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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The Sisterhood of Patrons and Artists

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The painter Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) was t-h-e female celebrity artist of the 18th century. In the story-telling about her career start, men play a vital role: as key events for her recognition as a serious artist in Britain are considered the patronage by the painter Joshua Reynold, and celebrity actor David Garrick sitting for a portrait that caused a stir in the art world. I don’t aim to minimize the influence of male clients, colleagues and patrons on Angelica Kauffmann’s success. However, in this article, I highlight the role of female sponsorship and cooperation during her career in London (1766 – 1781), as it shows how women supported each other in a world that belonged to men.

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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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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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Interview with a Chandelier

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Cut-glass chandeliers were among the most sought-after luxury products of the 18th century. Only the super-rich could afford to buy them. Thus, chandeliers were often designed to match the interior of a room, meaning that they were custom-designed.
Regency Explorer interviews an elegant chandelier from 1815 about the makers, customers, and the influences from fashion, science and politics.

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Coffee Crimes

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Coffee was a popular hot beverage in 18th century Britain. Coffee houses spread across cities, and grocers sold both coffee beans and ground coffee to private consumers. As demand rose, coffee became the subject of fraudulent practices. How could customers be protected from adulterated products? And what other crimes were related to coffee?

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The Army Officer’s Guide to Recruiting, Onboarding and Labour Market Challenges

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Imagine it is 1808 and you are a recruiting officer for the regular army. Your task is to find new soldiers for your regiment. Without a system of military conscription, you face significant challenges. Unlike the navy’s recruiting parties, you are not allowed to press gang people into military service. How big is your task? What challenges will you face, and how can you succeed?

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