Stones, Falling from the Sky or: the Taste of Mars

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It’s 3 October 1815, around 8:30 a.m. A noise like musket shots and heavy cannon fire startles the inhabitants of the village of Chassigny / France. Is it Napoleon being back – again? A farmer out in his vineyard is the first to know that the noise has nothing to do with war. Scanning the horizons, he sees a grey cloud in a north-easterly direction. And then, with a whistling sound, an opaque object shoots down from the sky, landing about 400 m away from him. He rushes over. Little did he know that he was among the first persons to have found a meteorite from Mars.

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The meaning of geraniums in Jane Austen’s “Mansfield Park”

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In her novels, Jane Austen uses plants to illustrate social hierarchies, character distinctions, and underlying themes. In this article, I examine a brief scene involving Fanny Price and her “geraniums” in Mansfield Park.  I argue that Austen’s “geranium” is most likely a pelargonium—a plant commonly misnamed as a geranium—and that recognising this allows us to read the plant as a subtle symbol connected to slavery, a central concern of the novel.

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Fashion Gallery: 1740–1760

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Fashion in the 1740s–1760s is glamorous: For ladies, the must-have item is the robe à la française. This elegant dress with its characteristic back pleats falling from the shoulders to the hem is worn for both formal and informal occasions.
Gentlemen wear a three-piece suit, often richly embroidered. This tried-and-tested outfit was amended gently during the 1740s–1760s to provide a slimmer silhouette and to create a focus on the waistcoat and on the breeches.
Discover fashion for ladies and gentlemen in the period from 1740s-1760s, and scroll down to the large picture gallery.

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Historical Fashion and Fancy Dresses in Nativity Scenes of the 18th century

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No, neither Jane Austen nor the Duke of Wellington ever owned a nativity scene. These charming displays were very much a Catholic tradition, flourishing in 18th-century Italy, Spain, Austria and Germany. British Protestants, on the other hand, tended to raise an eyebrow at such things. Nevertheless, British diplomats, statesmen and aristocrats on their Grand Tour would see nativity scenes while staying on the Continent. Travelling through Catholic Europe, they encountered an unexpected passion among the courts: collecting nativity figurines. In Italy and Spain, this was considered a royal pastime. Princesses and court ladies even contributed hand-made trinkets and exquisite little dresses for the figurines.

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Caution: Poisonous Candy!

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Being a child in the Regency period was often hard. Even treats could be dangerous. Sugar plums, comfits, and sweetmeats from the street vendor’s tray were frequently made with poisonous colourants. Society appeared to care little. Fortunately, one man took up the fight for food safety: Frederick Accum, a pioneering chemist who became the first “food detective”.

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Making Change: Three Unusual Solutions to an 18th-Century Coin Shortage

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Keeping circulating money under control was a tough job for both governments and merchants. Small-denomination coins for everyday transactions were scarce. In fact, coins had been in short supply in Britain for several centuries, but the shortage became particularly acute in the late 18th century. There were several reasons for this:

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Influences on the Fairy Art of Amelia Jane Murray – Revisited

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Amelia Jane Murray (1800-1896) was an amateur watercolourist. Between 1820 and 1829, she painted fairies as tiny female figures dressed in neoclassical garments, sitting among flowers or riding on insects. Her watercolours, though never exhibited during her lifetime, have enchanted millions since they were published in 1985. The reasons behind Amelia’s fascination with fairies remain speculative. In this post, I offer a new interpretation of the influences on Amelia’s art based on the socio-cultural circumstances of her childhood and youth.

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Zinnia & Sensibility: naming and growing an equatorial flower

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With the scientific voyages of the mid-18th century, many previously unknown plants reached Britain and the Continent. Naturalists on these expeditions sent seeds to their sponsors, as well as to wealthy individuals. In Europe, botanists eagerly welcomed new seeds from Asia and America. They competed to describe them first, as this offered a chance to make a name for oneself in botany.
Many exotic flowers quickly became known within expert circles, and wealthy amateur gardeners competed in a friendly manner to be the first to successfully cultivate the new species. But how quickly did new species such as the zinnia come to the attention of the public, and make their way into the gardens of the middle classes? Would, for example, Jane Austen have known the zinnia, which reached Britain in 1753? Let’s find out more.

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To Bathe or Not to Bathe in the 18th Century

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Ah, the 18th century: a time of powdered wigs, elegance, perfumes, and… questionable personal hygiene? It’s easy for us modern folk—with our rain showers, scented soaps, and expensive bath bombs—to scoff at the idea of physical cleanliness back then. But was personal hygiene in the late 18th century really as dreadful as it seems? Let’s take a look at the changing ideas about taking a bath, the related technical progress, and how one might soak in style during Jane Austen’s day.

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