When did you become an anglophile?

A co-worker and I recently fixed our anglophile beginnings to watching AbFab on Comedy Central in the mid 1990’s. I’ve always been a British history buff and to this day I often clarify for friends which monarch did what and when, especially after an airing of The Tudors or the release of Elizabeth the Golden Age. However, as much as I always enjoyed PBS’s British programming, it wasn’t until I experienced modern British comedy, especially with the premiere of BBC America, that my British fervor really took off. There is something refreshingly accessible about watching AbFab, Little Britain, Top Gear or My Family. It’s even more exciting after my second visit to the UK because now I really understand many of the cultural references. Also, after my recent visit to the UK I realize we need Marks and Spencer food stores on this side of the pond.

So how about you? When did your love of all things British begin?

We were real once...

Wandering through the British National Gallery, it’s easy to forget that all the faces staring back at you were once real people with thoughts, hopes, dreams, love and ambition. It’s easy to dwell on the famous images, Madame de Pompadour, Vigee Le Brun, Rembrandt. However, the unfamiliar faces are often the most inspirational.

As my husband and I explored the gallery last week, the portrait that really caught our attention was Don Justino de Neve by Bartolome Esteban Murillo. Neither the sitter nor the artist is famous enough to immediately draw our attention. What did catch our attention was the fat little dog with the red bow painted in the corner looking up adoringly at her master. In a room full of formality, the trappings of wealth, power and fame, this little dog helped remind us that Senor de Neve was once a real person. After all, only a real person with a genuine affection for his canine companion, or perhaps with a great sense of humor and the ability to poke fun at himself, would think to include such a cute little dog in a red bow in such a formal portrait.

The dog not only reminds us of Senor de Neve’s humanity, it provides us with a connection to the gentleman and his time and to all the other people pictured alongside him. Looking around that one gallery, we both noticed the number of companion dogs painted alongside their owners. My husband and I are very attached to our little dog, as are my parents and my sister to theirs. To see so many people over the ages attached to theirs helps remind us that despite the years between us, we are not so different.

I regularly read the London Daily Mail online. The newspaper often publishes fun articles on interesting historical subjects. Two recent articles I found fascinating involve women's fashion and fashion advice from the 17th and 19th centuries. One article details the discovery of a well preserved issue of a women's fashion magazine from the 1850s. The magazine was quite popular and existed until the late 1880s.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=493188&in_page_id=1879

The second article is about a women's advice book from the 17th century. Topics covered include diet, fashion, make-up and homemade remedies for sagging skin involving goose grease and other questionable ingredients.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=475753&in_page_id=1879

It's interesting to see the difference between the two advice manuals and how similar they are to our modern magazines. In 300 years little has changed except the length of our dresses and the ingredients in our anti-wrinkle creams. So lather yourself up with some goose grease, pull on your bonnet and enjoy a little trip through time.

Merry Old England

In a little over a week I will be off to London. The last time I went, I stocked up on film at CostCo. This time I have 5 chips for my digital camera and I'm looking forward to filling them with touristy pictures and research. I love it when technology meets history. Nothing can compare to actually standing in the places you write about, watching the way the light falls, listening to the sounds and taking in the atmosphere. Combining the experience with the ability to take as many pictures as I want is priceless.