Georgian Era
Conjurors and Conjuring in the 1700s
Conjurors and conjuring existed long before the 1700s. In its simplest form, conjuring was a performance of tricks that appeared to be magical and usually involved some sort of sleight of hand. Well before conjurors and conjuring became popular in the 1700s, conjuring performances were given in antiquity and in the middle ages. However, there…
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Carp in the Pants
A country gentleman kept a court leet at his manor. However, because there was so little business, the judge came but once a year. Whenever the yearly court was held, the country gentleman always invited his neighbors to a fine feast.
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How House Stewards Cheated Their Masters
House stewards were at the pinnacle when it came to the hierarchy of servants and were often the chief butler. In large and wealthy household, like those of Madame Récamier, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Consuelo Vanderbilt, the Princess Hélène, of Orléans or Warren Hastings, house stewards were hired to handle the domestic affairs of the…
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Dorton Spa (Chalybeate Spa) and Its Healthy Waters
The Dorton Spa, sometimes called the Chalybeate Spa or Chalybeate Springs, was located in Dorton, Buckinghamshire, about twelve miles east of Oxford. It came into being after rumors circulated about the health benefits of the springs and the miraculous cures supposedly affected from bathing or drinking the water. The claims began hundreds of years ago…
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The Eccentric Mr. Martin Van Butchell
Not many people are willing to put a dead spouse on display, but that’s exactly what the eccentric Mr. Martin Van Butchell did. When he began life he was not necessarily eccentric as he developed an interest in medicine from a early age and began healing patients. He studied under Doctor William Hunter, a Scottish…
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Cosmetics of the Georgian and Regency Eras
Any kind of spot or imperfection, known as “the cruel ravages of unsparing time,”[1] were not only disagreeable but also something every Georgian and Regency woman wanted to avoid, disguise, or repair. In order to accomplish this, the most important and indispensable part of a woman’s toilette was her skin care products, referred to as…
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Matthias Buchinger – The Wonderful Little Man of Nuremberg
Matthias Buchinger was “little more than the trunk of a man,”[1] but he was also dexterous, talented, and capable, which is why he became known as “the wonderful little man of Nuremberg.” He was born in Ansbach, Germany, on 2 June (or perhaps 3) 1674, without hands, feet, or thighs and was the youngest of…
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