This Jane Austen blog brings Jane Austen, her novels, and the Regency Period alive through food, dress, social customs, and other 19th C. historical details related to this topic.
People simply can’t get enough of Downton Abbey, as my site meter tells me. Everything we bloggers write about the costumes, actors, and historical details is lapped up by eager readers and on nights when the series is aired, my visitor count goes through the roof.
People just can’t get enough of the Crawley family and the servants who cater to them. Not everyone goes online for information. For those who prefer to receive their information in print, The World of Downton Abbey might be the perfect companion piece to their Downton Abbey viewing experience. The text is by Jessica Fellowes, niece of writer Julian Fellowes, who writes the foreword. The book is lavishly filled with photographs and illustration, and covers such topics as Family Life, Society, Change, Life in Service, Style, House to Estate, Romance, War, and Behind the Scenes. If you are intrigued but aren’t sure about purchasing this book, you can find a sneak peek at Amazon.com.
You’ll find wonderful details in The World of Downton Abbey that you can’t get any where else. Take this picture of the Crawley sisters, for instance, which was used to promote season one. It turns out that the dress for Mary was a costume designed to fit the actress, that Edith’s was a retread from the Merchant Ivory production of A Room With a View, and that Sybil wore an original Edwardian dress.
The World of Downton Abbey is lavishly illustrated
I purchased the book for my Kindle touch, and at $14.99 I found it quite reasonably priced. But here was the problem: my Kindle offers only black and white text and the photos look grainy. Only Kindle Fire offers a full spectrum of colors. And so I have to read the book on my PC or laptop, which is no big deal, for the images are glorious on my 20″ monitor and, unlike many people of my acquaintance, I don’t mind reading from a screen.
Created by Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), “Downton Abbey” depicts the lives of the noble Crawley family and the staff who serve them at their Edwardian country house. It is April and the Titanic has just sunk.The world will never be the same for the Crawleys, for both the heirs to Downton Abbey went down with the ship.
Hugh Bonneville as the Earl of Grantham. This image speaks of power and privilege.
The earl and countess of Grantham’s three daughters cannot inherit the estate, which is entailed to the male next in succession. He is Matthew Crawley, a third cousin, son of a doctor and a nurse, and a lawyer by trade. Matthew knows nothing about running such a vast estate, and cares little about the niceties of protocol.
Dan Stevens plays Matthew Crawley. He also played Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility.
The answer to the earl’s predicament is simple really – Lady Mary, his eldest daughter, should marry Matthew. But nothing is simple in Downton Abbey, for Lady Mary is stubborn and has a mind of her own.
The Crawley sisters: Lady Edith, Lady Mary, and Lady Sybil
The series is lushly produced and the story lines are riveting. In its depiction of the intertwined lives of servants and aristocrats, Downton Abbey recalls one of television’s most beloved programs, Upstairs Downstairs, which aired on MASTERPIECE (then MASTERPIECE THEATRE ) in the 1970s. One of the thrills of MASTER PIECE’s 40th season is a new three-part Upstairs Downstairs with a new cast of characters set in the same house at 165 Eaton Place, taking the story from 1936 to the outbreak of World War II .
The Earl and Countess of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern)
Episode 1
Sunday, January 9, 2011, 9 to 10:30pm
When the Titanic goes down, Lord Grantham loses his immediate heirs, and his daughter Mary loses her fiancé, throwing Downton Abbey and its servants into turmoil. The new heir turns out to be Matthew, a handsome lawyer with novel ideas about country life.
Matthew and his mother are formally received by the servants and family during their first visit to the Abbey
Episode 2
Sunday, January 16, 2011, 9 to 10:30pm
Mary entertains three suitors, including a Turkish diplomat whose boldness leads to a surprising event. Downstairs, the shocking former life of Carson, the butler, is unmasked, and Bates risks his health to remain valet.
Jim Carter (Cranford) as Mr. Carson, the butler
Episode 3
Sunday, January 23, 2011, 9 to 10:30pm
Growing into his role as heir, Matthew brings out the bitter rivalry between sisters Mary and Edith. Servants Thomas and O’Brien scheme against Bates, while head housemaid Anna is increasingly attracted to him. Lady Violet’s winning streak in the flower show is threatened.
The Countess (Elzabeth McGovern) and the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) at the flower show.
Episode 4
Sunday, January 30, 2011, 9 to 10:30pm
The heir crisis at Downton Abbey takes an unexpected turn. Meanwhile, rumors fly about Mary’s virtue. Her sister Sybil takes a risk in her secret political life. Anna unearths Bates’ mysterious past. And O’Brien and Thomas plot their exit strategy.
The Countess of Grantham with her daughter Lady Edith
Hugh Bonneville (Daniel Deronda, Filth)…Robert, Earl of Grantham Jessica Brown-Findlay…Lady Sybil Crawley Laura Carmichael…Lady Edith Crawley Jim Carter (Cranford)…Mr. Carson Brendan Coyle (Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act)…John Bates Michelle Dockery (Return to Cranford)…Lady Mary Crawley Siobhan Finneran (The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard)… O’Brien Joanne Froggatt (Robin Hood)…Anna Thomas Howes…William Rob James-Collier…Thomas Rose Leslie…Gwen Phyllis Logan (Wallander)…Mrs. Hughes Elizabeth McGovern (A Room with a View)…Cora, Countess of Grantham Sophie McShera…Daisy Lesley Nicol (Miss Marple)…Mrs. Patmore Maggie Smith (Harry Potter)…Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham Dan Stevens (Sense & Sensibility)…Matthew Crawley Penelope Wilton (Wives and Daughters)…Isobel Crawley Charlie Cox (Stardust)…Duke of Crowborough Kevin Doyle (The Tudors)…Molesley Robert Bathurst (Emma)…Sir Anthony Strallan Bernard Gallagher…Bill Molesley Samantha Bond (Miss Marple)…Lady Rosamund Painswick Allen Leech (The Tudors)…Tom Branson Brendan Patrick…Evelyn Napier David Robb…Dr. Clarkson Helen Sheals…Postmaster’s Wife
Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen's England is now available! By JAW contributor Brenda S. Cox. See Review. Available from Amazon and Jane Austen Books.
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Vic Sanborn, founder of this blog, is supported by a team of talented and knowledgeable writers about Jane Austen and the Regency era. They are:
Tony Grant, who now contributes his photos from London and England
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Hello, my name is Vic and I live in Maryland, USA. I have adored Jane Austen almost all of my life. I am a proud lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me and my team. We do not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, we do accept and keep books and CDs to review.
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Project Gutenberg: eBook of Stage-coach and Mail in Days of Yore, Volume 2 (of 2), by Charles G. Harper
STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE: A PICTURESQUE HISTORY
OF THE COACHING AGE, VOL. II, By CHARLES G. HARPER. 1903. Click on this link.
People simply can’t get enough of Downton Abbey, as my site meter tells me. Everything we bloggers write about the costumes, actors, and historical details is lapped up by eager readers and on nights when the series is aired, my visitor count goes through the roof.
Jane Austen's World 