I’m having a difficult time absorbing the fact that we’re heading into the second week of February already. How on earth did that happen?
I haven’t joined in with Bella’s 52 Photo’s Project since the New Year…now that I actually think of it, it was more like mid-December when I last participated…and I’ve been itching to get my camera out and play around, so today I did just that.
The theme for this week is “love notes”. I dug out a book that I bought at a thrift shop a few years ago called Routledge’s Complete Letter Writer for Ladies and Gentlemen. by Arnold Villiers. It doesn’t say what year it was originally published but it was updated in 1952.
It covers everything from how to write a letter to reject an unwanted suitor…to how a mother should write a letter to her daughter at boarding school to say she has had a bad report from the head mistress…to how to answer an advertisement in the paper for a lady type-writer (not typist), and every other conceivable reason one might have had to write a letter in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s.
It’s fascinating to see just how much our culture has changed in the last 75 or more years…we’re so much less formal and the art of letter writing has all but disappeared. Today, unwanted advances are likely discouraged via voice mail, email or (horrors) even Facebook.
I’ve been watching Masterpiece Theatre’s series “Downton Abbey” (which I love!) for the past month and these letters remind me of the formality and “correctness” that Downton Abbey portrays in the Edwardian era in the UK. I’ve heard that the BBC who produced this series, is quite astounded at how popular it’s become in the US and has actually sent someone “over” to investigate the phenomena.
I also read a review where it was suggested that WW1 was the end of an era and at that time people felt like they were on the brink of change with something very new and very different about to happen in the world...and that people today can identify with that feeling of great change lying just around the corner. I think there may be some truth to that but as pure entertainment, I love the characters (especially Maggie Smith's character) and the costumes, as well as the history. If any of you are watching this series…what is it that you most enjoy about the show? (just doing my own little survey here )
Thanks so much for stopping by…and if you ever need to reject an unsuitable admirer, just let me know and I’ll send you the appropriate letter.
