Victorian Christmas | Manuals on the Victorian Era | Victorian Calendars and Gifts | Victorian Cookery and Teatime | Victorian Fashion | Victorian Era-Inspired Fiction | Victorian Etiquette and Manners | Victorian Fancywork and Crafts | Victorian Love and Courtship l Victorian Poetry l Hearth and Home

Victorian Christmas Cookery NEW
By Bruce T. Paddock, Alison Gail (Illustrator), Lisa Adams (Illustrator)

Price: $9.95      TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
Although this is an "oldie," it is definitely a "goodie!" With ten authentic holiday menus from the 1800s and all the recipes you need to prepare those menus plus much, much more, this book is a must if you want to recreate an authentic Victorian Christmas. I especially love the traditional Victorian table settings and decorations -- the descriptions really get me into the Christmas spirit!

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A Christmas Memory
By Truman Capote, Beth Beck (Illustrator), Celeste Holm

Price: $13.30      TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
This beautifully illustrated version of Truman Capote's timeless tale warms the heart. The sincerity of caring demonstrated between a young boy and an older eccentric aunt during the memorable season described as "fruitcake weather" will inspire young and old alike. This is a story our family always looks forward to reading early in the Christmas season.

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The Gift of the Magi
By O.Henry, Carol Heyer (Illustrator)

Price: $14.95      TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
O'Henry's classic story was one of my favorites growing up. A young wife and husband both struggle to find the perfect gift for one another amidst financial difficulty. Their sacrifice of love for one another is a beautiful story of giving. When I discovered this beautifully illustrated version, I knew it was perfect to add to my family's Christmas treasury. We always read it early in the season to set our hearts' focus on the spirit of true giving.

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The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
By Susan Wojciechowski

Price: $13.29      TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
In this wonderful Christmas book, an angry woodcarver, Jonathan Toomey, is the village Scrooge -- a grouchy recluse the children call "Mr. Gloomy." He isn't an old man, but his attitude gives him a sour, decrepit appearance, preventing people from wanting to get close enough to learn anything about him, including the secret burden he carries. The "Christmas Miracle" for Jonathan Toomey begins when a young widow and her son come to the woodcarver asking for his help in carving a lost figurine for a beloved nativity the Widow McDowell's grandfather had carved for her as a girl. The widow and her seven-year-old son have an impact on the woodcarver that transforms their own Christmas celebration in a magical way. The illustrations in this book are as beautiful as the story itself, and it brings the Christmas message of love and hope home to us all. My only caution? Have a box of tissue handy as you read it!

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Stories of Christmas Carols
By Ernest K. Emurian

Price: $10.39      TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
This insightful book relates the factual stories of how twelve favorite Christmas carols came to be written. The sketches the author provides are highly readable and interesting, making it a great book to read aloud to the family at Christmastide. Included are stories on how the word "noel" came to be coined and then used in "The First Nowell," insights into the lives of great poets such as Charles Wesley and Isaac Watts, and much more. This is a fascinating read that will have you listening afresh to all your old favorite carols.

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We Wish You a Merry Christmas: a Victorian Caroler's Treasury/Book,
6 Songbooks and Cassette
By John Grossman, John Brimhall, Priscilla Dunhill

Price: $24.95      TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
This is the book to get you in the Christmas spirit: a delightful Victorian Christmas caroling kit complete with songbooks and a cassette tape to sing along with. The beautiful artwork invites you to plan an old-fashioned caroling party, whether with family or friends.

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Victorian Christmas
By Bobbie Kalman, Barbara Bedell (Illustrator)

Price: $20.60         TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
Although this lovely illustrated book is written like a picture book for children (suggested grades K-9), adults will love it as well. Origins of many of our common Christmas celebrations began in the Victorian era and are highlighted in this treasury. If you are seeking to re-create a Victorian Christmas filled with rich tradition, this is a book your family will surely look forward to reading year after year.

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Price: $35.95      TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
If you have ever been curious about the pleasures and pastimes enjoyed by the residents of Nineteenth Century England, this richly illustrated book will provide you with a fascinating and engaging account of that aspect of Victorian life. Certainly this is a stimulating read for historians, but it will also appeal to anyone who has a general intrigue with Victoriana.

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Daily Life in Victorian England
By Sally Mitchell (1996)

Price: $49.95      TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
This book is a wonderful treasure trove for bringing to life England in the Victorian era. It is a wonderful resource, easily organized for reference, and covers a multitude of aspects of daily life in Nineteenth Century England. With over 60 illustrations and excerpts from antique sources, Victorian England comes alive. If you enjoyed watching the PBS special, "The 1900 House," this book will be a great reference tool to further answer your questions. It is also a wonderful resource to provide the historical context for many of the classics in Victorian literature.

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The De-Moralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values
By Gertrude Himmelfarb (1994)

Abigail's Review:
Gertrude Himmelfarb provides the reader with an enlightening look at the changes in culture that have reduced Victorian virtues such as respectability, self-help, philanthropy, discipline, cooperation, cleanliness, obedience, and orderliness to the watered-down, meaningless "values" of the twenty-first century. We could all benefit from discovering the lost virtues of yesteryear!

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Victorian America: Transformations in Everyday Life 1876-1915
By Thomas J. Schlereth (1991)

Price: $12.00         TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
From the Centennial Exposition of 1876 to the Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915, this valuable resource provides a detailed look at life in Victorian America from all angles in an easy to read format.

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What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist
The Facts of Life in 19th Century England
By Daniel Pool (1994)

Price: $11.20         TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
This delightful book highlights all the major rituals of life in both town and country in Victorian England with a wonderful glossary of terms.

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1897 Sears, Roebuck Catalogue
Edited by Fred L. Israel, S.J. Perelman Price:

$15.36         TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
A reprint of the genuine article, this book is a fascinating slice of Victorian America. As a writer, I find it to be almost as valuable a resource as my 1880s dictionary. The photos, prices, descriptions are fun just to peruse on a rainy day, and enlightening as well. This is a great gift item for the nostalgic on your list.

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Cynthia Hart's Victoriana 2002 Calendar: Gift Collection With Calendar NEW
By Cynthia Hart Price:

$10.36      TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
This is the calendar collection I purchase year after year. It is a wonderful celebration of antique "scrap," flowers, lace and more on gorgeous collage pages. The gift collection is the way to purchase it -- you also get 4 die-cut full-color postcards, a year-at-a-glance desktop calendar, and a 24-page "Victoriana Book of Days" birthday book! Order one for yourself and get several for gifts. What an easy way to please the Victorian enthusiast on your list!

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Mother O' Mine    
By Mary Engelbreit (Illustrator):

$23.96     TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
Mary Englebreit's art is always such a delight, and this little book is no exception. This treasure is a beautiful keepsake for gift giving on Mother's Day, or any day you want to pay deserving tribute to a mother! From the gilded edges and ribbon marker to the wonderful excerpts from both classic and contemporary authors, it is a book any mother or mother to be would love to receive. Oh, and last, but not least, is the true story of "Ann Estelle," beloved paper doll created by Mary. You won't want to miss that!

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Having Tea: Recipes and Table Settings
By Tricia Foley, Keith S. Morton (Photographer), Catherine Calvert (1987)

Price: $15.75      TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
The fact that this little book is still in print attests to its popularity. It is a lovely book with beautiful pictures and mouthwatering recipes. With a wonderful mix of recipes and lots of information on formal and informal customs surrounding the "taking of tea," it is a must for the Victorian enthusiast desiring to entertain friends or just to savor the slow over a cup of tea themselves. The photos alone will slow you down and make you gravitate to a cup of tea over which to enjoy them!

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The Book of Afternoon Tea
By Lesley Mackley (1992)

Price: $9.60     TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
If you want a book on teatime that includes lots of recipes, this is the book to purchase. There are a dozen recipes on sandwiches alone! The variety of scones, tea "savories," cakes, pastries, and MORE number over 100! The full-color photos show the finished creation as well as step-by-step preparations. The recipes are not complicated, and with the pictorial instructions, anyone can master them. It is a book I refer back to time after time. It makes the perfect gift as well.

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Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harper's Bazaar, 1867-1898
Edited by Stella Blum

Price: $13.56         TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
This was one of the first books on Victorian fashion I collected for my library shelves. It is still one of the first I go to when I want information on the clothing styles of the Victorian period. With scores of wonderful vintage woodcut and steelcut engravings of not only gowns, but lingerie and accessories galore, this belongs on the shelves of anyone seriously interested in Victoriana.

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Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: a Photographic Survey
By Alison Gernsheim

Price: $10.36         TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
A very reliable resource tool for research, this enjoyable book is filled with actual photos of people in the 19th Century. With the chronological layout of the text and photos, it is easy to see the shifting changes in fashion and hairstyle from 1840-1910 for both the working class folk and fashionable, well-to-do alike.

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Paris Fashions of the 1890s: A Picture Source Book with 350 Designs, Including 24 in Full Color
Edited by Stella Blum

Price: $10.36        TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
This book is a wonderful resource for the costumer or historic re-enactor desiring to focus on the fashions of the 1890s period. Each of the 350 authentic fashion plates has a descriptive caption including the colors of the original gown. Add to that, the full color fashion plates, and you gain a totally new perspective on the many unusual color combinations in women's clothing in the 1890s.

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Victorian and Edwardian Fashions from 'La Mode Illustree
Edited by Joanne Olian

Price: $13.56         TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
The newest book on fashion in my library, I am very pleased that it covers both the Victorian and Edwardian eras quite well. The illustrations provide views of the garments from various angles, an invaluable help to those wanting to re-create the look. The period captions providing an enlightening glimpse into the intended use of the various garments, i.e., which were the tea gowns, opera gowns, etc.

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Authentic Victorian Dressmaking Techniques
Edited by Kristina Harris

Price: $8.76        TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
This book is a reprint of an early 20th Century Butterick sewing manual. It is literally filled with detail on how clothing was constructed, including information on bustles, dust ruffles, boning and more. Although there are no patterns, it is a great resource for anyone making reproductions.

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59 Authentic Turn-of-the-Century Fashion Patterns
Edited by Kristina Harris (1995)

Price: $9.56        TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
Dressmaker patterns for the fifty-nine garments shown in picture within this book originally came from 1890s quarterly issues of "The Voice of Fashion." Although the average seamstress of today would find it a major challenge to enlarge and use the patterns to re-create the fashions of yesteryear, the pictures and descriptions are invaluable. Costume enthusiasts interested in recreating EXACT copies of the vintage styles shown will find this an indispensable guide.

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Price: $8.95         TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
If you want a clear understanding on the finer points of Victorian etiquette, this is a must for your library. With a number of informative sections, including dining and proper greetings, you will become well-versed in how to behave in society (albeit, modern society is a bit more "relaxed").

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The Benevolence of Manners: Recapturing the Lost Art of Gracious Victorian Living
By Linda S. Lichter (1999)

Price: $13.00         TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
Linda Lichter has written a book that truly points out all that our enlightened era has lost in valuable manners and virtues over the past century. With a number of reflective essays and examples, we are drawn to raise concern over the losses we have sustained including family, home and hearth, national pride and morality.

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Elegant Stitches: an Illustrated Stitch Guide and Source Book of Inspiration
By Judith Baker Montano, et al (1995)

Price: $17.46         TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
For the person truly hooked on embroidery, this "take it with you" book is a rich resource of all kinds of embroidery stitches. It even has a section for left-handers! It certainly lives up to its title in providing lots of inspiration!

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To Marry an English Lord
By Gail Maccoll Jarrett, et al

Price: $12.76        TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
This book provides a delightfully humorous and insightful look into upper-class courtships and marriages between English gentry and American heiresses in the late Victorian era. With numerous photos and plenty of trivia, this book reads as easily as a titillating historical romance.

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Language of Flowers NEW
By Kate Greenaway (Illustrator)

Price: $5.95       TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
A reprint of a Victorian era original, all the floral and herb symbolism of that romantic era is recorded. Sentiment was sweet in that day, with every bouquet whispering a secret message. Every gentleman or lady would eagerly scan the pages of a book such as this in an effort to decode the language of the flowers given to them. This is a great reference book with wonderful illustrations straight out of yesteryear.

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Tussie-Mussies: The Language of Flowers NEW
By Geraldine Adamich Laufer, and Star Ockenga, Chipp Jamison (Photograhers)

Price: $12.76       TO ORDER, CLICK HERE

Abigail's Review:
This is a delightful book celebrating the craft, lore and language of flowers. It is a treasure-trove of historic facts and beautiful photographs. It not only includes the symbolism of all the various flowers and herbs known in the Victorian era, but provides a step-by-step guide to making the little floral nosegays known as "tussie mussies."

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