August 30, 2013

A Victorian design quiz


I'm living in a house built just a couple years before Queen Victoria kicked the bucket. Clos’d this earthly scene. Laid her hoary head to rest beneath this mournful turf.* Do I know anything about Victorian homes? Almost nothing. So I took this quiz to confirm it.

But actually I did okay. A little knowledge of art history helped. The parlor vs. drawing room tripped me up, though. I still don't know the difference. I want to do some studying, not that I plan to go all Victorian in here. I think the queen would have enjoyed lounging in an orange Saarinen womb chair, if only it had been designed yet, right?

*For time-waster extra credit, read a collection of early American gravestone inscriptions compiled by Caitlin Hopkins. Fascinating. (Via 22 Words.)

16 comments:

  1. AndreaAugust 30, 2013 at 3:42 PM

    The parlour is the equivalent of our formal living room (if you have a house that has a living room and a family room) and would not have been used much unless you have guests - it was always kept really neat and tidy, and would have your best furniture. A drawing room is more of a private room, not for entertaining. More houses had parlours than drawing rooms.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jessica JonesAugust 30, 2013 at 3:47 PM

    Excellent. Thank you, Andrea!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 30, 2013 at 3:58 PM

    To add to Andrea's comment - the drawing room was where the women went after dinner, while they waited for the men. Short for "withdrawing room." So it was used for entertaining, but only really big houses tended to have true drawing rooms. Smaller houses used the parlor for that function. Around 1900 or so, the "Living Room," much less formal, became more popular than the Drawing Room.

    (Sorry for TMI. I've been writing a report on a Gilded Age mansion, and am a mass of useless info.)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jen E @ mommablogsalotAugust 30, 2013 at 4:03 PM

    I got 7 out of 10 correct - better than I thought I'd do, actually!

    ReplyDelete
  5. lamina@do a bitAugust 30, 2013 at 4:03 PM

    I am surprised at how much I knew... probably due to obsessive watching of Pride and Prejudice :)So funny!

    ReplyDelete
  6. petal and plumeAugust 30, 2013 at 4:42 PM

    love this! thank you for sharing!
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Grandma GAugust 30, 2013 at 4:45 PM

    Isn't the drawing room where one would do their artwork?

    Mum(didbetteronthetoiletquiz)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jessica JonesAugust 30, 2013 at 4:52 PM

    Ha! You took that toilet quiz? I remember seeing it but now I can't find it back again. I should take the wallpaper quiz.

    http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/wallcoverings-quiz.htm

    ReplyDelete
  9. Grandma GAugust 30, 2013 at 5:04 PM

    I did! :) It showed up at the end of the other quiz.

    Okay, now I've taken the wallpaper quiz, too. It was very easy... and if I had trouble, it helped that the answers were at the bottom of the page. Oops! :)

    Enough time wasted now... don't tell me about any more quizzes!

    Mum

    ReplyDelete
  10. RaDonna MurnerAugust 31, 2013 at 7:47 AM

    I only missed one. Who knew that Linoleum was that old?

    ReplyDelete
  11. nylonlivingAugust 31, 2013 at 10:14 AM

    the list of ways died is hilarious. I can't decide which one is my favourite. "innocently retired?" possibly. "went into another room"? The one no one else knew was in the house? Classic. thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. KatAugust 31, 2013 at 10:38 AM

    I love the quizzes you find for us! I missed the question about Linoleum. I guessed carpet. I also took the toilet quiz. Got all those right. I know my shit. (see what I did there? ha ha ha. Oh, sorry).

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jessica JonesSeptember 1, 2013 at 1:15 PM

    Ha, nice. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. JaniceSeptember 3, 2013 at 8:00 PM

    I got 10 out 0f 10!! Must be all that Downton Abbey watching!

    ReplyDelete
  15. KimSeptember 4, 2013 at 5:24 PM

    Wow, I did much, much better than I thought I would! 9 out of 10! The linoleum threw me for a loop.

    I need a quiz for my new house... 1950s! I just did a fun home tour today on my blog if you want to check it out: http://healthylivinginthecity.com/2013/09/04/new-home-tour/

    ReplyDelete
  16. CaroleApril 8, 2015 at 2:23 PM

    I got 10 out of 10 as well, but then I know quite a bit about architecture and design.

    ReplyDelete