Indholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2019 i Victoria

Dear Friends It seems that just yesterday we were drawing near to the hearth, watching snowflakes fall outside the window and dreaming of what this year would bring. How quickly the seasons have come and gone, offering a kaleidoscope of delights as winter’s crystalline beauty thawed to reveal the exuberant blossoms of spring and then the succulent fruits of summer. Soon autumn was upon us, gilding the landscape in a prismatic array of colors, and now we find ourselves settling in to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas as we turn the final pages of the calendar. With her first essay of 2019, Writer-in-Residence Carol Rizzoli prompted us to launch the Victoria Classics Book Club. She closes her tenure on page 15, reflecting, among other matters, on the bliss of connecting with…

“TRUE NOSTALGIA IS AN EPHEMERAL COMPOSITION OF DISJOINTED MEMORIES.”— Florence King Through a three-dimensional exhibition debuted in Paris in 1822, French painter and inventor Louis Daguerre introduced awestruck audiences to marvelous new possibilities. His theatrical tableaux yielded convincing illusions, with dramatic shifts in lighting calling attention to different aspects of canvases visible through translucent screens. Such artistic representations, known as dioramas, grew in popularity throughout the nineteenth century. With exacting detail, museums often construct realistic models, employing tricks of the eye to guide viewers’ perspectives. Although some depictions include full proportions, scenes can be produced in miniature to great effect. Modern hobbyists also create layered works, with freedom of expression to fashion displays that are as true-to-life or fanciful as desired. For Artist-in-Residence Stephanie Monahan, Yuletide offers the ideal time…

Upon glimpsing the façade of this impressive manor built for Charles Howard, the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, it is astonishing to think it was designed by a man with nary a bit of design experience. Eschewing notable names in favor of one of his political associates, the earl chose playwright John Vanbrugh to build the home on the site of the ruined Henderskelfe Castle, a property the Howard family acquired through marriage. Vanbrugh wisely enlisted the aid of architect Nicholas Hawksmoor, who brought practical skills to the partnership, and the two created a remarkable and unique residence that has sheltered eight generations of Howard kin. As the location for several cinematic productions, including the acclaimed mini-series Brideshead Revisited, Castle Howard has treated viewers to spectacular scenes of the idyllic grounds,…

Each year before the leaves have fallen from the trees, we invite loved ones to an annual outing in our woods, arriving with baskets and clear glass containers to find partridge berries for making friendship terrariums. Small sprigs of the trailing evergreen vine, which grows along the forest floor, are clipped short during our harvesting. To make this unique Christmas gift, place charcoal in the bottom of a covered glass bowl, and cover the charcoal with a bright-green blanket of moss-covered soil. Using tweezers, poke partridge-berry sprigs into the soil to root, shaping the vibrant ground cover into a mound. Only a few berries are necessary to create a lovely effect amid the wealth of rounded green leaves. It is not necessary to water the plants because condensation will form…

The classic Queen Anne Victorian façade of Carol Haigler’s residence gives way to interiors that are essentially French country. A rich gold palette runs throughout the rooms, where the antiques she and her husband, Larry, have so lovingly curated through the years have a certain presence found only in things that have grown more beautiful with age. In the living room, a massive Louis XV–style fireplace, reaching two stories to the ceiling, dates to the mid-1700s, and it has done more than its fair share of traveling. The piece originally came over by boat from France, making its way to Memphis by way of New Orleans, and eventually finding a forever home with the Haiglers. Whether to incorporate such a distinctive focal point “was a big decision to make,” says…

Two days before the Christmas of 1848, The Illustrated London News featured an engraving of Queen Victoria, husband Prince Albert, and five of their children standing around a tabletop tree bedecked in sweets, candles, and decorations from the prince’s native Germany. Upon seeing this picture-perfect holiday celebration, the English-speaking world embraced the tradition of dotting their branches with glass globes. The original kugels, a German word meaning “sphere,” were invented in the town of Lauscha, known for its glassmaking since the late sixteenth century. Here, smiths used a metal pipe and various moulds to blow the material into round balls and eventually hollow figures. To create a lustrous finish, the inside was silvered by a special liquid coating. At first, mercury was tried, but it did not adhere well, so…

BLUE & WHITE TEATIME Begins on page 37 Black Currant, Orange Peel, and Ginger Scones p.37 Makes 14 2¼ cups all-purpose flour¼ cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon orange zest1 tablespoon baking powder½ teaspoon ground ginger¼ teaspoon kosher salt5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed½ cup candied orange slices, finely chopped½ cup black currants¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk, divided1 large eggDevonshire creamOrange marmalade 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, ginger, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in candied orange and currants. Stir in ¾ cups buttermilk until a shaggy dough forms. 3. Turn out dough onto a…

Having lived in Georgia for twenty-two years, I’m an expat Yankee. I like the South, but from whence I came is in my bones. I had the outrageous good fortune of spending my formative Christmases in a Dutch Colonial house at the bottom of a long, winding drive in Connecticut. If it sounds idyllic, it was. The grate was seldom cold in the keeping room fireplace, where I would sit as close to the flames as possible. I would read, draw, or lie with my head against our sleeping Irish setter. She, too, knew the best spot was hearthside, with a view of Mom cooking dinner in the kitchen (and the chance of a taste for both setter and me). I miss cold New England winters. If anything, they are…

“[BLUE AND WHITE] IS A BEAUTIFUL, CLASSIC PAIRING THAT THRIVES ON CONTRAST AND THE ASSOCIATIONS OF A LIFE WELL LIVED.”—Mark D. Sikes “PERHAPS IT IS WHILE DRINKING TEA THAT I MOST OF ALL ENJOY THE SENSE OF LEISURE.”—George Gissing…

The Tagues’ two-story, redbrick Colonial Revival house is set in the Crown Heights Historic Preservation District on land that was originally the sweeping fairways of a local country club. Typical of many homes built in the 1930s, the rooms have high ceilings and large windows but still feel intimate and inviting. Though the couple’s blended family of seven children have grown up and gone, there is nothing empty about this nest. Patty’s penchant for beautiful antiques and richly hued rugs, as well as for pretty wallpaper and textured wall treatments, ensures the abode is quite cozy and reflective of her refined taste. Her forays to Dallas’s myriad markets have resulted in a wonderful cache of furnishings, from a striking black découpage screen and tole trays to a pair of majolica-esque…

A home undoubtedly reflects the person who resides within it. It is shaped by his hands and influenced by his tastes just as a block of clay is transformed by a potter. But does the shelter shape its owner in return? In his autobiographical exploration of the dwellings in which his life unfolded, the late Sir John Richardson shares his collections of English and American antiques, decorations found on world travels, and fine art created by close friends such as Pablo Picasso, whose four-volume biography the British art historian famously penned. While reminiscing on these artifacts and the rooms they adorned, Richardson reveals what he learned about himself and the man he became while living in each one. Born in London in 1924, Richardson’s first abode was a historic redbrick…

WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 15–16: Carol Rizzoli, an essayist, memoirist, and journalist, is the author of several books. To sample more of Carol’s work, visit her website at carolrizzoli.org. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 17–18: To explore artisan Stephanie Monahan’s range of papers, craft supplies, and other wares, visit her website at monahanpapers.com. Find information about her Diorama Ornaments Artisan Craft Kit, a Handcrafted by You project produced in collaboration with Victoria magazine, at victoriamag.com/shop. SNOW-KISSED CHRISTMAS LIST Page 19: Bethany Lowe Designs: Large Ivory Church (LG1776), $74.99, Large Ivory Cottage (LG1775), $69.99, Medium Ivory Cottage (LG1772), $39.99, Large Flea Market Bottle Glass Tree (LC6400), $49.99, Large Elegant Glass Ball Ornament (LO5690), $14.99, Gold Spindle Ornament (LC8360), $19.99; 800-944-6213, for retailers visit bethanylowe.com. Pages 19–20: Paper Source: Watercolor Garden Wrapping Paper, $9.95, Gold Pine Branches…