#y2 thread 16

[toa-masquerade]

“When we dance in the sea we’re afraid to drown. If we danced through the skies we’d be afraid to fall. Should we worry about the future instead of enjoying the present?” They don’t think so.

“If something were to happen, how much trouble would the count be in? I’m sure he’s thought things through, don’t you?”

They offer a hand. “Perhaps a dance will help wash your fears away.”

[lainahastoomuchsparetime]

…clearly I couldn’t think of a title for this post. Original Twitter thread found here.

Today we’re going to be trying to figure out the time period that Anne of Green Gables is set in and talking about the fashion of that time. This is going to be a multi-part series with a lot of images. Seriously, I have like 10 pages of notes and a LOT of pictures bookmarked.

So I’m gonna ask y’all to be patient with the speed on this one, okay?

Let’s start with what we know about the time period of Anne of Green Gables. (Not any of the sequels – in this thread, I will be treating AOGG as a standalone work.)

First, Montgomery wrote it in 1906 so it can’t be any later than that. In “Anne to the Rescue”, the Prime Minister who’s visiting Charlottetown is definitely John A. Macdonald. Marilla comments on his nose and that was something many political cartoonists caricaturized about him.

He was Canada’s first Prime Minister, and also technically the third as he served twice with another dude between his two terms. The first time was from 1867 to 1873 which is way to early to be Anne’s time period IMO.

Going by the fashion of the time alone, you’re looking at straight, tight sleeves and very slight bustles. Puffed sleeves don’t fit.

    Purple dress by Southend Museum Services via Wikimedia commons. Red dress photo is public domain from the Met via Wikimedia commons. First fashion plate is public domain via Wikimedia commons and the second is by Nicole.c.s.y93 via Wikimedia commons.

John A. Macdonald’s second term was from 1878 to 1891. “Anne to the Rescue” takes place in January of Anne’s second year at Green Gables. December of Y2 is when Matthew gives Anne the Christmas dress, and that year the size of the puffs have gotten even larger.

Let’s backtrack slightly and define our time periods.

Canada became a country (according to white people) in 1867. I’m sure y’all knew that. In any of the time periods Anne could be set in, the British influence will still be very strong. Because of that, in this series, I’m going to use the British eras for reference. (Eras in British history refer to who was ruling at the time.)

Queen Victoria = the Victorian era. King Edward VII, her son = the Edwardian period. Victoria’s reign was 1837 to 1901, and Edward was on the throne 1901 to 1910, but there is actually some overlap when you’re talking fashion, since fashion changes aren’t instant. Like, if you look at early 1990s, they look very 1980s.

As well, sometimes the term Edwardian is retroactively applied to fashion things that happened during the actual Victorian period as Edward was a big leader and influencer of fashion. So some stuff from before 1901 can be considered Edwardian. I know it’s a bit complicated, but we’re all on the same page, yeah?

Also Victoria Day is May 20th this year. Her birthday was May 25th so our holiday is the Monday before the 25th. May long weekend is also my town-wide garage sale. Not related, just a fun fact.

As Canada is a Commonweath country, obviously the British influence was huge. And still is, to some extant. We have the Queen on our money, we have Victoria Day, Boxing Day, we spell thing with u’s. It was even greater in Anne’s time period, though. Canada was colonized under Queen Victoria’s reign. So when we’re talking fashion, it makes the most sense to me to look to that direction than to look to the US for context.

Another thing I find interesting – they have afternoon tea in Anne, and Queen Victoria was the one who made that a Thing. One of her ladies in waiting began having a small meal in the afternoon, usually around 4, as she couldn’t wait for til a 9pm dinner. (I get that. My blood sugar isn’t down for that schedule either.)

The lady would invite friends into her dressing room for it and Victoria caught wind of it and really liked the idea, and it became an elaborate thing. That’s where “tea gowns” are from. Which I’m not going to get into because this thread is going to be long enough, but look up sometime. That was in the 1850s and you can see how normalized it is in Anne by our time period.

I just thought that was neat lol.

So, 1870s fashion we talked about.

Moving into the 1880s, it’s not too different. Still narrow sleeves, and skirts narrow as well besides a brief resurgence of the bustle in the middle of the decade. This is, I believe, the fashion period that Marilla is using to make Anne’s dresses in the beginning of the book.

This, for instance, is a great picture from the mid 1880s – from this site, used with permission.

This was a wealthy family from Ontario wearing their best clothes, so this wouldn’t be so much everyday clothes but it helps you get the idea.

Random trivia, the lady on the bottom left with the very short hair – she may have been recovering from a bad illness. A lot of the time when women in this time period cut their hair very short, it was because they were very seriously ill and couldn’t manage the upkeep.

In general, your early 1880s has a lot of 1870s influence… typical for most decades of fashion. It’s pretty minimal in silhouette.

    Brown plaid dress and floral dress by the Met via Wikimedia commons.

The bustles from the later half of the decade are kind of great though. (Bustles are the big butt bumps.) This isn’t even as big as they could get.

  LACMA, Met, Met, they’re all public domain, I’m getting tired here, lol.

Going up to the very end of the 1880s, you’re still in that same area.

Some pictures from 1888. Pictures from here out are from Libraries and Archives Canada or the Met’s fashion plate collection. All are public domain. Click to enlarge I think.

    And some stuff from 1889

    Oh and this is a series of photos from I think an ice show in early 1889 which… what is going on in this ice show? There’s another I can’t find now, I think, where her skirt is just a tennis net?

  Okay, back to establishing our timeline. Sleeves begin to puff as we move into 1890. Some of these pics have specific dates which is super cool.

So, we have March 1890, May 1890, and July 1890.

  I particularly like this one from October 1890 that’s titled as “Nidd, Mrs. & Friend” and how much it looks like an awkward prom picture.

Last one from 1890, specifically December 1890.

Moving into 1891, the sleeves continue to get larger but usually not as huge as they’ll eventually become.

Also I keep wanting to make up backstory for these people. Like that second picture especially. Who are they?

    More from 1891

  Now the reason I’m focusing a little extra on 1891 is because that is the absolute latest that “Anne to the Rescue” could happen. John A. Macdonald was no longer Prime Minister after June 1891.

He was also dead.

I found a couple articles that referenced Macdonald visting P.E.I. in 1890, but it was a casual visit to a Senator friend in Charlottetown. The political meeting of the book seems to be purely fictional.

That Senator friend just happened to be Donald Montgomery, one of L. M. Montgomery’s grandparents. (Her father’s father, not the one she lived with after er mother died.)

Montgomery even met Macdonald on that visit. It happened in August 1890.

There’s an article out there called “The Hijacking of “Anne”” by Virginia Careless that puts the year Anne came to Green Gables as 1880. She uses the sequels to make this timeline and honestly? My suspicion is that as we get into sequels we’ll mostly discover that Montgomery wasn’t great at math.

Careless uses later events that I’m not looking at because I only want to use evidence from AOGG itself for this particular thread.

And I’m sorry, but puffed sleeves were NOT a thing in 1880.

Do you see a sleeve puff??

  Careless says, “That date is more in keeping with her longing for puffed sleeves in 1880, when she came to Green Gables. In 1877, her eleventh year according to the Treasury, such sleeves were not possible with the fashions then current.”

NOPE makes no sense! I know the article is from 1992 but like. You got paid for that, Careless.

Going by the date of Macdonald’s visit to Charlottetown and his death, and the fashion trends of the time, I am comfortable saying Anne came to Green Gables between 1889 and 1891. Specifically I think she came in June 1890. I think Macdonald’s fictional visit happens in 1891, and Anne gets her dress in December 1891.

Thing in the sequels may contradict this, but that’s where I think we stand judging by AOGG alone.

The timeline I think works: 1890 – Anne comes to GG in June, is 11, Y1 1891 – Croup in January, Christmas dress, Anne is 12, Y2 1892 – Hair dye, Queen’s class, Anne is 13, Y3 1893 – Mostly just a lot of school, Anne is 14, Y4 1894 – Queen’s exam, white sands hotel concert, Anne is 15, Y5 1895 – Year at Queen’s, Matthew’s death, Anne is 16, Y6

Also you can’t just say any puffed sleeve fits Anne’s time period. Sleeve puffs in the 1830s are much lower than the ones in the 1890s (and beyond).

Plus it doesn’t work with the tea thing. Can you tell I’ve discovered a pet peeve?

I think that’s about good for today. Not the last thread you’ll be seeing on this though! We have many things to discuss.

Shout out to Library and Archives Canada and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fashion plate collection.

Both were big helps in this and future threads.

Editing Laina: #LainaReadsAnne will be returning live soon! I’m getting caught up on a few things, and then we’ll be getting back into recaps! My summer job just got in the way.

Peace and cookies, Laina

#LainaReadsAnne, but make it fashion ...clearly I couldn't think of a title for this post. Original Twitter thread found here.

[toa-masquerade]

They had no idea the mascarade was going to be underwater. What the hell??? It's going to be alright. Breathe. Just breathe. Breathe water; in this case, this is a bit insane...

Either way, they're not quitting, especially with the effort changing and getting their stuff taken.

They take their weapon; an underwater fight might somehow end up a valuable experience after all.

They put it in front of the sparing partner of their choosing.

"I would like you to challenge you to a duel."

[toa-masquerade]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no

It's not really the other person's fault, but still.

The implication makes their stomach wretch.

This is a night full of regrets.

They stop the dance right in their track.

"I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable with what you're implying.

It isn't your fault; I just didn't manage this conversation well at all.

And this is just another part of an exhausting evening.

I need to rest."

They break away from the other person, feeling slightly ill and worn down.

"I'm sorry, I wish your evening to be lovely despite this."

It finds it a staggering magical feat that it can divine so much from another without knowing anything about the body producing these signs.  You are flustered, you are backtracking, and it has stepped across some unseen boundary, it can tell.  But you still have no face, no eye color, no voice.  There is something stifling, mixed in with the wondrous glamour, that deeply unsettles it as its ability to interact with another is stripped bare to the most basic form.

Of course, it does not want you to know this.  It stays silent, turning you as is called for in the dance.

"People are fundamentally sentimental creatures," it says.  "Echo you may be, that says nothing of the space in his heart you feature.  This anonymity would be the perfect cover to investigate such feelings, though it may be impossible to locate a man underneath this concealing..."

[toa-masquerade]

"I suppose so."

The comfort is appreciated, they suppose. Letting their tired eyes wander around the ocean around them, it does seem a bit less stressful than before, though maybe they've just become familiar with it by now.

"...Forgive me. I am only here for the sake of... Someone precious to me. You need not have any thought for me, if I've interrupted you."

"If you're unwell, you can take it slow. A step at a time." They tried to keep their voice calm, as though speaking to a wild animal and feeling perhaps as if the description was more apt than they initially thought. "It took me a minute as well, but look - "

A step, then another, arms spread wide, plopping back down to their sides. "It is...vast, isn't it? Unknowable. But with small steps at a time, it can become easier."

[toa-masquerade]

"The stars are quite lovely. Perhaps next year..."

As the stranger hands over a charm, their brow knits in confusion and curiosity. "What strange illusion magic, I've never come across anything like it." Taking the charm and feeling for the shape didn't seem to help either. It was like grasping at water...

"Here," they held out their own charm, finding it looked like it was surrounded by a small bubble of murky sea. "I hope it is a pleasant surprise when the night ends."

"The sea." They smile. "I don't get to see it often, so it stuns me every time. Perhaps I take the sky for granted, perhaps I'd change my mind if we were dancing among the stars..." 

"But I am enjoying this dance. I would not want to be anywhere else." 

They take their charm, and hand it over. Its shape is unrecognisable. "I see the masquerade's magic goes this far... I'm afraid to say it isn't an interesting seashell, but I hope you'll appreciate it regardless." 

[toa-masquerade]

"The sea." They smile. "I don't get to see it often, so it stuns me every time. Perhaps I take the sky for granted, perhaps I'd change my mind if we were dancing among the stars..." 

"But I am enjoying this dance. I would not want to be anywhere else." 

They take their charm, and hand it over. Its shape is unrecognisable. "I see the masquerade's magic goes this far... I'm afraid to say it isn't an interesting seashell, but I hope you'll appreciate it regardless." 

"Oh... well..." They thought for a moment. "It's calming I suppose. The waves, and the quiet. The sand feels nice. And seeing interesting seashells. It feels peaceful." Their smile relaxes.

"How about you? Would you prefer the sea or the skies?"

[toa-masquerade]

"Oh... well..." They thought for a moment. "It's calming I suppose. The waves, and the quiet. The sand feels nice. And seeing interesting seashells. It feels peaceful." Their smile relaxes.

"How about you? Would you prefer the sea or the skies?"

"I agree." They reply, as a slow waltz begins. "This is a view we're unlikely to see again, but we can always take a trip on a pegasus to see the view from above."

And, they suppose, it would be easier to swim to the surface than survive a fall.

"What do you prefer about the sea?" 

[toa-masquerade]

"I agree." They reply, as a slow waltz begins. "This is a view we're unlikely to see again, but we can always take a trip on a pegasus to see the view from above."

And, they suppose, it would be easier to swim to the surface than survive a fall.

"What do you prefer about the sea?" 

The stranger has a point... Surely the count was confident in his magic.

"I'd much prefer the sea to the sky." With a tight smile, unsure, they take the strangers hand in dance.

[toa-masquerade]

The stranger has a point... Surely the count was confident in his magic.

"I'd much prefer the sea to the sky." With a tight smile, unsure, they take the strangers hand in dance.

“When we dance in the sea we’re afraid to drown. If we danced through the skies we’d be afraid to fall. Should we worry about the future instead of enjoying the present?” They don’t think so.

“If something were to happen, how much trouble would the count be in? I’m sure he’s thought things through, don’t you?”

They offer a hand. “Perhaps a dance will help wash your fears away.”

[toa-masquerade]

Oh, Naga…

This is a bit closer than the dance normally demands. They can't distinguish much about the other figure; the closeness makes them feel dizzy all the same. Calm down; this hardly means anything. Some people flirt for the sake of flirting; there's no reason to get worked up.

"It's not that kind of relationship; I am simply an echo of someone he lost. You can feel free to reveal yourself to me, but I'm alright with never knowing in some ways, I revealed to you more than I ever should how will we ever look in each others eyes if we ever meet again."

As you stumble in the dance, it reaches out to steady you, firm but gentle in the way he holds you.  When the moment passes, the worry is gone, and it is the same as before.

"My, my," it purrs.  "You flatter me so, though I have no interest in coming between you and him.  Should the worst come to pass, at the very least, we could swim..."

Its head cants to the side, its hair sweeping across its shoulder with the action.  "Do you enjoy this little game?  Or would you prefer to know me by name?"

[toa-masquerade]

"I like to believe I'm generally someone well-mannered I simply never expected someone who accepts my offer to a duel to then keep on talking. I cannot lie, I have a lot of anger to burn though tonight and thought this would one and done."

It really doesn't feel to strike, even with a training sword; they follow the other person's idea and snap off a different piece of that coral with their heel.

"I never did it for fun before, and if you don't like it, I really don't want to force you.

Tonight I am not myself, for I hate her, but it seems the person who lies is horribly inconsiderate."

Oh! Look at that! The Wildebeest-slash-Black Knight does have manners!

They tilt their head at the stranger, observing them with renewed interest. Silently, they take in the scraps of information they’re given: a sword user, someone who knows healing magic, and a person who desires to escape the confines of their regular life...

Hmmm. Is it an act to lower their guard, or something more sincere? It’s already hard to tell in the real world, let alone in this enchanted bubble of theirs.

“...Sure. This isn't exactly how I wanted to spend the evening, but I'll entertain it this once.”

Deftly, they reach for one of the coral plants. With some effort, it's snapped clean off the bush. In their hand, it becomes a misshapen sword of some kind, though with all its branches, it resembles something akin to a trident. Fitting for the self-proclaimed Master of the Tides.

“If there’s anything my experiences have taught me, it's that you should expect to be underestimated and be prepared to prove people wrong.” They brandish the "weapon" with a small flourish at their partner, then at the bush again, as if to say, go on, get yourself one.

"Unlike you, I don't fight for the fun of it. I learned because I had to."

[toa-masquerade]

"My apologies; the anonymity untied my tongue too quickly, and I spoke without thinking."

They sway mindlessly along the rhythm.

"There's simply someone waiting for me to return. I can't imagine how he'd cope if I had traded my life for a cheap thrill after everything"

They stubble a tiny bit, an act quite uncharacteristic for them.

"I can leave if you want to, but if it's alright by you, i'd like to give tonight another chance and do so by your side."

A heavy conversation topic to entertain for something as light as a dance seems to be what this fellow stranger is interested in.  It doesn't mind itself; dark as it appears on its own merits.  Certainly, its mask only adds to the macabre air that normally surrounds it.

"Your words to me sound vaguely like a threat," it says, leading the other in a turn.  "In reverence to the evening, this I will choose to forget.  Everyone in attendance here has some one who would miss them, so let us not call upon any potential mayhem."

Though its face is completely shrouded in a way that renders the spell slightly redundant, it can see perfectly through the shroud.  It stares deep into the others' eyes, knowing full well that the opposite is quite impossible.  That is some strange comfort.

"Should we not focus instead on the joy to be found tonight?  The purpose is to have fun, is that not right?"

[toa-masquerade]

Damn, so what are they supposed to do now?

Should they back down and explain, since they gave the other person a very skewed perception of themselves?

The formalities of nobility tire them emotionally, so they just wanted to get down to it quickly.

"I wanted to fight to escape my usual life strappings. And I have no issue with your conditions; in fact, something I now recognize I should have made clear from the beginning is that I know healing magic and intended to heal any of your scrapes.

And well, thank you for your time."

It really doesn't seem right to attack the other person armed while they are not. They take their sheath off and give their weapon away.

"Unlike you, I have no experience fighting barehanded, but if it would be okay with you, I'd like to give it a try."

They're not someone of much strength, but how much of this has been truly about winning?

“You know what? Forget the dance.” Irked? Maybe just a tad. “You have the charm of a wildebeest. If it’s a spar you want, then let’s make this quick.”

They might be the gruff type or maybe the brusque type-- either way, not exactly the company they want to spend the evening with. Still, they’ll give the stranger this much: whoever it is at least has the decency to relinquish the weapon they brought. A willingness to make things fair is something to appreciate.

“You don’t have to give it up,” they sigh. “Keep yours. I’ll manage. I’m no stranger to having to.”

They glance around the ocean floor, past the throngs of veiled partygoers toward a bush of brightly colored coral.

“I have conditions.” They gesture for their partner to follow them to the coral, nodding toward the dome to indicate where they’re headed. “One round only, and no hits above the chest. If you manage to impress me, I’ll reconsider leaving. But bruise me on a night like this, and I’ll make you regret suggesting this in the first place. Do we have a deal?”

Ho, hum. Is that a hint of friskiness, or is it a genuine threat?

[toa-masquerade]

So the other person wishes to be the one in control? They suppose they did ask for this...

"I know nothing of him, so I cannot judge his mind. It could be a strange mass murder attempt, or it can be a rich quack with too much time on hand. And we all came here of our own wills. How selfish of us to risk such a pointless for a cheap thrill."

As elegant as always, they let the other person guide their dance.

Light footsteps, heavy heart.

"Do you resent yourself for coming here? Would you say no one would miss you?"

Its offer accepted, it leads its partner closer to the center of the floor.  Most guests seem to be clinging to the edges of this arcane ballroom, transfixed by the impressive magics on display.  It's a bit quieter towards the center, which makes for a safer feeling, even with the weight hovering perilously over their heads.

"Fascinating is a very apt word to apply," it says, adapting the poise of a lead.  If its partner objects, it will attempt to follow instead.  "If the spell fails, we all die.  I cannot prevent my mind from the thought, do you believe the viscount understands what he has wrought?"

[toa-masquerade]

"I don't care who you are."

They begin to assume they might be getting led around instead of a duel and should just drop the mask and go back to dancing.

Guh never mind.

"I just had it with my luggage; it's a training sword if it's safe enough for a mock battle; I didn't think to tell the faculty about it. But fair point: if you have nothing to fight with, I will give it for safekeeping to the knights. If you can find something you feel comfortable using, feel free to earn your dance."

" Would it? I’ve lived a thousand and one lives. With that comes a thousand and one names. Could you still guess me then, Dark Knight?” 

It’s not their first pick of an activity to do in this once-in-a-lifetime event, but they’ll oblige. A party is a party. A guessing game is as good as the effort put into it. Not to mention, a chance to prove there’s more to them than meets the eye. 

“I'll accept under the condition that you dance with me after. You’ll also have to show me where you got your weapon. I wasn’t aware we could bring them with us. As for my name,” 

“Call me the Master of the Tides. ”