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Titled Americans, 1890: The Real Heiresses' Guide to Marrying An Aristocrat
This unique reproduction is the how-to directory which guided wealthy American heiresses in their quest to marry a titled British aristocrat in the turn-of-the-century Downton Abbey era, the core story of the TV series itself. A fascinating Introduction to the "Dollar Princess" trade by noted historian Eric Homberger explains the phenomenon of American brides exchanging enormous dowries for the right to be the Lady of a great English manor. What would entice a young American bride to leave their families, homes and everything familiar to travel thousands of miles away to a land and culture with a myriad of rigid and absolutely foreign social rules, traditions and customs? The bachelors who are chronicled in Titled Americans drew the attention of many aspiring American bridal prospects who thumbed through the pages of this Who's Who of British aristocracy, letting their hearts fill with the fantasy of being the Lady of a great estate as they mulled over the directory's full details of every bachelor's income, property value and net worth!
- GenresHistory
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 27, 2023
This modern reprint of an 1890 book is a compendium of articles loosely revolving around Gilded Age society, and clearly aimed at wealthy American families considering adding a European title to their family's prestige. It consists of:
- a 21st-century introduction
- quite a good list of suggested further reading
- an 1890 introduction which gives a brief overview of the nobility of the major European countries, from which would stem the sort of men who would turn up in locations where rich Americans would be found.
- 100 pages of brief entries on American women who by 1890 had married into that European nobility
- a 30-page "who's who" of the Royal family, presumably useful for equipping the American heiresses with basic knowledge of the very top of society
- 40 pages of brief entries on unmarried European noblemen, with brief details of their financial worth
- a substantial description of Ward McAllister's "Great Ball" of 1890 in New York, which carefully describes décor, dances, supper arrangements, etc. as well as giving details of the ball gowns of some hundred women.
- an interview with Chauncey M. DePew, a lawyer known for his skill as an orator, about the differences between the daughters of the English and American elites and why American wives were popular with the European nobility.
- full reprint of the original advertisements in the back of the book.
This variety of material means that this is not a book that will explain the whole business of American heiresses in Europe to you, but if you're already familiar with the subject it can offer some interesting insights.
- a 21st-century introduction
- quite a good list of suggested further reading
- an 1890 introduction which gives a brief overview of the nobility of the major European countries, from which would stem the sort of men who would turn up in locations where rich Americans would be found.
- 100 pages of brief entries on American women who by 1890 had married into that European nobility
- a 30-page "who's who" of the Royal family, presumably useful for equipping the American heiresses with basic knowledge of the very top of society
- 40 pages of brief entries on unmarried European noblemen, with brief details of their financial worth
- a substantial description of Ward McAllister's "Great Ball" of 1890 in New York, which carefully describes décor, dances, supper arrangements, etc. as well as giving details of the ball gowns of some hundred women.
- an interview with Chauncey M. DePew, a lawyer known for his skill as an orator, about the differences between the daughters of the English and American elites and why American wives were popular with the European nobility.
- full reprint of the original advertisements in the back of the book.
This variety of material means that this is not a book that will explain the whole business of American heiresses in Europe to you, but if you're already familiar with the subject it can offer some interesting insights.
September 24, 2015
Used this book as a starting point for my Master's thesis. Fascinating!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews