"There is nobody in the house with whom I can be on equal terms" So spoke Ellen Weeton in her 'Journal of a Governess' and more than anything else, her statement delineates the chief difficulty of the governess' position. The education of young girls, while sometimes involving young ladies' academies and the like (which I will discuss in future posts), was in the main left in the hands of 'the governess'. The governess was always a woman of gentle birth, with an acceptable level of education, good manners and a knowledge of society and its workings. She was also generally in reduced circumstances, in need of earning her own living. The working day, which the governess laid out, often followed a pattern such as was illustrated in the 1809 publication "Ellinor: or The Young Governess" by Mrs. C. Mathews. "The morning after Ellinor's arrival at Selby-Grove, she commenced her task as governess. From seven to eight, the hour when the children were accustomed to take their breakfast, she appropriated to reading; the intervening time between that and dinner, was to be given to the study of French, the needle, etc.; the afternoon was dedicated to music; and the evening to rational amusement, instructive conversation, and healthful exercise." The work day was long but not invariably unpleasant. Governesses were not always treated with the scorn and derision that literature leads us to believe. Some were treated as members of their employers' families, some were loved by their pupils, some lived with the same family their entire working life and were provided with a pension of some sort for their retirement. "After questionings, and doubts, and anxieties, you come to the determination to teach, and you inquire after a situation; and here, again, you must be patient….It is very trying for some ladies to receive into their hourses those whom they feel to be in a reduced position; and they naturally prefer ladies who have been educated for the work of teaching, and who have all along kept this in view….On your first situation, and what it is to you, and you to it, depend mainly the comfort and success of your future career." These wise words were written by Emily Peart in "A Book for Governesses" one of the many guides to the profession available in the 1800s. The education governesses provided their students was variable. Some were born teachers, some were only competent, others were poor educators and worse disciplinarians. The education of most Regency girls depended on the wisdom and perspicacity of their parents in choosing their governess. The governess' career depended--as the above quote indicates--on her own acuity. The greatest challenge of the governess' life was apparently loneliness. However well-treated by their employers, they were not family. Neither were they considered servants for they were better born and bred than the servant class. Neither fish nor fowl they languished in a social vacuum, filling their off duty hours as best they could. There was another class of governess--the daily governess--which may be a slightly later-than-Regency development. I am still researching the governess who called in each day at her employers' residence to provide education and guidance and returned to her own home in the evening. You might want to read my short story "Arithmetic and the Daily Governess" for a romantic view of the profession. If anyone has information on the daily governess, I would be interested in resources. There are two general books on which I rely for information about governesses though they discuss the Victorian period more than the Regency or Georgian: "The Governess: An Anthology" ed by Trev Boughton and Ruth Symes, 1997 Sutton Publishing Limited 0-7509-1503-X "Governess: The Lives and Times of the Real Jane Eyres" by Ruth Brandon, 2008 Walker Publishing Company 0-8027-1630-X For Regency information, the following book has come to my attention. I'm looking forward to reading it. "A governess in the age of Jane Austen: the Journals and letters of Agnes Porter" ed. by Joanna Martin, 2003, Hambledon & London 1-8528-5164-3 Next time we discuss Regency Education, we'll look at young ladies' academies, Till then, Lesley-Anne

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Courting in late Georgian and Regency England wasn't for the faint of heart. Courting was serious business and the business was all about making the best match possible. In a time when being married was a woman's career, landing the richest man with the highest social station wasn't just a matter of bragging rights, it set the tone for the rest of a woman's life. During the whirlwind of the London Season in the spring, ladies were introduced to society with the intent of finding a husband. Balls played an important part in the courting process. These dances weren't the prom, but a marriage market where a young lady might finally get a chance to dance with a young man, and have a conversation with him without the chaperon hovering around. Individual dances like those portrayed in Pride and Prejudice could last a long time, and depending on the dance, there could be a lot of standing around and waiting as the numerous couples sashayed up and down the line. All this standing around offered a good chance for a man and woman to get to know one another or to decide they weren't a good fit. Since a woman was only allowed to dance with a man twice before people started whispering that they were engaged, she had to decide fast. Think speed dating with the rest of your life hanging in the balance. So, did a young couple who were a good fit wander off to the garden, slip upstairs and find a deserted room? No. This wasn’t a frat party, and if a lady wanted to keep her reputation, which she needed to land a good man, she was careful to stay in a public place at all times. Also, her chaperone wasn’t likely to let her out of her sight, so even if the open garden doors were calling, a smart lady ignored the call. Hanky panky was for after marriage when the heir and the spare were safely in the nursery. Until then, it was all good girl all the time. Also, it wasn’t just the woman’s reputation hanging in the balance, but those of her sisters and her family. Remember Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice and how her running off with Mr. Wickham risked ruining her sisters’ chances of finding husbands? There was a lot riding on a woman’s good behavior. A ball was also a good time to look over the prospective candidates, learn who was who and how much money they possessed. Women were on the market just as much as the men, so advertising their own wealth was a smart move. Balls were excellent places for women to wear their finest dresses and flaunt the goods. It was in a woman’s best interest to cultivate the pick of the gentlemen and not get stuck with last Season’s leftovers. Love might conquer all, but it rarely landed a poor woman a man of means. Marriage in late Georgian and Regency England lasted until ‘til death do us part and picking a partner was serious business. So, if you suddenly found yourself in Regency England, do you think you’d be up the challenge of courting Regency style? If you like reading about courting in Regency England, you should check out my books. There's a lot of courting in those www.Georgie-Lee.com

Christening robe of white silk satin, 1760-90, British; with white silk fringe

Every year has it's ups and downs and 1825 Regency England was no different. The down side of the year was the Stock Market crash which started with the Bank of England due to speculative investments in South America. The financial crisis caused the closing of 6 London Banks and 60 country banks. The year did end on an up-note, with the completion of the first public railroad in England, using steam locomotives. The Stockton-Darlington line was only 25 miles long; however it was the start of the new Steam Age which later change the face of England as it moves from the Late Regency into the Victorian period. This still will not happen for another dozen years so; for now we will continue to enjoy the Regency fashions of Ackermann's Repository with the beautiful dresses of 1825. My personal pick of the 1825 Ackermann's Repository fashion plates I loved the ribbon lacing, trims and color of this ball gown. Can't you just picture how this skirt would swoosh as she glides across a ball room? Ackermann's Repository Description of the above Ball Dress ************ I hope you find a favorite fashion plate of your own too. Enjoy! Ackermann's Repository 1825 Fashion Plates 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - January Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - January Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - February Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - February Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - March Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - March Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - April Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - April Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - May Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - May Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - June Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 5 - June Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - July Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - July Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - August Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - August Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - September Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - September Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - October Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - October Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - November Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - November Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - December Issue 1825 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 6 - December Issue I hope you have found a favorite or two of your own from the 1825 Ackermann Repository fashions plates; however if you did not see any that peeked your interest here then don't forget to check my previous posts for the 1809-1824 fashion plates. Here are the quick links to the earlier Regency fashions I've posted on my blog. Ackermann's ran series 1 from 1809 - 1815 Series 1 - Vol 1 & 2 - 1809 Series 1 - Vol 3 & 4 - 1810 Series 1 - Vol 5 & 6 - 1811 Series 1 - Vol 7 & 8 - 1812 Series 1 - Vol 9 & 10 - 1813 Series 1 - Vol 11 & 12 - 1814 Series 1 - Vol 13 & 14 - 1815 The Ladies of Ackermann's Regency Fashion (this is a fun digital art piece I did using many of the above ladies) Ackermann's ran series 2 from 1816 - 1822 Series 2 - Vol 1 & 2 - 1816 Series 2 - Vol 3 & 4 - 1817 Series 2 - Vol 5 & 6 - 1818 Series 2 - Vol 7 & 8 - 1819 Series 2 - Vol 9 & 10 - 1820 Series 2 - Vol 11 & 12 - 1821 Series 2 - Vol 13 & 14 - 1822 Regency Garden Party with a Roaring Rogue (this is a fun digital art piece I did using several Ackermann's Repository images from series 2 and one fun lion man from J.J. Grandville, who was another Regency period illustrator.) Ackermann's ran series 3 from 1823 - 1828 Series 3 - Vol 1 & 2 - 1823 Series 3 - Vol 3 & 4 - 1824 Series 3 - Vol 5 & 6 - 1825 - current post Series 3 (1826-1828) still to be posted Till our next Regency adventure... Thanks for visiting me here at EKDuncan.blogspot.com If you have enjoyed seeing these images from Ackermann's Repository and would like the opportunity to see and read an original for yourself they are are available on line at www.archive.org Click HERE then choose the volume you are interested in. You can then see and read them online or download them to your computer for future reference. Enjoy!

This time I'm here to share some pictures from a ball more than a year ago. (Better late than never, right?) I've already posted about this event once before - it's an annual masquerade ball hosted by the dance group L'Amusette every spring in Haihara Manor in Tampere, Finland. I've been lucky enough to be able to go every year since they started organizing it since 2013 and it's always the highlight of the spring. :) As usual, I was way too busy enjoying the event to take of pictures during the official program but I did take some outfit photos of my friends and they turned out nicely so I'm excited to share them with you. At the end of this post you can also see a couple of photos (by Markku Arvonen) of the actual program. Mia (@ohgloomysunday) had made a new gown and a utterly fabulous cap which I adore! The first photo is also possibly my all time favorite photo I've captured of her. Noora totally rocked the 1790s look - she always looks like a vision in her empire dresses and like she has just stepped out of one of the period fashion plates! You can see more pictures of her outfit on her blog. At this ball we had the pleasure of meeting Anna-Mari (aka @mollamaricreations) for the first time in real life. She has since become a regular member of our 18th century sewing gang in Finland. She such a talented crafts person and an inspiration! ;) Since she doesn't have her own costume blog, I must share with you several pictures of her outfit. I just can't believe this was her first 18th century gown! Well, technically it was the second but I'm not counting the one she had made years before joining the world of historical costuming. By the way, she based her gown on the robe à l'Anglaise pattern (diagram XXII) in The Cut of Women's Clothes. It's the same pattern I scaled up for my brown Indienne print gown - it was so much fun to see another version of it come to life! Mia also made a chemise dress for her little niece. These photos of them turned out so adorable I couldn't pick just one to share! These pictures remind me of those tender late 18th century mother and child portraits by George Romney and others (you can see more of them on my Pinterest board). I love that even Mia's gown matches with the gown the lady is wearing in the first one! Mrs Johnstone and her son, circa 1775-1780, by George Romney. Portrait of Lady Georgina Smyth and her son, c. 1780, by George Romney. I wore my robe en chemise which I have already shown you here. The spring ball always has a different theme and this time it was French revolution - hence the revolutionary accessories in my and other's outfits. Photo by Markku Arvonen. This year we also met the lovely twin sisters Essi and Emilia (@loveofcostumes) who attended the ball for the first time. Photo by Markku Arvonen. At one point of the event we were horrified to witness the poor King and Queen of France loosing their heads in the (miniature) guillotine. Photo by Markku Arvonen. Afterwards the death of the King and Queen was reflected in the color of the food at dinner. Photo by Markku Arvonen. Johanna brought her jewelry shop to the event as she often does. To read another description of this event and see some great detail pictures, go check out Rhia the Evil Dressmaker's blog post.

This double portrait seems to have been done for the artist's own pleasure, and was in his studio at his death. From the De László Archive Trust's catalogue raisonné: Risaldar Jagat Singh joined the Indian Army 26 February 1905 as a Jemadar (junior Indian officer) in the 12th Cavalry and was promoted to Ressaidar 11 April 1916 in the 18th King George's Own Lancers. He was subsequently promoted Risaldar 11 August 1918 when he is listed in the 12th Cavalry but still attached to the 18th. It is likely that he was acting at that rank in 1916 when the portrait was painted, or he inadvertently gave himself the wrong rank, when signing the artist’s Sitters’ Book. Ressaidar Man Singh joined the Indian Army 1 March 1890 as a Sowar (a cavalry trooper). He was promoted to Jemadar 1 May 1910 in the 21st Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry before further promotion to Ressaidar 11 April 1916 in the 20th Deccan Horse. He seems not to be listed after 1917, though he is not listed among the dead in the Indian Army Lists. The sitter is also known to have been awarded the Indian Order of Merit 3rd Class, 3 November 1894 for his gallantry in the Warziristan Action at Wano, the north-west frontier of India.

Every now and again, we like to have a little look through the collection held at The Victoria and Albert, for there are so many treasures. The online catalogue, featured on their website, is a particularly useful tool for fans of all things historical. Pieces are often listed with lots of information and high quality