Customs and Fashions in Old New England

First published in both England and American in 1893, Alice Morse Earle's work met with very positive reviews. She pioneered the use of diaries, chruch records, newspaper accounts, letters and household inventories in the preparation of this work. Her engaging writing style made her works very popular. She presents fascinating, unvarnished views of child life, travel, taverns, table plenishments, home interiors, courtship, marriage, sports, diversions, medicine along with funeral and burial customs. The reader will find this work humorous, entertaining, thoughtful and her subjects picturesque, bizarre and curious. To this unabridged text has been added a new introduction along with biographical material on and photograph of the author. This is a widely referenced, widely consulted classic.

Alice Morse Earle's work is a fascinating study of everyday life in 17th and 18th century New England and is recognized as one of the historical classics. She looks at child life, courtships, holidays, marriage, drinks, medicines, letters, sports and diversions. She makes use of diaries, letters, household inventories, and church records to write a history of this period. Earle's choice of topics combined with her melodic style of writing and pioneering use of first person accounts has resulted in a well documented, easily readable classic about our American past, well suited for the researcher and casual reader alike.