A detailed look at the two women in the life of Edward VII during his last years. Alice Keppel, youngest daughter of a Scottish retired admiral and MP emerged from obscurity in 1898 to become the publicly acknowledged mistress of the portly, fun-loving Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII. Agnes Keyser, daughter of a […]
aseantoo submitted to medievalpoc: Sir Joshua Reynolds Portrait of Lady Elizabeth Keppel adorning a Herm of Hymen England (1761) [source], [source]
Vanaf de 14e eeuw wordt er melding gemaakt van watermolens die tot de goederen van de Heerlijkheid Keppel behoorden. Het gelijknamige kasteel en de...
Alice Frederica Edmonstone was born on 29 April 1868 in Strathblane, Scotland. Her father was a Baronet and an admiral in the Royal Navy and could, therefore, afford to provide a comfortable upbringing for Alice and her ten siblings at Duntreath castle. After spending her teen years having fun with her friends and kissing stable [read more]
A reader asked me about 18th century Masquerade costumes. Specifically, she wants to make an 18th century Grecian inspired masquerade costume. How fun! It’s right up my alley! I wish I had the time and reason to make one too! The theme allows for either full on stays, stomachers and paniered robes, or simpler flowing ‘negligee’, permissible under the guise of classical inspiration. There are so many possibilities! Goddesses have always been popular, and would be perfectly appropriate – one of the top masquerade destinations in 18th century London was the Pantheon. I could do Athena, goddess of wisdom, with a medusa-head stomacher. Or Diana, goddess of the moon and the hunt, with star and moon spangled hair, and even stags and bow and arrows (if I was feeling really over the top!) I bet Venus was popular in the 18th century; the goddess of love could wear a rose-wreathed frock, and have a miniature cupid in her hair. There are non-goddess options available too: Elisabeth Cudleigh, Maid of Honour to Princess Augusta of Wales, …
Fort Siloso is Singapore's coastal fort and military museum containing WWII structures and wax figures of soldiers. Here's our travel guide.
Chelsea Then & Now Continuing the series started on 21 July Kings Road Sloane Square To a Miss Stillwell; " Dear Girlie, arrived safely. It is very wet here this eve, Cannot go out, Got here about 5. All send love. E and L are quite well, Fondest Love from M." The postage stamp is attached at an angle which, it is thought, was a sign of love. Dated 1906. The only obvious change is Peter Jones The Church on the right, Holy Trinity Sloane Square, was built between 1888 and 1890 by the 5 th. Earl Cadogan in an Arts and Craft style and features stained glass windows by Edward Burne-Jones and tile work by William Morris. To Miss E Richardson in Hove; " De. E, I am in London for a few days, I have seen Percy he does not care for it, just my place, yours, Harry." The postage stamp is at an angle. Note how the street-scape has totally changed. The buildings on the right were destroyed during the war. Chelsea Town Hall The Chelsea Vestry, including the public baths, was built in 1858 to designs by W. Pocock, as shown in the postcard. In 1887 an addition was built to the rear of this building, facing Chelsea Manor Gardens. The Palladian style building was designed by JM Brydon. However in 1908 the Vestry part, facing the Kings Road above, was demolished to be replaced by the current building, designed by Leonard Stokes. A Great Protest Meeting for Votes For Women was held at the new town hall in 1908. It was organised by the Chelsea Women's Social and Political Union. Tickets were available from a Miss Barry, The Library, 24 Park Walk. Women achieved partial suffrage in 1918 and full suffrage in 1928. The message on the card reads; " Dear Mildred, Thank very much for your nice letter it was fine if any one sends a letter let me have it please, from your Mother". March 1908. Peter Jones, Sloane Square Peter Jones was founded by Peter Rees Jones in 1871 as a "Cooperative Drapery" on Draycott Avenue, moving to the Kings Road in 1877. In 1895 he built a new red brick five storey building on the site, as shown in the postcard above. Part of this older building can be seen at the rear of the present store in Seymour Place. In 1904 Peter Rees Jones sold the store to John Lewis for £20,000. John Lewis died the following year and his son John Seddon Lewis took over. In 1929 he introduced the profit sharing partnership scheme. His argument was that he should look after not only the customer "who exchanged money for his merchandise" but also the staff "who exchanged their work for his money". A philosophy that continues to this day. The present iconic shop was built in 1935, the architect was William Crabtree together with CH Reilly. The modernistic style was much influenced by Serg Chermayeff. Nikolaus Pevsner, the famous architectural historian, refers to the building as "still one of London's most likeable modern buildings". The Royal Avenue The Royal Avenue was laid out for King William III and Queen Mary in 1692-94 as part of a proposed Parisian style triumphal way leading from Christopher Wren's Royal Hospital up to Kensington Palace to the north. In true English fashion it only got as far as the Kings Road. It was originally called Chestnut Walk, by 1748 it was referred to as White Stile Walk and was not called Royal Avenue until 1875. The closure to the Kings Road occurred in 1971. The houses on the west side date from the 1830's, and on the east side from the 1840's and 1850's with post war replacements to the north end. The Avenue was the setting for the cult movie " The Servant" written by Harold Pinter, directed by Joseph Losey in 1963 and starring Dirk Bogarde and James Fox. On the corner was the famous 1960's phenomenon "The Chelsea Drugstore", based on "Le Drugstore" on Boulevard St. Germain in Paris. It was designed by Barnett, Cloughley and Blakemore in what was the White Hart Pub, dating back to the 1880's. It is currently a McDonalds! Whitelands House The original building was a girls boarding school, around 1772, which became a teacher training college in 1841. It was rebuilt in 1891 by Henry Clutton, again as a girls school. See postcard. In 1881 the famous English art critic John Ruskin instituted an annual May Day Flower Festival at the school. A golden hawthorn cross, designed by the artist Arthur Severn, was presented to the chosen May Queen together with a copy of Ruskin's book "Sesame and Lilies". The school moved to West Hill, Putney in 1930. In 1933 it became, briefly, the headquarters of Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists, and became known locally as fascist Fort. The building was demolished in 1935 and replaced by the current block of flats. Message on the card, dated August 1922 to a Miss D. Allen in Braintree ; " I expect you are thinking I have quite forgotten you. I am very well and have a good place. I have been here eight months now. If you care to write send it to my home as we are leaving here shortly, please remember me to all, with love to yourself from B.H". The only original element is the first story detail on the left, the curved brickwork detail and the cast iron balcony, all the rest has changed. The New Kings Road The New Kings Road looking west with Broomhouse Road on the left, just beyond Parsons Green.
Fort Siloso is Singapore's coastal fort and military museum containing WWII structures and wax figures of soldiers. Here's our travel guide.
A blog about the iris world for all iris lovers.
Alice Keppel was the mistress of King Edward VII — which is why Camilla is said to have commented to a young Prince Charles: ‘My great-grandmother and your great-great-grandfather were lovers. So how about it?’
