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Resources | Victorian Etiquette

The people of the 1800's and early 1900's "enjoyed" a certain comfort in knowing what was expected of them for every occasion.  Here is one great example with more to follow as the changing seasons suggest. 

Receiving on the lawn
"At the earliest hour at which the promptest guest may be expected, the hostess warns the musicians to begin their programme, and, dressed in a delicate afternoon toilet, places herself on the lawn to greet every arrival.  She can, if she pleases, dispense with her hat, using her chiffon-flounced parasol to shield her eyes.  

To each arriving guest she must give her hand and a word of greeting; and unless others claim her attention at once, she can make introductions and enjoy something more than a welcoming word with every friend as he or she appears."

From: Encyclopaedia of Etiquette, A Book of Manners for Everyday Use. Vol. 11,  By Emily Holt  Nelson Doubleday, Inc. Oyster Bay, NY, 1920. 

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