Daily Diary, June 21, 2022, Day 660: Historical Tidbits:
Often these historical tidbits come about when I have a very minor detail that I find myself researching to make sure I am being accurate. In this case, Mrs. Stein was at Jefferson Square Park for a picnic, but I knew I couldn’t have her sitting on a blanket on the ground.
The difficulty for women going on picnics or camping outdoors had come up in my first book, Maids of Misfortune. In their first extended outing together, Annie and Nate had an impromptu picnic out on the cliffs above Seal Rock. Annie was wearing a new pink chambray dress, and even though it had the modified bustle of the princess line style that was in fashion in the late1870s, she found sitting down and remaining respectable was a difficult proposition. See the snippet below for her solution, and Nate’s reaction.
Annie herself was sitting awkwardly, with her left arm propping up her weight, which was all on her left hip, while her legs were folded off to her right, modestly encased in long folds of her skirt. Her position looked rather like those of mermaids he remembered from children’s books, and the very incongruity of this thought made Nate laugh out loud.
Annie’s eyes flashed, and then she wrinkled her nose and chuckled. “Nate Dawson, don’t you laugh at me. I know I look ridiculous sitting here. But I can’t figure out how else to do it and remain respectable.”
As Nate sat down across from her, arranging his legs tailor fashion, she pointed to him and continued. “’See how easy it is for you! It almost puts me in charity with Amelia Bloomer. Women’s fashions today are not designed for any real-life activity. Why, my mother’s hoops were more practical. I remember as a small child, when we went out with Father for trips into the mountains, Mother had no trouble sitting down. Her skirts and crinolines just poofed up around her like a tent. I’ll admit she did look rather like a gigantic spider, but under those hoops she could do anything with her legs she wanted, and no one would know.” --Maids of Misfortune
Notice the woman in the front adopting Annie’s solution, while the other women are clearly sitting on some sort of stools or chairs.
For Mrs. Stein, Annie’s choice to sit on the ground was definitely not going to be a solution, because of both her age and her dignity. In Deadly Proof, when the older woman with this problem was Mrs. O’Rourke, I had her sit on a turned over wooden box, but I wanted to do something different for Mrs. Stein.
So, I decided to give her a folding stool that would be easy to transport to the park.
Esther hadn’t been to this park in some time, and she’d forgotten how lovely the it was. The large oak trees gave ample shade, and the slope of the hill kept it well-drained and provided a splendid view down the peninsula. She and Annie were sitting on folding camp chairs that Annie had purchased to use at this summer’s July Fourth picnic. While she feared her hips would be complaining by the end of the day, the chairs were certainly more comfortable than trying to sit on the ground. –Mrs. Stein Solves a Crime (WIP)
However, the question before me was, did such folding chairs or stools exist in 1882, and would they be something that you could buy at the Silver Strike Bazaar?
I was delighted to discover that there was a long history of folding stools and chairs, with a number of new patents being issued in the 19th century for these sorts of furniture that could be folded up and therefore easily transported. The one that was most popular, was the Fenby Chair, invented in 1855, patented in 1881. Many of these pieces of furniture, like the Fenby chair, were first developed for army use, and were prevalent in the Civil War.
However, I thought a folding stool would be lighter, and easier for a woman to sit on (no back of the chair so you wouldn’t have to worry about your bustle getting smushed.)
Here is a picture of men using stools, which is what I imagined Mrs. Stein sitting on.
The reason I thought you would be able to buy this and of folding furniture at a store was the increased interest in picnics and camping as recreational activities in the Victorian period. Macy’s Department store (my model for the Silver Strike Bazaar) was already introducing picnic and sporting goods department in early 1870s, and they also added folding chairs to its furniture offerings.
I will leave you with this photo I found, of an older woman out camping, which made me think that perhaps I should send Mrs. Stein on a camping trip sometime in a future story!