Eleanor Roosevelt and a White House tea for a cause

Oh, I do love the tea photos I find on the Library of Congress website! This one from 1939 was taken after a tea, but still. Here's what it says: "White House tea given for women leaders in the 'fight infantile paralysis' campaign, Washington, D. C. January 11. Following a tea at the White House today, Mrs. Roosevelt and prominent women leaders in the 'fight infantile paralysis' campaign broadcast over a coast-to-coast network the urgent need for more institutions for the rehabilitation of infantile paralysis patients in this country. L to r: Margaret McBride, known as Martha Dean of the radio; Mrs. Gifford Pinchot, Mrs. Harry Woodring; Rep. Edith Nourse Rogers; and Cathreen Carrico, of Clinton, Md, who contracted infantile paralysis when a small child and who staged a remarkable recovery. She now sings over the radio."

And were you surprised to a see a female member of the House of Representatives in the group? I was. She was the first woman to be elected to Congress from Massachusetts, and I learned more about her impressive life here.

Guess who's having tea in Rochester?

Credit: Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

For years now, I have checked in with the Library of Congress website periodically to see if I could find any new *vintage* photos about tea or teatime. This week, I noticed for the first time that I can sort photos according to year of publication, and I wondered what the newer photos might look like. To my surprise, I found a photo of some absolutely marvelous sculptures that I'd never even heard of before! (Click here and you can use the drop-down menu under the photo to see it even larger.)

It says, "Artist Pepsy M. Kettavong's 2001 'Let's Have Tea' sculptures of women's suffrage pioneer Susan B. Anthony and escaped slave turned emancipation orator Frederick Douglass stand in Rochester, New York's Susan B. Anthony Square Park."

I would love to see these sculptures for myself one day (bucket list). If you happen to be in the neighborhood, you may want this on your bucket list of tea sites to visit as well!

New artwork of "children having tea"

This cute scene of a children's tea is another of my recent finds from the Library of Congress website. I wanted to share it because this could make a cute graphic for promotional or crafting purposes, and I love it when others share such teatime freebies with me!

(One question: What is that rug, do you suppose? It reminds me of those shag carpets that are all the rage with young girls these days, but do you suppose that was some type of animal skin? I just found it a bit jarring to come across what at first glance looked like a modern-day rug!)

A Tea-Set … for the Piano!

Show of hands, please. Do any of you tea friends play a musical instrument? I know that my friend Joy is an organist, and I took piano lessons in my youth (and occasionally played at church if they were desperate), but I haven't tickled the ivories for years. I wish I had, though, because I found the coolest thing on the Library of Congress website, this Tea-Set Composed for the Piano by F. W. Ratcliffe, Louisville, Kentucky. Note that it includes "Tea Polka, "Young Hyson Waltz," "Bohea Schottische" (schottische means "slow polka"; I had to look it up),"Gunpowder Imperial March," "Sugar and Cream Waltz," "The Nameless Schottische," and "Clearing Away Galop."

The Library of Congress has included the two pages of the "Tea Polka," so if you play the piano and give it a whirl sometime, I'd love to know what you think of the tune. (Please note the dedication too. It's fun!)

The opera singer pouring tea

If you're into history at all, I highly recommend that you pay regular visits to the Library of Congress website and check out the offerings. This week, I found a photo titled "Johnson" that the LOC says "shows Edward Patrick Johnson (1878?-1959), a Canadian tenor opera singer who was billed outside North America as Edoardo Di Giovanni. Johnson is pouring tea out of a teapot while looking at a score. (Source: Flickr Commons project, 2017)"

I wish there were another photo of the teapot on what I believe is some type of stand/warmer contraption at left. Do you agree?

And are any of us opera fans? If so, this photo should make you especially happy!

William Penn's Tea Service

My husband has been ghostwriting a book for a client in Pennsylvania, and I've been reading parts of it over the past few days and enjoy learning more about the state. So perhaps it's no surprise that in my latest check of photos on the Library of Congress website, I was drawn to a photo of the silver tea service that belonged to William Penn, founder of the Province of Pennsylvania.

The Library of Congress doesn't have much to say about this stereograph photo, except that it was created between 1850 and 1900.

A similar image is available on the J. Paul Getty Museum's website, and it appears this tea service is now in the collection of the museum in LA, although it's not currently on exhibit. When I visit a museum, I always look for tea wares, and in my travels, I would dearly love to come across a tea service that was used by such an important figure in American history. Wouldn't you?

Society, charity, and a mystery tea

Gentle readers, why am I so fascinated by vintage photos of women? I don't know, but I just am, and when I saw this photo on the Library of Congress website, I instantly began imagining lives for all of them. The lady seated at front left? She's a cool cucumber, going with the flow, perhaps a bit weary from her week. The austere-looking woman next to her has places to go and people to see and things to do and wishes the photographer would hurry up. The older woman seated at far right? She looks a bit startled, as if she wasn't quite ready for the photo to be taken and perhaps is uncomfortable being photographed.

I could make up stories for the back row too (especially that saucy-looking woman at far left, cutting her eyes at someone or something), but I won't. And with all these furs they're wearing, do you think it's safe to assume this photo was taken in the winter?

The LOC website reveals only that it was taken between 1910 and 1915. And while it's titled "Society at Charity Tea," dare I ask, "Where's the tea?"

Afternoon Tea & the Suffragettes

Since it's Women's History Month, I find myself pondering the fact that it's been nearly 100 years since Congress passed the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. When I looked on the Library of Congress web site this week, I was intrigued by this pre-passage cartoon from 1910 that makes it clear "Votes for Women" weren't always taken seriously.

If you look at the woman to the right of the book's middle, she has an arm band reading "No. 500."  Behind her, at about the middle of the right-hand page, you see a sign that reads "Cell No. 500 Our Noble Martyress." And the caption of this cartoon says, "Afternoon Tea — When the suffragettes of American society become martyrs to the cause."

While goodness knows I'm not always pleased with the outcome of my voting, I'm definitely grateful for the right to vote. And I'm also grateful that a cartoon like this would simply earn ridicule today! 

"Young girl in white dress" — a teatime writing prompt

I have a folder on my computer desktop where I will occasionally store a photo that I think would making a good writing prompt. I've taught writing only a few times so far, and will happily do so again if I ever find the time, but I will always be prepared to offer a photo for a writing prompt. This involves simply sharing an image and asking the student to write something about it. I found this image on the Library of Congress website and think it would make a great writing prompt.

What do you see when you look at this little girl? What's going on in her head? Is she happy or sad? Do you think you could make up a story about her? I do!

A tea cartoon for the new year

Have you heard of the cartoonist Rea Irvin? I had not, but he lived from 1881-1972, and according to the Library of Congress website, this cartoon of his was published in 1916. It's titled "A happy New Year 1867 - a happy New Year 1917."

And here's the summary of the cartoon: "The 1867 panel shows a proper Victorian family -- father, mother, and little girl -- in their parlor, taking tea. The 1917 panel shows a riotous party in a restaurant with champagne corks popping, a man dancing on the table, two men playing leapfrog, and a heavy lady in a strapless dress drinking champagne. Irvin was a popular contributor of cartoons to Life (the humor magazine) before being named art editor of the New Yorker in 1925."

I probably don't have to tell you all that my New Year's celebration looked much more like the first panel than the second one!

A tea party for … Rover?

I keep finding new-to-me tea-related images on the Library of Congress website, but this one (just half of a stereograph, interestingly enough) takes the cake! Copyright 1906, it's titled "Celebrating Rover's Recovery," and I'm not sure all those "Rovers" are having a good time at the tea party, but the little girls sure are.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Mr. Titian Peale and Miss Mary Peale at tea

So the Library of Congress website says this: "Photograph shows Titian Peale, Miss Mary Peale, and another woman (seated on the left) sitting at a table set for tea, with a large silver tea service on the fore-edge of the table; they are in a room with two large windows at the rear with plants growing in pots on the windowsills, there is a small book shelf on a chest of drawers between the windows, along with books there is a small portrait that may be Titian as a younger man, and there is a large painting hanging behind Mary Peale."

Now, have I lost my mind, or is there no woman at left? I see what might have been a body, maybe, but … well, there's no head on it, or else that head is transparent, which is a wee bit creepy.

(Click here if you want to go to the LOC website and see the photo at the largest size.)

I am just flummoxed by this picture. But I am intrigued that Titian Peale, famous naturalist and photographer, was having tea! I still haven't figured out his relationship to Mary Peale, but I'm guessing a sister or niece since she is "Miss." If any of you happen to know, please share!

"4 children around table, having a tea party"

This photo from the Library of Congress, circa 1893, is labeled "4 children around table, having a tea party." It is a "Photoprint by Gatch," and the caption card has categorized it as "Tea drinking; Children playing adults; Ph. Ind. (any idea what that means?); Tea; Children Play; and Shelf."

When I noticed the trunk at left and the three older children swamped by their oversized garments, I realized this very likely is children pretending to be adults, and I find that quite charming. (These days, I just wish some of the adults I know would pretend to be adults, and I'll bet you do too! Ha!)

Afternoon tea in the garden … a few years ago

I am quite excited about going to "Tea in a Secret Garden" next week (see previous post), so I was particularly delighted when I made a check of the Library of Congress website to look for new-to-me tea images and spotted this one.

According to the entry at loc.gov, "Photograph shows two girls having a tea party with their dolls in a garden." The photograph was published circa 1900, and neither the subjects nor the the photographer are identified. Isn't that a charming photo? I like to use random photos as writing class prompts, so I think I'll share this with my star pupil next week and see what she comes up with!

"Tea for three at three"

I am making it a point to check the Library of Congress website periodically to be sure I don't miss any new additions to their collection of tea-related photos. This week, I came across one I'd not seen before, a 1931 image titled "Tea for three at three aboard the Detroit Mackinac Chicago boat." Now I wish the photographer hadn't chopped the shoes off the lady at far left, but I sure enjoyed seeing all these great clothes as well as the shoes on ladies number two and three.

When I see a vintage photo like this, I am always tempted to make up a story to go along with it. Who were these ladies, and why were they taking tea together on this boat? And who is the little boy standing behind the woman seated at right? Her son? Her nephew? Her charge?

And more important, what brand of tea were they sipping? I love seeing vintage photos of women together, and I hope you do as well!

The Christmas tea party, circa 1906

This week I came across a new image on the Library of Congress website, a stereograph card from 1906 titled "The Christmas tea party."

The image is a little dark (and I lightened it!), but I think you can make out the seven children around the table enjoying tea.

And I will share with you what a tea-loving reader shared with me a while back, that if you stare into the distance and relax your eyes, the two photos will become one and you can see the depth. I have almost but not quite got the hang of it, but even in its current state, what a charming Christmas image!

Tea and turkey … sort of

You never know if you don't ask, right? That was my theory when I recently typed "tea turkey" as keywords into the Library of Congress search engine. One of the photos that popped up, of four men sipping tea, caught my eye.

Here's what the LOC site says about the photo: "Title: Reception by the Director of Programmes, Palestine Broadcasting Service. Tea being served, right to left: Turkish Consul Gen., Egyptian Vice Consul, Mr. Bailey, Ruhi[?] Bey."

The photo was contributed by a photographer for the Matson Photo Service. There is also a note that says, "Caption continues from catalog: (Garden party at McNair's, Katamon, April 20, 1940)."

It's not quite the sort of "turkey" photo I was looking for this week, but it's certainly intriguing!

Cultivating tea … in 1848

"No plant is more simple in its cultivation, and none requires less skill and attention than the Tea Plant; any one who can cultivate a cabbage can cultivate the Tea Plant."

— Junius Smith, "Essays on the cultivation of the tea plant"

 

My latest discovery on the Library of Congress website? This 1848 (1848!) book titled "Essays on the Cultivation of the Tea Plant." I couldn't believe a book on US tea cultivation was written this early. I'd seen the 1899 book on tea cultivation by Dr. Charles Shepard, founder of Pinehurst Tea Plantation in South Carolina, whose plants were later transferred to the Charleston Tea Plantation.

But the discovery of an 1848 book on growing tea strikes me as quite a discovery, so I've downloaded it to my iPad and started reading!

For those of you who share my passion for tea history, here's a link!

My Country, 'Tis of Tea — South Dakota

Earlier this year, I came across a book that mentioned a town called "Tea, South Dakota." Now I thought that was just a fun bit of fiction until I learned that there really is a town called Tea, South Dakota!

• If there was ever a place that begged a visit from tea lovers, it would surely have to be Tea, South Dakota.  I found this community guide to the town online, and I was just fascinated by all the fun names. You can read about the town in the Tea Weekly newspaper, and anyone with small children might want to look into MyTea Tykes or Tea Tots, two local childcare facilities. I for one would enjoy wearing a T-shirt in support of a child playing Tea Soccer, and I know I would enjoy a visit to the Tea Area Historical Society. The best time to go to Tea, clearly, would be the third weekend in June, when Teapot Days are held, an event which includes the crowning of Ma and Pa Teapot.

• In June of 2006, Tea, South Dakota, was honored in the US Senate upon the occasion of its 100th anniversary.  If you have difficulty reading the above image from the Congressional Record, the part I was most interested in was this: "Tea’s unusual name was discovered when the community was asked to submit 10 town names to the Postal Service but only 9 could be decided upon. A recess was called during a town meeting at which tea was served. Someone suggested the name 'Tea' be added to the list. Shortly after, this tight-knit community was informed that their new name would be Tea. Tea was officially incorporated in 1906."

 

• In 1885, the Ladies of the Presbyterian Aid Society in Woonsocket, South Dakota, gave a benefit Tea Party at the church. This bit of ephemera comes from the Library of Congress, and I love how it says, "A Good Supper will be served from 6 to 9 o'clock" and that afterward, there would be "Music, Charades, and Magic Music." Can anyone tell what that last handwritten line says? I'm thinking it reads, "Proceeds for Mr. Currant." Just goes to show that benefit teas have been around for a while!

A 1910 book of "Candlelight Tea" recipes

I really need to make a list of all the great tea resources I'm finding on the Library of Congress website. This week it was a charming vintage book that's in the public domain, "Candlelight Tea" by Lina Dunlap.

This book was published in 1910 by Transylvania Printing Company of Lexington, Kentucky, and it features recipes for beverages, salads, and sandwiches.

Here's one page from the sandwich section, and I think two of these three recipes sound just fine (you can probably guess which ones). I'm intrigued that the Neufchatel sandwich recipe is quite similar to one I make today, 106 years after the publication of this book. (It's here.) I just love looking through old cookbooks, and some of you may as well!