The Butterfly's Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast

As I've stated many times, I absolutely love researching the historical details that place characters in their own time.  My WIP, The Gardener's Daughter, begins with the two main characters as children.  In order to flesh them out I researched books and games children would have played in the Georgian era.  While frolicking across the Web, I came across an enchanting book first published in the November issue of the Gentleman's Magazine of 1766.  The poem  is believed to be written by William Roscoe in honor of his son Robert's birthday.

The Butterfly's Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast by William Roscoe

The rhyming poem describes a whimsical ball attended by insects and creatures who gather for a night of music, dancing, and merry-making.  A mirror  of the London ton, the story adds whimsical character to those attending the festivities. 

Sir George Smart set music to the rhyming story at the request of King George III and  Queen Charlotte for the delight of their daughters Elizabeth, Augusta, and Mary.  The princesses performed the musical during a holiday at Weymouth. 

A series of little books measuring just 5 by 4 inches were published throughout the latter part of the 1700s and in to the early part of the 1800s.  The small books were written by various authors, some lost to the years.  One series, Harriet's Cabinet began with the Butterfly's Ball published in 1807 and followed by The Peacock at Home, 

The Elephant's Ball by W. B. (it is unknown who the initials refer to)

 

 and  The Lion's Masquerade by Catherine Ann Turner Dorset

 An updated version of the Butterfly's Ball and Grasshopper's Feast won the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year award in 1973 with colorful illustrations by Alan Aldridge. 

May you enjoy each of these sweet tales as much as I did. 

Addiction, Fascination, & Henri Boutet's Femmes

I here by declare myself quite mad with delight even though I am addicted.  Yes, I need a 12 step program for my history addiction that has spilled over on to Pinterest.  Downloading images, ebooks, and other fun and exciting historical finds loaded my hard drive, but through Pinterest I can save all the magic in one location.  The problem is this fascination with the 18th and 19th centuries along with my penchant for all things Tudor eats up time, if I'm not careful.

Just this morning I became so caught up in one of my favorite topics, the street cries of vendors, that I pinned 27 images from the British Museum.  The strawberry vendor crying out "Ripe strawberries" was one of my favorites.  The small elongated baskets filled with strawberries would make such a charming image. It looks to me like she's carrying her lunch on  top of her head.  

Moving along...let's finish up Henri Boutet's Les Modes Feminines du XIX Siecle from the Regency period.   The following images are from Boutet's rendition of fashion from 1811 to 1820. Do you see a sort of Edwardian slant to the lovely ladies?

 

Boutet created 100 images in all.  I've selected just the ones that would fall into the Regency time period.  Regency fashion is my absolute favorite.  The simple forms of empire waists and smooth skirts with out all the hoops, bell-shapes, and bustles of other times catches my eye.  Although the designs are simplistic the details are often fetching, exquisite, and fine. 

The New York Public Library Digital Gallery did not have all the images, but you can find a complete book, Les Modes Feminine du XIX siecle on the Haithi Trust Digital Library.  The original is from the University of California.

Just a reminder:  All the links are also on the Research & Resources page, too.

 

Romancing the Research

It's been so long since I've been about.  Shameful, indeed!  Where have I been?  Cruising the information highway for answers to a thousand questions.  Like? Well, since you asked...

1.  How large is the typical country estate of a Regency noble?
2.  What did the homes look like inside?
3.  What grew in the garden?
4.  How long did it take to get from York to London by horse?  By carriage?
5.  How many servants did a typical household employ?
6.  What is the etymology of certain words like...buffoon, fop, dandy.
7.  What garden structures were likely to be in gardens/parks/lawns of the Regency nobility?
8.  What if no heirs were born to a noble?  Who inherited the title?
9.  Could the widow of a noble be left with nothing?
10. What were people naming their children in the late 1700s and early 1800s?

The list goes on and on.  I've found wonderful resources for some of the questions I must answer to make my story both accurate and worth reading.  One of the best resources I've found is Jane Austen's World, a blog that is chock full of tantalizing bits about the Regency Era.  I also found Candice Hern's website to be extremely helpful.  She offers more resources that I know will answer my questions. 

I must make a trip to the library, soon.  I'm hoping to find answers to the questions regarding the Regency time period that will enhance my book. 

Where do you go for answers to historical questions?  Do you have a go-to source?  I'd love to know!

Happy Writing!