Dear Subscriber,
I confess, I've been dilly-dallying about getting this issue out the door. First, it's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only two days away - which means December is only five days away, and we won't even get started on how soon Christmas will be arriving!
But more to the point, I've been dragging my feet because this is (sniff) the last issue. The last issue of Victorian Times has been loaded to the web; the last volume of Victorian Times Quarterly is "hot off the press" on Amazon. And five years of fun and some wonderful relationships are coming to an end.
I hope you've enjoyed these issues as much as I have. Personally, I've learned more than I ever expected about the Victorian era just from putting together these volumes - let alone working on the website itself. I find myself getting very testy about mindless iterations of a host of myths about the Victorian period, the Victorian woman, etc. that still get passed around glibly, in both fiction and nonfiction. (For instance, I just read a charming mystery novel set in Victorian days - but one of the key challenges facing the heroine simply would not have been possible following the Married Woman's Property Act of 1882 - something the author should have known about!)
Of course, we're not actually going away. VictorianVoices.net remains active, and if you know anyone who is interested in Victoriana, make sure they know that they can always access all the back issues of Victorian Times and Victorian Times Quarterly. As for this newsletter, I will continue to maintain the mailing list - and will use it from time to time (though, I promise, very rarely) to let you know about new developments on the site or new products down the road. (If you don't want to receive that sort of notification, please feel free to unsubscribe.)
It has been wonderful "meeting" you all, and connecting with fellow lovers of the Victorian era. I wish you all the best in the year to come, and will miss you all. Happy Christmas!
Now here's what we have for you in December:
Visit https://www.victorianvoices.net/VT/issues/VT-1912.shtml to download this issue!
Or download it directly from DropBox:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0j759ali71xu3ff/VT-1912.pdf?dl=0
It's Time to Order Holiday Greeting Cards!
At VictorianVoices.net, we have a lovely selection of Victorian and vintage-themed holiday cards, all available directly through Zazzle.com (which does a gorgeous printing job). Check out our full collection at https://www.victorianvoices.net/bookstore/xmascards.shtml.
(By the way, a profound thank-you to all the folks who have ordered cards this year - the response has been amazing!)
Victorian Times Quarterly #22 is Now Available
Victorian Times Quarterly #22 - our last volume in the series - is now available from Amazon, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. As always, it includes the last three issues of Victorian Times - our October, November and December 2019 issues.
I am no longer offering discounted individual volumes of Victorian Times Quarterly directly from the VictorianVoices.net website; individual volumes are now available only through Amazon. However, if you are interested in ordering multiple volumes - any quantity over five - please contact me and I'll give you a volume discount. If you haven't started collecting the Quarterly yet and would be interested in ordering the entire series, again, contact me, and I'll work out a sizeable discount for you! This is a fantastic, entertaining and informative series - a great addition to any Victoriana-lover's bookshelf!
Find out more at https://www.victorianvoices.net/VT/VTQ/VTQ22.shtml
A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS TREASURY
Celebrate the Holidays in True Victorian Style with our Victorian Christmas Treasuries 1 & 2!
We love Christmas - and we love Victorian Christmas. So we've pulled together a host of never-before-anthologized Victorian articles on every aspect of the holidays. In A Victorian Christmas Treasury you'll find tips on how to decorate your home Victorian-style, how to set up a Christmas tree, and how to make delightful gifts for family and friends. You'll explore how Christmas was celebrated throughout history - and how it was still being celebrated throughout the 19th-century world. You'll be tempted by a host of delicious holiday recipes, from full-scale holiday dinners to entertain a host of family and friends, to a remarkable selection of recipes for plum puddings and other delectable desserts. Finally, enjoy some delightful Victorian Christmas fiction, poetry, and of course a marvelous collection of Victorian images of their favorite holiday. And don't miss our second Victorian Christmas Treasury (aptly titled A Victorian Christmas Treasury II). Every page of this beautiful volume is a holiday treat, with an amazing collection of holiday articles and artwork never before anthologized. Our new treasury takes you on a guided tour of Victorian holiday celebrations, from the poverty of the New York tenements to the children's costume balls in the British country home, from the blizzards of the American prairie to the blistering sun of the Australian colony. Enjoy the Victorians' own visions of Christmas with holiday artwork by the top artists of the day (including some of Louis Wain's famous Christmas cats). And of course, you'll find even more tips on decorating your home Victorian-style, tips on entertaining, and lots of mouthwatering recipes for Victorian holiday treats and suppers. To find out more, please visit https://www.victorianvoices.net/bookstore/Christmas.shtml
Some Victorian-Themed Christmas Ideas...
I've got a few items that may interest anyone looking for Victorian-themed holiday gifts - but I haven't had a chance to put up "detail pages" on VictorianVoices.net yet. So, rather than delay this issue, I'm just going to "make a list"...
First up is our new "Laugh-Out-Loud Victorian Poetry" series. If that sounds vaguely familiar, it's because I've redesigned my original single-volume book and turned it into six lovely, "slim" volumes of poetry that are just the perfect gift items for anyone who loves poetry, humor, animals, writing, etc. The series includes:
All are available directly from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.
I have also put together a charming calendar with a full year's fashion prints from Godey's Lady's Book, 1873. This is available from Lulu.com - which creates very nicely printed calendars these days. You can find this at http://www.lulu.com/shop/moira-allen/fashions-of-yesteryear-a-2020-calendar/calendar/product-24304590.html - and it's a truly elegant gift idea for anyone on your list who loves Victorian fashion!
Finally, if you love coloring, don't forget that we have three Victorian-themed coloring books available: A collection of general decorative motifs, a floral collection, and a collection of bookmarks. Find out about all three at https://www.victorianvoices.net/bookstore/coloring.shtml
Have a wonderful holiday season, and stay in touch!
Your Intrepid Editor,
Moira Allen