The Country House Dining Room
A History of Georgian Feasting
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Yale University Press
Publishing:26th May '26
£22.50 was £25.00
This title is due to be published on 26th May, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
The country house dining room was an elaborate theatre for Georgian elites to entertain their guests and, more importantly, show-off their wealth, power and social status. Every detail was carefully orchestrated, usually by the lady of the house, from the decor and tableware to the food and drink served.
Decorated with fine art, antique sculptures, and lavish furnishings, the dining room was governed by strict dining etiquette and social rituals. It was expected for guests to eat and drink to excess, so it is perhaps unsurprising that in the Georgian era we see the development of supposed miracle cures for obesity, alcoholism and related illnesses.
Drawing on previously unpublished contemporary accounts of feasts at Holkham Hall, Hardwick Hall and Blenheim Palace, among others, Amy Boyington brings the Georgian dining experience to life and charts how the dining room encapsulated the intricate cultural and political dynamics of the 18th century.
A dashing overview of the high arts of sumptuous Georgian country-house feasting, including the all-too-often overlooked hard labour behind the scenes, undertaken by countless toiling servants, who kept the whole glittering show on the road.
-- Penelope Corfield, author of The Georgians: The Deeds and Misdeeds of 18th-Century BritainIn a book that is as lively and colourful as its subject, Amy Boyington reveals how dining rooms came to occupy such a central role in the lives of the aristocracy and gentry of the 18th century, and served as an index of wealth, status and taste.
-- Clive Aslet, author of The Story of the Country HouseIn this brilliant study, the dining room emerges as the crucial theatre of country house hospitality. Amy Boyington draws together all the action, props and scenery of this world;
crucially she links the architecture, decoration and table presentation with an understanding of how the table was served and what role feasting had in elite Georgian society. This richly illustrated book is in itself a feast of historical research fit for country house buffs everywhere.
ISBN: 9780300276923
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
208 pages