Next in our mini-series, we will be looking at the Edwardian Period. This era is marked by the reign of King Edward VII of England, following the death of his mother Queen Victoria. It begins in 1901 and continues beyond the death of the king, in 1910, to the beginning of WWI in 1914.
Edward’s
reign was not long, but marked a period of influence in the world of
fashion and style. With advances in travel and communication, the
world was getting smaller and fashion and décor markets saw a
broader international influence. Styles were shifting from the
incredible detail and decadence of the Victorian Era, to a more sleek
and elegant look. Edwardian culture began a romance with progress
which greatly influenced designers.
Woman’s fashion, for example, underwent a dramatic change - hemlines remained floor length, but skirt lost their cumbersome weight and fullness, dresses were often sleeveless, and necklines swooped. These changes reflected the new found mobility and multi-facet culture of the Edwardian era.
Home
décor, furniture, and architecture followed in the footsteps of the
fashion trends. Furniture that was once covered in carved birds and
painted roses is now seen with simplistic lines and experimental
materials, such as wood veneer.
Three
prominent characteristics reflected in the Edwardian Period are
elegance, romance, and progress. Edwardian décor items available on
Etsy are highlighted below:
ELEGANCE:
A perfect example of elegance can be found in these frames. Note the simple lines and style sense.
A perfect example of elegance can be found in these frames. Note the simple lines and style sense.
ROMANCE:
Sandwiched
between Victoria’s advances of the finer things in life, such as
art and music, and the world’s major wars, the Edwardian period was
a time of innocence, wonder, and the hopeless romantic. Romance takes
on a boldness not seen in the Victorian period. Couples are motivated
more by attraction, love, and romance and less by a sense of economic
stability and status. These romantic notions can be seen in these
items from at
DottieDigs Vintage:
TheRight Man, published in 1908
WeddingPortrait, 1900
PROGRESS:
As
mentioned, this time period was greatly influenced by the ease and
lure of travel. Love for adventure during this period is perhaps
best expressed with the sailing of the Titanic in all its splendor.
Travel was no longer set aside for the brave and affluent, but
becomes accessible to the common man, who could now travel by
automobile, train, or ship. These die cast plaques of turn of the
century automobiles offered by Snapshots
through Time are a great example of the
era’s contribution to travel:
Another
sign of progress during this turn of the century era was the
expansion and availability of electricity. Although the light bulb
had been invented some 30 years earlier, electricity started to take
hold during this time frame.
Here is
a lovely example of a turn of the century light fixture (turned
candle holder) at VintiquesandMore
The romance and adventure of the Edwardian period was a catalyst into the well-loved Arts and Crafts period, sparking an unprecedented period of creativity and invention. Looking forward to next time, when we explore this stunning period of time!
This is the second of a five part series on vintage design written by Mary of the shop FineRomance
6 comments:
Love this second installment as I did the first and can't wait to read the next. Wonderful vintage finds and I especially love the vintage light fixture and car plaques. Another lovely read!
Mary, I love how you've messed the visuals with your informative words. You've obviously written before! Oh my daughter would just flip over either of the two dresses shown. Thanks for including my vintage framed pic!
Wonderful post! Thanks, Mary. I can't wait for your next entry.
Beautifully done and very informative. I love this series. ♥
Thank you! Glad to hear that you like the articles. Its been fun :)
so informative
and I love this Era.
Thanks for including my frame.
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