The Lemon Guide

An A-Z Guide of Everything Life Takes Lemons

Lady Lemon by George Romney (1788)

18th Century Life

• Divorce and the French Revolution
• A Lady’s Weapon Against Stench: Pomanders and Vinaigrettes
• Lighting the Tinder Box
• Portrait of an English School Boy
• Silhouettes and Shade Parties

Actresses:

• A Breech or a Travesty: When Actresses Wore the Pants
• The Story of a Diva: Mary Ann Yates, Forgotten Actress

Advice:

• A French Lady’s Advice to Her Lover
• How to Bankrupt an 18th Century Lord
• Lord Chesterfield on Domestic Affairs
• Lord Chesterfield on Friendship
• Lord Chesterfield on Giving Compliments
• Lord Chesterfield on Political Atmosphere
• Lord Chesterfield on Secrets
• Lord Chesterfield on Trivial Pursuits
• The Sagacious Letters of Lord Chesterfield

Anecdotes, 18th Century:

• Artful Deceit: Italian Picture Dealers
• Characters of Nations: Stereotypes in 1794
• A Criminal Conversation: Grosvenor v. Cumberland
• A Dealer in Wives: An Unlucky French Commoner or an Henry XVIII
• How to Swindle a Young Man of Fortune
• Married by Morning: A True Story
• Napoleon’s Achy Breaky Heart: Milan, 27 November, 1796
• Napoleon’s Achy Breaky Heart: Verona, 13 November, 1796
• Origin of Abigail (A Lady’s Maid): It’s Downright Biblical

Architechture

• The Bones of Holkham Hall
• Follies: An 18th Century Fascination

Art:

• A Beautiful Anatomy: Gautier d’Agoty’s Mezzotints
• A Beauty in Search of Knowledge
• Before and After Lovers: Garnier’s “The Poorly Defended Rose” & “The Letter” (see below: La Rose Mal Defendue)
• Charitable Tagging for Art Appreciation
• Du Barry and the Louveciennes Panels
• Fragonard’s La Giambetta
• Fragonard’s The Love Letter
• Fragonard’s Progress of Love
• Francois Boucher, Pompadour and ‘The Four Seasons’
• Hogarth’s Harlot’s Progress Plate 1
• Hogarth’s Harlot’s Progress Plate 2
• Hogarth’s Harlot’s Progress Plate 3
• Hogarth’s Harlot’s Progress Plate 4
• Hogarth’s Harlot’s Progress Plate 5
• Hogarth’s Harlot’s Progress Plate 6
• Isabelle de Borgrave’s Paper Gowns
• Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin’s The Ray, or the Kitchen Interior
• Jean-Frederic Schall’s Dancing Ladies
• La Rose Mal Defendue: Debucourt’s Reply to Garnier
• Louis XIV’s Wax Portrait by Antoine Benoist 
• Marilyn Monroe, Greuze’s Reincarnation
• Peach and Persimmon
• Portrait of a Jacobite Lady
• Portrait of a Lady with a Book – Antoine Vestier
• Pretties in Pink
• Rubens’s Majestic Marchesa
• A Seriously Naughty Portrait: Countess of Lichtenau
• The Cupid Seller, 1763
• The Dashing David Lyon
• The Female Elements: Mesdames de France
• The Gorgeous Fairytale Illustrations of Anne Anderson (19/20th century artist)
• The Little Rose Princess: Alexandra Pavlovna
• The Picture Silhouettes of Lotte Reiniger
• The Prettiest Circus Drawings Ever
• The Splendiferous Konstantin Somov
• Thomas Lawrence’s Pinkie (The Girl, Not the Finger)
• Through the Fish Bowl: A Girl at a Window

Beauty:

• 18th Century Beauty Rituals: Chicken Skin Gloves
• To Patch or Not to Patch

Books & Articles (Published in 18th century)

• The Experienced Housekeeper
• Romances or History: A Belle-Esprit and Marchioness Debate

Book Reviews

• A Broom of One’s Own – A Rambling Book Review
• Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen’s Masterpiece by Susannah Fullerton
• The Flower of Empire by Tatiana Holway
• How to Create the Perfect Wife by Wendy Moore
• A River in Time by Deborah Courville
• Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell
• The Secret Diary of a Princess by Melanie Clegg
• Queen of Fashion by Caroline Weber
• Vicious by Patricia Beykrat

Decorating & Design:

• 18th Century Chinoiserie
• Paper Your Walls, London Style
• Singerie, a.k.a. The Monkey Craze

Domestics:

• Domestic Servants – Part 1 – Women
• Domestic Servants – Part 2 – Men 
• A Day in the Life: A Lady’s Maid
• Wanted for Hire: Lady’s Maid

Fashion:

• 18th Century Costume Archives: 1794 Muslin and Lawn
• 18th Century Costume Archives: Affair of the Necklace
• 18th Century Costume Archives: Amazing Grace
• 18th Century Costume Archives: Catherine the Great’s Coronation Gown
• 18th Century Costume Archives: Embroidered Dutch Wedding Gown
• 18th Century Costume Archives: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Part I
• 18th Century Costume Archives: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Part II
• 18th Century Costume Archives: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Part III
• 18th Century Costume Archives: Red Silk 1760s Robe a l’Anglaise
• 18th Century Costume Archives: Sophie Myles as Madame de Pompadour
• A Carriage to Match Milady’s Dress: Ethereal Blue in 1818-1819
• Coiffeur vs. Coiffure
• Dress Me! 18th Century Girly Garb (videos)
• Dressing the English Lady
• Evolution in a Boy’s Dress
• Evolution of a Stocking
• Example of Embroidered Shoes, 1740
• Exquisite Brocade, A Short Rambling, and A Storied Gown
• Fashion at Versailles: Vivienne Westwood’s Courtesans
• From Panniers to Polonaise
• The Gainsborough Hat
• Isabelle de Borgrave’s Paper Gowns
• Ladies in Turkish Dress: A Visual Feast
• Marie Antoinette Wore Muslin
• More on Pandora Dolls
• Pale Ruby and Blossom Coloured Cheeks: April 1814 Fashion
• Pandora Me This, Pandora Me That 
• Ringling Museum: Ladies’ Fans, Part 1
• Ringling Museum: Ladies’ Fans, Part 2
• Stripping the 18th Century Male
• A Woman with a Parasol

Fashionistas, Dueling:

• Borovikovsky’s Blue-Sashed Ladies 
• Lady Elizabeth Foster vs. Lady Elizabeth Seymour Conway vs. Countess of Lincoln
• Lady Jane Harrington vs. Jane Halliday
• Sarah Siddons vs. Anonymous Lady vs. Mrs. Robinson

Films:

• A Family Affair: Mozart’s Sister
• The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
• The Lady and The Duke
• Romantic Movies You Might Have Missed – Part One
• Sex, Scandals & Soirees (18th century films)

Food:

• Eating Belgian Style: Liege Waffles
• Hot Chocolate in the 18th Century

Gift & Gift Guide:

• Etsy Finds – July 5, 2010 
• Etsy Finds – July 30, 210 – Naughty Cat and Talking Eyes
• Garden Variety Finds
• Historical Geekery Gift Guide Holiday 2012
• The Most Ethereal Jewelry Ever

Handsome Devils & Their Digs

• Douglas Hamilton, 8th Duke of Hamilton
• 4th Earl of Aberdeen
• John Mortlock and Sons
• Banastre Tarleton  (see also Historical Figures, Ban and Mary)
• 4th Viscount Chetwynd
• Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe

Heroes:

• The Hero, Part One: The Highwayman

Historical Figures:

• Comte de Buffon: Not to be Confused with Buffoon
• Charlotte Charke ‘Cut Out For a Man, Only the Devil Ran Away with the Pattern’
• Anne Finch, Underrated Poet
• Amedee Francois Frezier and the Chilean Strawberry
• Greuze’s Reincarnation: Marilyn Monroe
• The Lovely Georgette Heyer
• The Sordid History of Moll King
• Lady Caroline Lamb (Lady Caro Crops Her Hair)
• Queen of the Blues: Elizabeth Montagu’s Bluestockings
• Humphrey Repton, Landscape Gardener and Jane Austen Inspirer
• Ban and Mary: A Lover’s Wager
• Horace Walpole’s Correspondence Digitized
• The Magnificent Cheek of Harriet Wilson

Jane Austen:

• An 18th Century Perspective on Elizabeth Bennet
• ‘Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen’s Masterpiece’ by Susannah Fullerton 
• Humphrey Repton, Landscape Gardener and Jane Austen Inspirer
• In Defense of Novels: Jane Austen’s Perspective

London

• How a Yank Doodles His Dandy, or London’s Macaroni Clubs
• The Rise and Fall of May Fair

Marie Antoinette

• Tulips ‘Antoinette’
• Marie Antoinette in Anime
• Marie Antoinette, Meet Elizabeth Ocean’s Watercolors
• Antoinette-esque Fabric

Music:

• John Corigliano’s Ghost of Versailles Opera (video)
• What Did the 18th Century Listen to?
• Lady Georgianna, Girl Band Extraordinaire
• Marie Antoinette’s Affair to Musique
• A Family Affair: Mozart’s Sister

Photos:

• Ca d’Zan: The Ringling Mansion
• Stepping Outside Ca d’Zan: More Ringling Photos
• Eugenio Rencuenco’s 18th Century Photographs
• Interstices, or What Other Folks Call Doors
• A Night at Chambord and Chenonceau
• On the Road to Rouen
• Versailles Gilt

Professions, Georgian

• Lady’s Maid (A Day in the Life)
• Red Lobsters, Robin Redbreasts, and Thief-Takers

Sex:

• 6 Reasons Dashwood’s Monks Sucked at Satanism
• Monks Behaving Badly 
• Sex Education for Women Circa 1802

Subculture:

• 18th Century Molly Houses

Wigs

• Risk One’s Hair, Risk One’s Head: Losing the Periwig

Writing:

• 7 Kiss Scenes to Heat Up Your Writing
• 11 Ways to Increase Writing Productivity
• Adjusting the Writer’s Brain – Rejection and Persistence
• How to Write a Page-Turning Love Scene –  Reprinted in the April/May/June 2012 issue #67 of Vision: A Resource for Writers

• I am a Bumblebee – Time Constraints

• Ode to Bad Romance
• Oh, Don’t Be So Factsy About It – Thoughts on writing first, researching later
• Perfectionism, Worries, and Other Time Wasters
• The Oh-So-Fun Checklist for Writing – Editing
• Writing the Opposite Sex (in this case, men)
• Writing on Life’s Periphery – Time Constraints

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