Next up in the carte de visite album is two lovely ladies.
The one on the left is a tin type possibly from the 1870’s. Love the stripes! And I wish I had the kind of neck that would rock a choker like she does.
The next lady had a head shot done.
Here is the photo out of the sleeve.
The back of the carte.
I interpret the hand writing to mean that the photo is of a 15 year old girl named Ann Lodge. I love it when I know their names!
The Costume Museum is setting up a display of some its books for the public to flip through. We have set up the display like a library so folks can sit down and flip through the selected books. It didn’t take long to create the selection so once done, we sat down to flip through some of the books ourselves. I found one on crochet that seemed to be from around the turn of the century (though I couldn’t find an actual date on it.)
I found a couple of patterns I’d like to try and this blog seems like a good place to save it. I often think of my blog as a kind of “cloud” for saving photographs and ideas in the event of a computer crash.
so here goes…a lace with a matching insertion.
I haven’t tried this yet but I anticipate some struggle to comprehend vague instructions. Sigh….
On the last outing with the Victorian at Heart group, I had a nice chat with Lottie in the car and she mentioned a hair work lecture at Dalnavert Museum. It sounded cool so I decided to sign up for it. I wasn’t sure if she had signed up or was just thinking about it so I wasn’t sure if I’d see her there. She was there!
We were working on some of the techniques used in Victorian hair wreaths. Lottie chose blond hair and I chose black. (For the workshop, we were using fake hair but both Lottie and I want to try it with our own hair.)
I think they turned out rather well for first attempts!
The class was put on by Sandra Klowak.
Sandra is an amazing artist who has put a modern slant on an old technique.
During the question and answer portion, it came up that now a days, people seem to want to have little things made from their pet’s hair. Ginger, my dog, is probably wondering why I keep looking at her tail!
I’d almost forgotten about the carte de visite album I’ve been sharing with you. Here is the next photo pairs.
At first glance I thought this is the same woman with photos taken at the same time. But when I zoomed in on the photos I decided the dress was different. The dress on the left seems to be lighter in color. The buttons are bigger and spaced wider apart on the left. The collar on the left is the same material as the main part of the dress and the collar on the right is taller and made of the same material as the contrast part of the dress. The hair style is the same and the watch chain is the same. In the face only one, she is wearing earrings but not in the full length photo. The photo on the right the face is fuller and appears younger to me. What do you think? Same woman different time?
Once they are out of the album, you clearly see that the photographers and location are different. So definitely, they were taken at different times. So now what do you think? Same woman significantly different times? (Isn’t the details on the over skirt and cuffs of the dress in the full length photo yummy!)
I’ve been working on a project off and on for some time now and it took a long weekend and a sick day on the couch to finally finish it. I’m happy with it.
Not sure what I am doing with it yet. House warming gift for a son that is moving out next month? We shall see.
It is a bit late in the season, but my group and I finally had our annual train ride on the Prairie Dog Central train. It was a colder day so I thought the jacket on my 1895 Walking Suit would be perfect. Turns out, I could have used a shawl as well. 
Lottie wore her lovely 1880’s outfit with the velvet jacket. She too, was cold. Shirley was a bit smarter and wore a coat over her ensemble.
Shirley was also smart and brought something to help pass the time.
We met the lawmen guarding the train.
But alas, they were of little help. Because just over the horizon…
Those dastardly villains were very frightening!
Once we were relieved of our valuables (which were donated towards a cancer cause) we stopped for lunch and some more photo ops.
They added a new feature for the train trip. There is an old caboose that has been converted into a little nature museum. It was full of dead stuffed things which I thought was a very Victorian interest spot. I thought this would be a fun screen saver!
I spent some time with my costuming group this past weekend and Lottie, who had recently spent some time in Colonial Williamsburg, brought wonderful gifts! Shirley and I both got some amazing smelling soaps (I can’t decide if I will use it or keep it in mint condition). Then Lottie gave Shirley an antique monogramed hanky and I got a fabulous cabinet card.
Except for the big bow at the back of the neck, I like this outfit. I think the floral bit is supposed to look like a full shirtwaist under a jacket but is probably a fake one.
It reminds me of an Edwardian dress I saw in a house museum this past weekend. It had a similar effect.
Basically, the shoulder detail sewn on top of a fake shirtwaist.
The poor thing is in rough shape-especially the collar- and there are a few mistakes with how it is displayed (sitting in direct sunlight with a 1950’s hat on top). I couldn’t tell without pulling at it if the collar as displayed incorrectly (laying flat on the shoulder instead of wrapped around an imaginary neck) because of incorrect display or because it was in such sad shape. It was light grey silk (Looks like a short man’s tie) and it had started to shatter.
I could see what it was supposed to look like and I think it was quite pretty in it’s day. I like the shades of grey and the layered effect very much.
Wanda B Victorian 