This antique-inspired paper fortune teller comes from an activity in The Girl’s Own Book by Lydia Maria Child, published in 1833, and if you read my post about Fortune Teller Dolls, you know that they were popular during the Victorian era. The original illustration from The Girl’s Own Book is below. Notice the stylish harem pants and turban, reflecting the influence of the Ottoman Turks which was so fashionable at the beginning of the 19th century. You can see the book here:Read on Open Library (pp. 79-80) Here is how the doll was meant to be constructed: “This is a toy made of about a quarter of a yard of…
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Fortune Teller Dolls
We’re all curious about what the future holds. In the mid-19th century, many traveling peddlers and gypsies earned money by advertising their services as fortune tellers or “fate ladies.” In the same vein, Victorian ladies were soon creating miniature fortune teller dolls to predict their futures. The dolls had paper skirts which could be unfolded to reveal the fortunes. It became a popular pastime for ladies to read their fortunes while taking tea or at parties. Most fortunes painted a rosy future, but a few warned of trouble ahead. I find fortune teller dolls fascinating, and their scarcity makes them even more special. Most didn’t survive due to the fragile…
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Egyptian Magic Show
Hitty Cleo and Hitty Mabel were inspired by the post about Dickens the Magician to create their own magic show. Since Cleo is from Egypt, they chose an ancient Egyptian theme. They designed their own costumes, gathered all the props, and practiced the show until it was polished to perfection. Kitty and the other Hittys all came out to watch the performance. The first trick is a classic called, “Cups and Balls.” This trick has been performed for hundreds of years. Cleo places a ball inside one of the cups, then she flips the cups upside down. Cleo moves the cups around quickly to mix them up. “Where is the…
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Dickens the Magician
Many people know of Charles Dickens’ literary accomplishments, but have you heard of his talent with conjuring? In the early 1840s Dickens repeatedly entertained his family and friends with feats of magic. He would have been familiar with the card tricks and sleight-of-hand used by the street performers of London. Maybe something he saw had stirred his imagination, because in 1842 he purchased “the entire stock-in-trade of a conjurer.” After that, he spent hours in his room practicing to perfect the timing and technique of his tricks. I used Charles Dickens’ interest in magic as my inspiration for Miss Willow’s story in Chapter 4 of A Tale of Two Hittys.…
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The Mighty Quill Pen
What type of pen do you use to write a letter to friend? Do you prefer a ballpoint, a fountain pen, a gel pen, or a Sharpie? During the Victorian era of Charles Dickens, most people used quill ink pens made from goose, turkey or crow feathers. In fact, the word pen comes from the Latin word “penna” which means feather. Quill pens were not very durable, and the nib (the part that you dip into the ink) frequently had to be re-cut with a pen knife. Also, an inkwell was a necessity, as well as a pen wipe to keep the tip clean. From Wikipedia, I learned that quills…
