Happy Birthday, Mr. Dickens

 The illustration of a young Charles Dickens (about age 30 if the info is correct), is from Wikipedia—and quite a different look from the more familiar portraits of his older self.

Today, 7 February, is Charles Dickens's 200th birthday.  He was and continues to be my inspiration.  Every year I reread at least one of his books, for the sheer fun of it as well as the re-setting of impossibly high standards.  No matter how many times I reread his stories, I always discover something new.  This was a writer who could give a chair a personality. 

He inspired my love of English history and taught me to love a city I'd never seen—London—and set off that writer's itch that keeps me going and enriches my travels and makes me endlessly curious about the past, especially the world he grew up in and lived in and wrote about.

I am not sure I would have written a single novel, if not for him.

Thank you, Mr. Dickens, for all you've given us & all you've given me.

And a very Happy Birthday to you, wherever you are.

Fashions Marcelline would have seen at Longchamp

DESCRIPTION OF PLATES

(No. 9—Costume De Long-champs; Walking Dress.—The plate represents one of the most distingué toilettes brought out for the fashionable promenade of LongChamps. The hat is of toile de soie; the front rather deeper, and longer at the sides, than those that have been worn lately. At the sides it sits close to the face, but at the same time is rather evasive. The crown is neither very high, nor is it pointed. The border round the front of the hat, as well as the small roleaux on the crown, is of blue satin, forming a pretty contrast with the delicate straw colour of the hat. The bows, brides, and bavolet, are likewise edged with pipings of blue satin. (See plate.) Redingotte of a new silk called Elysienne. The corsage fits tight to the bust. The skirt, which is very full, is fastened down the left side with a row of silk buttons;j on each side of the opening is a bias of satin. A large pelerine of the same, likewise edged with a bias hem of satin, nearly covers the corsage: the ends of the pelerine fasten beneath the band in front. The sleeves, which are quite new, are of an uncommon form. (See plate.) The under sleeve, which is long, fits as tight as possible to the arm; a second short sleeve, which is left loose, and is very full, reaches nearly to the elbow, and is edged with a narrow rouleau of satin. It is rather deeper on the outside of the arm than on the inside. The large falling collar of India muslin is embroidered and trimmed with a deep lace, set on tolerably full. It is fastened in front with a brooch. White silk stockings; black shoes of drap de soie; ceinture of gros grains broché; parasol of broché silk. The sitting figure gives the back of the dress. —The Lady's magazine, Vol VI, 1835

For more about my new release, Silk is for Seduction, please stop by Two Nerdy History Girls.

Spring portraits

One never knows how or when inspiration will strike, but visiting museums usually brings on some kind of creative fit.  Here are a few that promise a visual feast, and perhaps inspiration for a character or two:

If you happen to be in Western Massachusetts this month, you may want to stop by one of my favorite art museums, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, in Williamstown.

It’s a beautiful museum in a beautiful setting, whose permanent collection I never get tired of looking at.  But their exhibitions are quite fine, too.  Until 27 March, they’re showing Eye to Eye: European Portraits 1450-1850.  You can read a review in the Wall Street Journal.

A little further east, the Worcester Art Museum has organized an exhibition of portrait miniatures. 

Dandies runs through May 2011.  Then it’s on to the women—French women, to be exact. 

Leisure, Pleasure, and the Birth of the Modern French Woman runs 14 May-11 September.

Illustration: Portrait miniature of Lt-Col. Stephen Peacocke painted by George Chinnery around late 1779/1800, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.