Part Two: Edwardian Period

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.

1900 Oval Frame offered by

Wee LambieVintage 

  

          

Framed Photograph by Never Too Old

                

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:

1909 Hupmobile and 1910 Buick metal plaques 

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