Showing posts with label flora klickmann. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flora klickmann. Show all posts
Thursday, 9 November 2017
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Vintage Revelations - Know Your Etiquette
Recently I purchased this wonderful book "The Etiquette of To-Day" by Flora Klickmann. Some of you who have been reading my posts may remember that I am a huge Flora Klickmann fan.
http://vintageknitpatterns.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/flora-klickmann-domestic-doyenne-and.html
Originally published in 1903, this is the second edition, from around 1910-1912 I would guess, judging by the fashions in the illustrations.
The beautiful design on the cover is very Art Nouveau and reminds me of William Morris' textile designs.
I am finding it entertaining and edifying reading. As a vintage buyer and seller, I am learning things about some of my vintage items that I never knew.
My favourite new fact: Do you know why ladies' evening gloves have an opening that buttons at the wrist?
Yes, I can hear you say, it's so that you can get your hand through the narrow wrist opening and into the hand of the glove. That's what I would have said three days ago, and it is correct. But it's only one of the uses for this aperture.
According to Miss Klickmann, it enabled ladies to eat at table without removing their gloves. This also explains why only evening gloves have this opening. Here is what she says:
When seated at the dinner table and immediately after the saying of grace:
"As a rule, ladies now try to avoid entirely removing their long gloves. The hand is slipped through the opening of the buttons and buttonholes, and the fingers are deftly rolled and disposed of under the bracelet at the wrist. This should be done quickly, as the service of the dinner will commence at once." (p.25)
Who knew? I had to try it. I found a pair of evening gloves in my shop and wiggled into them. Without too much difficulty I was able to complete the slip through and roll up action fairly quickly. The bulge above the wrist was not very attractive but I guess it improves with practice.
This ritual only occurred at the dinner table. At luncheon, for instance:
"Gloves are worn till one is seated at the table, and put on again as soon as one leaves the dining room." (p.38)
And apparently, the Americans invented the luncheon party, of which Miss Klickmann is a great fan, celebrating it's informality. Before luncheon parties became popular in the late 19th century, the British only ate with guests at dinner.
A whole chapter is devoted to problems at the table. I now know how to daintily eat plover's eggs and oysters, and I will duly remove the skins and seeds of grapes from my mouth, without a spitting action, and lay them on the side of my plate. I will not be ashamed to use my fingers to eat foods that are clearly most easily eaten that way, such as prawns or strawberries with the leaves on. Miss Klickmann states that to refuse to eat anything with one's fingers when that is clearly the only sensible option is an affectation.
Those of you who are familiar with my Etsy shop will know that I have a mountain of vintage linen items, especially doilies. Doilies had many uses at the table, and indeed there was a specified size for each doily according to its purpose. If a table cloth was not being used, there were many doilies instead. The service plate doily was twelve inches, the bread and butter plate doily was eight inches and the doily for the water glass was four inches. The doily for the frappe, bullion or finger bowl was seven inches. (Frances Johnson: Collecting Linens, Lace and Needlework)
Miss Klickmann makes special mention of the finger bowl doily. After the fruit, if it is served, the servant would place a finger bowl and doily in front of each guest. The guest should then pick up both the bowl and its doily and move it to their left, to be used or not according to their pleasure. She doesn't say why the servant couldn't have put it there in the first place.
When calling on someone at their home and taking tea, the rules were somewhat different. Ladies always kept their hats on when taking tea. A gentleman always removed his hat and gloves and carried them in his hands. The exception to this was the doctor, who left his in the hall with the servant. Presumably his hands would be otherwise occupied. The gentlemen, if present, always handed the tea around to the ladies. The tea had already arrived on the tea tray or trolley. Another light globe moment of revelation! That's why there are so many vintage tray cloths around. I had been thinking, gee, they must have liked having breakfast in bed, which is the only use I could think of for a tray. No, tea was always served on the tea tray or trolley. This also explains the tea stains!
http://vintageknitpatterns.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/flora-klickmann-domestic-doyenne-and.html
Originally published in 1903, this is the second edition, from around 1910-1912 I would guess, judging by the fashions in the illustrations.
The beautiful design on the cover is very Art Nouveau and reminds me of William Morris' textile designs.
I am finding it entertaining and edifying reading. As a vintage buyer and seller, I am learning things about some of my vintage items that I never knew.
My favourite new fact: Do you know why ladies' evening gloves have an opening that buttons at the wrist?
Yes, I can hear you say, it's so that you can get your hand through the narrow wrist opening and into the hand of the glove. That's what I would have said three days ago, and it is correct. But it's only one of the uses for this aperture.
According to Miss Klickmann, it enabled ladies to eat at table without removing their gloves. This also explains why only evening gloves have this opening. Here is what she says:
When seated at the dinner table and immediately after the saying of grace:
"As a rule, ladies now try to avoid entirely removing their long gloves. The hand is slipped through the opening of the buttons and buttonholes, and the fingers are deftly rolled and disposed of under the bracelet at the wrist. This should be done quickly, as the service of the dinner will commence at once." (p.25)
Who knew? I had to try it. I found a pair of evening gloves in my shop and wiggled into them. Without too much difficulty I was able to complete the slip through and roll up action fairly quickly. The bulge above the wrist was not very attractive but I guess it improves with practice.
This ritual only occurred at the dinner table. At luncheon, for instance:
"Gloves are worn till one is seated at the table, and put on again as soon as one leaves the dining room." (p.38)
And apparently, the Americans invented the luncheon party, of which Miss Klickmann is a great fan, celebrating it's informality. Before luncheon parties became popular in the late 19th century, the British only ate with guests at dinner.
A whole chapter is devoted to problems at the table. I now know how to daintily eat plover's eggs and oysters, and I will duly remove the skins and seeds of grapes from my mouth, without a spitting action, and lay them on the side of my plate. I will not be ashamed to use my fingers to eat foods that are clearly most easily eaten that way, such as prawns or strawberries with the leaves on. Miss Klickmann states that to refuse to eat anything with one's fingers when that is clearly the only sensible option is an affectation.
Those of you who are familiar with my Etsy shop will know that I have a mountain of vintage linen items, especially doilies. Doilies had many uses at the table, and indeed there was a specified size for each doily according to its purpose. If a table cloth was not being used, there were many doilies instead. The service plate doily was twelve inches, the bread and butter plate doily was eight inches and the doily for the water glass was four inches. The doily for the frappe, bullion or finger bowl was seven inches. (Frances Johnson: Collecting Linens, Lace and Needlework)
Miss Klickmann makes special mention of the finger bowl doily. After the fruit, if it is served, the servant would place a finger bowl and doily in front of each guest. The guest should then pick up both the bowl and its doily and move it to their left, to be used or not according to their pleasure. She doesn't say why the servant couldn't have put it there in the first place.
 |
| The children only made an appearance if a guest requested to see them. They were only allowed in the room for a few minutes, and never allowed to eat in there, in case they learned to take liberties. |
If anybody knows how to tell the difference between a tray cloth and a hand towel can they please let me know.
I love Flora Klickmann's restrained and dry sense of humour. While clearly approving of most of the prescribed behaviours she describes, she will drop an ironic comment or two for those who may be taking themselves too seriously. I love her description of arriving at a dinner party:
"The lady enters the drawing room first, and her husband, or masculine escort, follows her...at private gatherings, the man is expected to give place to the woman, and not to stride in like some Red Indian chief, while his goods and chattels follow meekly behind him. It is in entering a room that a woman shows either to the best or the very worst advantage. Do not look round nervously at your husband for protection and assistance; a man is peculiarly unsupportive at such a juncture. Therefore, if he manages to keep off your train (if trains are being worn), and to take care of his own hands, it is the utmost you can reasonably expect of him. In all probability, if he is at all a nervous man, he is thankful that it is his privilege on this occasion to come second, and trusting to make an unobtrusive entry under cover of your magnificence" (p.22)
And lastly, I was very interested to read that "Food is not discussed among refined people." If the food is bad, clearly it would be very rude to mention that, or indeed to mention that you don't care for a particular dish. If the food is good, it is even more important not to mention it.
"no one likes it to be supposed that they must eat and drink as much as they can at their friend's, because such luxuries are unknown at their own dinner table". (p.48)
The reason for the dinner party is social and not culinary. I wonder how they would like that on Master Chef?
P.S. March 13th - I have just found another copy of this on ebay for anyone who may be interested, and it looks like it's in good condition.
References:
The Etiquette of To-Day, edited by Flora Klickmann; second impression; London; The Girl's Own paper & Woman's Magazine
Johnson, Frances; Collecting Antique Linens, Lace and Needlework; 1991; Radnor Pennsylvania; Wallace-Homestead
Saturday, 15 February 2014
Flora Klickmann - Domestic Doyenne and Queen of the Needle
Amongst my burgeoning collection of vintage knitting, crochet and needlework books are three treasured volumes by Flora Klickmann. I had never heard of her before purchasing one of her books on ebay recently, but her books are wonderful for anybody interested in vintage linens and how they were made.
Wikipedia gave me the following information about her.
She was an English writer, journalist and editor, for many years editor of "The Girl's Own and Woman's Magazine".
She also published popular novels for women and girls, such as the "Flower Patch" books. She edited many books on needlework published between 1900 and 1920.
The first book I purchased was this little gem, "The Little Girl's Sewing Book":
This delightful little book was published in 1915, and as the title suggests, it is an introduction to sewing aimed at small girls. It is full of simple instructions for gifts and dolls' clothes. Many of today's adults would be challenged by skills which even small girls were expected to have in Edwardian times.
As a bonus, it features beautiful pen and ink illustrations, although the illustrator is given no credit, probably an artist doing hackwork for the magazine.
As well as instructions and patterns there is also plenty of covert moralising going on in this book, as was the custom in those days. Klickmann included little poems she wrote for the edification of her readers:
Here are some of the adorable dolls' clothes she gives instructions for:
This book has been republished and there are quite a few copies for sale on ebay international, though I have yet to see another original edition.
This book got me interested in Klickmann and I started searching for her other books. As well as her novels, I have found a few other original editions of her needlework books. So far, I have acquired "The Home Art Book Of Fancy Stitchery" and "The Modern Crochet Book".
You have to love the Victorians and the Edwardians for their ability to create an interminable subtitle.
If you ever wondered what to do with all those old hankies now that you use tissues, here are some ideas:
I was awestruck by the suggestions for chemise trims. Much of this lace would have been made by gaslight or candlelight. My eyes struggle with the brightest electric light, and that's just for knitting! It's also amazing for us today to think of the time and effort that people put into making everyday items beautiful. Today, we buy it machine made and throw it away when it needs the simplest mending (not me, I have an enormous mending pile, it's a bit like a Black Hole, items disappear into it, never to be seen again - Not quite, they do eventually surface for a new lease on life, albeit months later).
The ads in these old books are particularly entertaining and charming. Here are two of my favourites from Ardern's Crochet Cotton:
And I think that what was originally meant by a "brassiere" is not what we would mean today:
Surely, they would not do all this beautiful fine work and then hide it on their underwear?
I also have "The Modern Crochet Book", also with an impressive subtitle:
I was pleased to find a pattern for swastika lace, or "Nazi lace" as my son calls it.
I have some old lace featuring this motif, but since the Nazis perverted the symbol it's hard to know how to market it these days. However, it seems to have been a popular design in its day.
Clearly, I have the lace upside down in the photo because the swastika is rotating in the opposite direction from the pattern above.
This crochet incorporates fancy braid. I've often wondered how such pieces were made. I think you would find it very tricky to find such braid these days, even if you had eyesight good enough to attempt this.
And finally, a divine petticoat trim. I wish I could see the finished garment.
Wikipedia gave me the following information about her.
She was an English writer, journalist and editor, for many years editor of "The Girl's Own and Woman's Magazine".
She also published popular novels for women and girls, such as the "Flower Patch" books. She edited many books on needlework published between 1900 and 1920.
The first book I purchased was this little gem, "The Little Girl's Sewing Book":
This delightful little book was published in 1915, and as the title suggests, it is an introduction to sewing aimed at small girls. It is full of simple instructions for gifts and dolls' clothes. Many of today's adults would be challenged by skills which even small girls were expected to have in Edwardian times.
As a bonus, it features beautiful pen and ink illustrations, although the illustrator is given no credit, probably an artist doing hackwork for the magazine.
As well as instructions and patterns there is also plenty of covert moralising going on in this book, as was the custom in those days. Klickmann included little poems she wrote for the edification of her readers:
 |
 |
| And their owner |
This book has been republished and there are quite a few copies for sale on ebay international, though I have yet to see another original edition.
This book got me interested in Klickmann and I started searching for her other books. As well as her novels, I have found a few other original editions of her needlework books. So far, I have acquired "The Home Art Book Of Fancy Stitchery" and "The Modern Crochet Book".
You have to love the Victorians and the Edwardians for their ability to create an interminable subtitle.
If you ever wondered what to do with all those old hankies now that you use tissues, here are some ideas:
I was awestruck by the suggestions for chemise trims. Much of this lace would have been made by gaslight or candlelight. My eyes struggle with the brightest electric light, and that's just for knitting! It's also amazing for us today to think of the time and effort that people put into making everyday items beautiful. Today, we buy it machine made and throw it away when it needs the simplest mending (not me, I have an enormous mending pile, it's a bit like a Black Hole, items disappear into it, never to be seen again - Not quite, they do eventually surface for a new lease on life, albeit months later).
The ads in these old books are particularly entertaining and charming. Here are two of my favourites from Ardern's Crochet Cotton:
And I think that what was originally meant by a "brassiere" is not what we would mean today:
Surely, they would not do all this beautiful fine work and then hide it on their underwear?
I also have "The Modern Crochet Book", also with an impressive subtitle:
I was pleased to find a pattern for swastika lace, or "Nazi lace" as my son calls it.
I have some old lace featuring this motif, but since the Nazis perverted the symbol it's hard to know how to market it these days. However, it seems to have been a popular design in its day.
Clearly, I have the lace upside down in the photo because the swastika is rotating in the opposite direction from the pattern above.
This crochet incorporates fancy braid. I've often wondered how such pieces were made. I think you would find it very tricky to find such braid these days, even if you had eyesight good enough to attempt this.
And finally, a divine petticoat trim. I wish I could see the finished garment.
In this book is an ad for another Flora Klickmann book which I would love to have. If I ever have to train a servant it will be invaluable to me:
While writing this article, I remembered that for several months I have had another of Flora Klickmann's books in my watch list on ebay, and writing this has inspired me to spend the money and buy it. I eagerly await the arrival of "Beautiful Crochet on Household Linen". I hope I haven't inspired you all to start bidding against me for future Flora Klickmann books!
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