Monday, April 25, 2011

Things That I Love...Antiques & Gift Shops

Things That I Love...Antiques & Gift Shops



I went to a quaint place last year in the middle of PA farm country for a Garden Tea at Shades of White. What a delightful day it was!! They had so many antique linens, and many other beautiful things. I bought several of the linens and some fresh lavender for baking.

















































I can't wait for the Garden Teas this summer...




Victoriana Lady Lisa- Bringing history to life since 2003

To book a program please contact me - Victorianaladylisa@gmail.com

 References available upon request.

Victoriana Lady Presents Program For A Royal Wedding Tea At Sweet Remembrances

A Royal Wedding Tea At Sweet Remembrances Tea Room




In honor of the royal wedding of Kate & William, Sweet Remembrances Tea Room in Mechanicsburg PA hosted a lovely bridal tea event recently. Victoriana Lady Lisa  presented a Victorian Wedding program complete with  late1800 & early 1900 bridal gowns, dresses and accessories from my antique traveling museum collection.




An antique lace brassiere and Victorian wedding picture





An antique bridal cap & veil with picture




My great grandparents wedding photo from 1917




Fragile bridal gown recently donated, circa 1890





Late 1800's Groom Tuxedo with starched front shirt, cuffs & collar



TIME FOR TEA!!


Delicious Appetizer of crackers and homemade Chutney





Fresh baked Scones warm from the oven...mmm!!




Absolutely Scrumptious Tea Sandwiches




Decadent Dessert of Victorian Sponge Cake





Some of the wonderful tea accoutrements displayed on shelves





Lovely tea accoutrements displayed on shelves in the tea room




The owner Nancy's grandparent's wedding picture & tea cup collection







The tea collections on Sweet Remembrance's shelves are adorable!




Tea Room owner Nancy Reppert & her sister Susanna, who owns the delightful Herb & Gift shop next door, were so hospitable and kind to me. They are the kind of dedicated ladies that you enjoy meeting, do pay them a visit sometime! You can see their schedule of events at http://www.sweetremembrancestearoom.com/





Victoriana Lady Lisa- Bringing history to life since 2003

To book a program please contact me - Victorianaladylisa@gmail.com

 References available upon request.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Daughter Of Titanic Survivor Speaks

Daughter Of Titanic Survivor Speaks at another sell out Last Dinner On The Titanic event. 


L to R: Victoriana Lady Lisa Lewis & daughter of Titanic Survivor Mae


Lisa recently met a wonderful lady whose mother, baby brother and uncle were on the Titanic. Sadly the uncle perished on the ship, here are some photos of Mae speaking to our guests. Lady Lisa loves to create historic theme events for your pleasure. We would love to have you join us at a future event!

























Victoriana Lady Lisa- Bringing history to life since 2003

To book a program please contact me - Victorianaladylisa@gmail.com

 References available upon request.




Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Royal Wedding Victorian Bridal Program

The Royal Wedding Victorian Bridal Program


By popular request Victoriana Lady will be presenting another Victorian  program with her traveling museum at the Sweet Remembrances Tea Room in Mechanicsburg, PA. This time it is a Victorian Bridal Fashions & Etiquette program, in honor of William & Kate's upcoming royal wedding. Just this week Victoriana Lady was gifted with a beautiful 1888 wedding gown, donated for her upcoming book on Victorian & Edwardian fashions and Accessories. Come and see the many lovely antique dresses, headpieces, garters, veils and much more.

To read about Kate & William- http://www.theroyalweddingwilliamkate.com/






              My great grandparents Anselm & Lucy Riley on their wedding day in 1917.


Back again in 2011, Lady Lisa Lewis, is a living history actress of the Victorian and Edwardian Era. Lady Lisa will share her Bridal Collection of authentic Victorian clothing, accessories and photographs. Discussion will be on Victorian Wedding Traditions including No Man's Land Discussion and the wedding night. She practically brings a traveling museum worth of wares! A memorable afternoon! Nancy will prepare a perfectly elegant Fancy Bridal Afternoon Tea. This is our kick off celebration for the much anticipated Royal Wedding!

Event dates & times-
Sunday April 17th 2011 from 2-4 pm
Monday April 18th 2011 from 6-8 pm




Sweet Remembrances is a lovely tea room. The food is scrumptious as Nancy features fresh herbs in her cooking! Established in 1990, the owner Nancy Reppert makes everyone feel relaxed and at home. Her sister Susanna Reppert has another equally wonderful establishment next door, The Rosemary House. Rosemary, the herb of remembrance, symbolizes each of us, explains Susanna owns and operates The Rosemary House, a gift shop specializing in herbs and spices.

For more information about reservations- Sweet Remembrances118 South Market St, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
717-697-5785    FAX: 717-697-3222




Victoriana Lady Lisa- Bringing history to life since 2003

To book a program please contact me - Victorianaladylisa@gmail.com

 References available upon request




Monday, April 11, 2011

Death: Victorian Style Exhibition

Victoriana Lady Lisa was invited to present her Victorian Mourning show to the Susquehanna Mysteries Alliance's annual event Death: Victorian Style.  Everyone was in awe of my authentic collection, circa 1850-1920, and professional presentation of Victorian Fashions & Etiquette. 


Victoriana Lady Lisa in 1880's Mourning from her traveling museum collection.  


L to R: Organizer of SMA, Melissa Telesha & Victoriana Lady Lisa in full Victorian Mourning petticoats, dress & veil, circa 1880.



Some of my Victorian Mourning collection includes Jet dress trim and necklaces, mourning buttons, hat pins, hair jewelry, a Vulcanite brooch, and a gentleman's silk Mourning arm band with pin.


A display of my Victorian Mourning artifacts & accessories, post mortem photos, funeral souvenirs, purses, fans, bonnets, veils, crepe scarves, shoes and hair pieces, and Mourning stationary, circa 1850-1920.


Victoriana Lady Lisa in full first year Mourning veil and crepe attire, circa 1880, speaking to the audience.




Another speaker at the event was Lucy Cadwallader who specializes in making Victorian Hair Jewelry as it was done in that era. Her dedication to this amazing craft is truly to be admired. I had read about her and could not wait to meet her! She is wearing a beautiful neo-victorian Civil War dress. You can learn more about Lucy at http://www.lucyshairwork.com/



Lucy Cadwallader demonstrating the art of Victorian hair weaving in which she creates jewelry from loved ones hair as a remembrance keepsake. This is especially touching as she often makes jewelry from children that have passed away from cancer for their families.



Lucy's Victorian collection of hair jewelry & mourning artifacts are so interesting.



Glass tear catchers (Lachrymosa), Vulcanite jewelry & photo brooches are some of her many fine pieces.



Lucy's impressive collection of Victorian Hair Watch Fobs




Deb Beamer is the owner of the Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop, and along with Melissa Telesha, co-founded the Susquehanna Mysteries Alliance aka SMA, a group of like-minded individuals whose interest include the mystical, magical, and perhaps historically strange. A lot of time & planning went into the event, held in the historic Mt. Holly Inn on Rt. 34 in Mount Holly Springs, PA.  I can't wait for next years event! 

 To view more photos- http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=hp#!/pages/Susquehanna-Mysteries-Alliance/261075298760





Victoriana Lady Lisa- Bringing history to life since 2003

To book a program please contact me - Victorianaladylisa@gmail.com

 References available upon request.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Victorian Things I Love... Fans




I have in my collection this pretty pink Ostrich feather fan, as well as a black and teal blue coloured fan. 

The Victorian millinery trade and the appetite for fans such as this promoted the start of the National Audubon Society in the 1920's since many species of birds were close to extinction.







Victoriana Lady Lisa- Bringing history to life since 2003

To book a program please contact me - Victorianaladylisa@gmail.com

 References available upon request

Sunday, April 3, 2011

How Did It All Start For Me?

HOW DID IT ALL START?

When asked at my public appearances, when did you realize that you loved the Victorian era? My reply is that it all started at about ten years of age.

The combination of spending wonderful days and nights in my great aunt’s Margaret's company in a wonderful quaint little Victorian house truly began my love affair with all things old. 

                                         
                                         My great-aunt Margaret Riley age 16.

I stayed with my great-aunt Margaret on weekends. She lived in a modest Victorian home that my great -great grandfather Anselm Bosch purchased around 1900 for one of his daughters.

Everyone entered through the kitchen entrance; the front door was reserved for company. Wonderful smells always met me at the door, and aunt Margaret and her wonderful hugs! Her cookies were second to none; our family has many of her recipes to carry on the family tradition.

My favorite room was her parlor. Imagine delicate sheer Irish lace curtains, a green damask covered Eastlake sofa, and aunt Margaret sitting in her grandmother’s antique rocking chair.

The Oriental rug on the dark hardwood floor was the prettiest design. Potted Palm and Rubber tree plants sat next to her antique English secretary. African Violets, her favorite flower, were on every marble top table.

 Aunt Margaret would make me tea in the afternoon, served in a delicate Limoge teacup, accompanied by her delicious baked cookies. We would sit in her Victorian parlor and have a delightful time. I felt so grown up!

At the top of the steps was the bathroom with the best bathtub a child could ever want! It was a huge claw foot tub, right near the radiator, it was perfect, and kept me very warm.

The first time I opened the bathroom closet and saw her corset hanging there it fascinated me, never having seen anything like it before! Aunt Margaret explained that she had to put her corset on every time she left the house. I felt sorry for her, it looked so uncomfortable! She would laugh today to know that I regularly wear a corset for my Victorian fashion events!

My idea of fun was getting into her perfumes, lotions, and powders on her vanity shelf next to the tub. I would always put too much on because she would yell from the bottom of the steps, "Are you into my perfume and powders again?!" Then she would laugh with her hearty laugh that we all loved. 


Margaret Riley & Harold Hoskins' Wedding 1913


Across from the bathroom was the master bedroom. I especially loved her Edwardian bedroom set. My great uncle Harold bought it for her for their wedding in 1913. The bed was so high aunt Margaret had to lift me to get in it! There were three matching dressers with mirrors, her vanity dresser being my favorite.

Another favorite pastime of mine was playing dress up with her hats, scarves, purses, shoes, slips and jewelry. I would play dress up in that mirror for hours! Now when I am getting dressed for one of my Victorian fashion events I look in that very same mirror with fond remembrance, being fortunate to have inherited her entire bedroom set.

Great aunt Margaret told the most wonderful stories about her mom, dad, brother Anselm, their sister Hilda and our other relatives. The best story is the one about great-great grandfather Anselm Bosch. She claims that he came to America in the mid 1800’s and settled around NY to work farmlands. The problem was he wasn’t a successful farmer, he would rather build things.

 The story goes that a friend of his convinced him to sell his NYC farmland and move to PA to look for carpentry work, so he did. The farmland he sold was supposedly near Manhattan, NY! Oh well, it wasn’t all bad. If he had not moved to PA he would have never met my great-great grandmother Margaret and I would not be telling you this story. Grandfather did get a job in carpentry and became the construction foreman for the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre coal company. He worked there for 58 years.

 My favorite pastime was pulling out the shoebox filled with old Victorian family postcard photographs and Tin Types. Time and time again I would beg her to go through each photo with me, naming each family member. 


                       My great-grandmother Lucy Riley on her wedding day in 1917.


I fell in love with the Victorian hats, dresses and gloves that my female ancestors were wearing. So much so that it stuck with me. All of the photos shown here are the very ones I admired as a child. One day my great-aunt Margaret gifted me with half the photos from that shoebox. I treasure them.



Young Ella Mae Martin


                                       Young Ella Mae and mother Hannah Martin circa 1865




Ella Mae & Lucy Martin circa 1890



Another turning point was in junior high school when I saw the movie Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. It was set in 1900, at the end of the Victorian era. I fell in love with the Edwardian era as well.

I've been fascinated with life in the late 1800's and early 1900's ever since. I began going to libraries to research everything I could find about the era. One day, at age 15, I went to my first estate sale. I purchased a pair of Victorian crochet gloves and a beaded handbag. I was hooked from that moment on! Thus began my collection.

My current passions include;
1870 - The Bustle era,
1880 - The Gaslight era,
1890 - The Gay Nineties,
1900 - The Gibson Girl era,
1910 - The Edwardian era 

GG Lucy Riley in her 30's wearing a Cameo necklace, a wedding present from husband Anselm.



I was also richly blessed to grow up with my grandmother
Margeurite and great-grandmother Lucy. They too, with
their stories and photos of my ancestors, imparted a deep appreciation in me for the old days.

For years I watched grandmother Margeurite put her long hair up in a Gibson Girl style bun, just as her grandmother Mary did. They even resembled each other in their later years!

When it came time for me to re-enact a Gibson Girl I recalled how Grandma put her hair up, so I did the same, it went up beautifully the first time! Grandma Margeurite was so proud of me and happy that she was able to influence my passion for portraying a Victorian Lady.


                                                    Baby Marguerite Riley September 1, 1919






                                                     My grandmother Marguerite Naomi Riley


Fast forward to 1987, there was something else that also inspired me to take my dreams and believe they could become reality. A lovely and inspiring magazine called Victoria made it's debut. I was enamored at the very first issue, in fact I still have the early issues from the beginning of publication.

The magazine was pure eye candy, but it was the women entrepreneurs that reallyinspired me. I was a young mother raising two babies, then four, but I felt if these other women could raise a family & build a business, then why couldn't I?

The Business of Bliss was my incentive, I could not put the book down! Nor its sequel, Turn Your Passion Into Profits. Victoria magazine, and the women featured through the years, have been my inspiration and I warmly & gratefully thank them!

I invite you to come and experience this passion for the Victorian era at my informative Victorian Traveling Museum Fashion Show Programs! Here you will learn not just about fashion, but about the manners, etiquette of the day, and how every day life was lived in the late Victorian and early Edwardian era.


  




Victoriana Lady Lisa- Bringing history to life since 2003

To book a program please contact me - Victorianaladylisa@gmail.com

 References available upon request.