In 1895 summertime was more than just a reprieve from cold weather or demanding schedules. When the hot days of June, July, and August arrived, polite society allowed itself to relax and ‘return to nature’. Air conditioning had not yet been invented and city life could become unbearable when the mercury rose past 80F, so all classes of good people sought respite from the heat. Those who could afford it, set off to country homes or cottages by the beach. Picnics often replaced formal meals, and sitting on the ground was as acceptable as dining on fine linen.
The August 17, 1895 first column story of Harper’s Bazar explored “The Philosophy of the Picnic.” The editors acknowledge that it is not the food that draws countless souls out to the wilds, but the need to allow our instinctual nature to take over.
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A single word can define an era and so it was at the end of the 19th century. Both men and women were told to change their approach to life. Language changes with the times and often reflects our current values and beliefs. On page 19 of the April 1896 issue of “Vickery’s Fireside Visitor” the word Fierce changed from being slang to proper English.
The word first gained popularity in Manhattan and Brooklyn and became popular amongst both young and old. Soon it signaled a new way of approaching all things.
“In order to be up with the times, we must no longer talk of a heavy rain, but of a fierce rain. A blizzard is a fierce snowstorm….A desperate misfortune is fierce. A great stroke of good luck is fierce. The enforcement of the excise law is fierce. It is fierce to be married, twins in the family are fierce, and it is fierce to die, whether naturally or by accident.
“A president’s proclamation or message is fierce. Anything that is exceedingly mild is fierce… Hard times are fierce and so are prosperous ones.”
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