those accomplishments which have been "requisite" for a well-bred lady between approximately the years 1200-1960.

The Goal:
I will then determine certain tasks that would serve as proof of proficiency for each accomplishment and work towards that goal.  While I can think of a few of the top of my head, I hope that you, dear readers, will be able to help me in the formation of this list!

The Time Frame:
Obviously such a project cannot be limited to within a certain time frame (it took ladies years of education to become truly accomplished- and if we're to trust Mr. Darcy, some of them never did!- I am hardly going to do it in less time with twenty odd years to catch up on!), but I will be posting my progress, probably posting and tagging per accomplishment so you may if you wish to look at the progression of just one, you may do so easily.

After deciding upon the accomplishments, a list will be added to this post that you may more adequately browse!

Until then, anon!