Tags
almanacs, book collecting, Jane Austen, Lord Byron, miniature books, Napoleon, nineteenth century costume, Regency era
It’s “Regency Week” on linnetmoss.com!
As an English major reared on Austen, Scott, Wordsworth, Coleridge and Shelley, I’m used to thinking of the early nineteenth century as the “Regency period.” Which is a very Anglo perspective, because of course the rest of the world was getting on with its business as well. Especially Napoleon.
Though it is emblematic of the age, the actual Regency only lasted nine years, from 1811 to 1820, when King George III was mad and the Prince of Wales ruled as “the Regent.” The styles of dress, the manners, the morals, the poetry, novels and music from 1800 to about 1830 are probably better described as characteristic of the “Romantic period” in Europe:
- Grimm’s Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm was published in 1812.
- Napoleon escaped from Elba and the Battle of Waterloo was fought in 1815.
- Lord Byron was at the height of his notoriety (and beauty) in 1816.
- Beethoven finished his last symphony (the ninth) in 1824.
One of my beloved little books is an almanac from Hamburg in 1816, the year Jane Austen published Emma. The hand-colored illustrations show people in clothing that seems drawn straight from one of her novels.
Left, looking at ruins, a very Romantic pastime, and on the right, an infantry officer of the Bürgergard or local militia. Click to enlarge.
The Germans had also fought Napoleon, and the military men seem to have had a magnetic effect on the ladies, very much as the officers in their resplendent uniforms turned the heads of the younger Bennet girls in Pride and Prejudice.
Cavalry officers on the left, and Jäger (infantryman) on the right.
Women and girls have their distinct occupations, which seem to be attending balls and gossiping for the older ladies, and painting or music for the younger.
“The society of matrons” on the left, and “the society of girls” on the right.
The well-to-do could enjoy a domestic idyll in the country, complete with swans in a lake that holds a Romantic “folly” and antiquarian statuary.
A happy family. The gentleman wears formal knee breeches, instead of the stylish long trousers popularized by Beau Brummell in England.
Stay tuned for more delights from the Napoleonic Era during Regency Week on linnetmoss.com! I’ll be featuring Jane Austen’s earthy sense of humor, and we’ll learn about bedtime stories read by Beautiful Man Richard Armitage…
Linnet Moss 
What a little treasure you’ve got there 🙂
Thanks! I’ve been trying to read the German, with mixed success.
Just look at the pictures. Much more pleasing, much less frustrating 🙂
Of course, there’s the paradox that Jane Austen is thought of a “Regency” author, despite the fact that she, like just about everyone else, hated the Prince Regent.
Yes, to me she seems to have an 18th-century sensibility, except for what I always thought of as her extreme social correctness, which seems more 19th. But I shall have something to say about that on Wednesday!
Thanks for the comment!
Austen is old fashioned “country party” Tory, with a strong sense of noblesse oblige and a natural distrust of fashionable London society. She hated the Prince Regent in large part because of his treatment of Princess Caroline – who was imagined as a sort of “Princess of Hearts” figure – anticipating Diana by 180 years.
Great find. A handy little book that fits in a ladies drawstring purse or muffler to help ease those long carriage rides or to serve as a nice ice breaker at parties. How perfect. 🙂
Thanks! I can imagine the ladies exchanging these little gems as holiday gifts… some of them have incredibly beautiful bindings, though this particular one is very worn…
What a beauty! I’m drooling.
Many thanks! The binding isn’t so great, but the interior is amazing.
Being the book geek that I am, this makes me swoon …
Many thanks! It is a little treasure!
Your little book is delightful.
My thanks. I am absurdly proud of it!