Monday, July 26, 2010

A stop at Somerset House

Monday, July 26, 2010
Loretta reports:

There’s the lady with the drum again.  Yes, it’s Shameless Self-Promotion time.  My new book, Last Night’s Scandal, is out now! That means you can expect to see blogs here and at Loretta Chase In Other Words presenting the kind of Nerdy History Girl background that doesn’t get into the novels.  Plus pictures!

Today we’re taking a look at Somerset House, where Lisle gives a lecture to the Society of Antiquaries.  Since they most inconveniently had their normal meetings between “November until the end of Trinity Term,”* and my story starts in October, I took artistic liberties, and created a special meeting, with, I trust, a reasonable explanation.



The first view is from The Microcosm of London.  You can read the text about the building here
This view is a little early—the Microcosm was published between 1808 and 1810—but the exterior is still recognizable, as this photo illustrates.

Outside, on the Strand, an Olivia-generated Incident occurs.  The next illustration shows the general area of the Incident a few years after the time of the story—but it’s near enough for our purposes, and was the view I had in mind when I wrote the scene.


*Mary Cathcart Borer, An Illustrated Guide to London 1800.

6 comments:

Mme.Tresbeau said...

I am going to buy my copy this very afternoon, and I cannot wait to read it. Thank you Loretta.

Bonnie said...

Yippee! Nothing like a new Loretta Chase to make my day!

Elizabeth Kerri Mahon said...

I've been to Somerset House several times since they moved the Cortauld there. Lovely place, I think they also used it when filminig The Duchess.

Isabella Bradford/Susan Holloway Scott said...

I think of Somerset House in Restoration times, as the refuge first of the dowager queen, Henriette Marie, and then for Catherine of Braganza, Charles II's put-upon queen. I can only imagine how happy she was to have such a retreat for escaping from the shenanigans going on at Whitehall Palace.

Chelsea from Miami said...

Miss Chase, I am waiting to buy my copy of LAST NIGHTS SCANDAL from you at the Literacy Signing tomorrow so you can sign it for me in person!

francoise_hardy said...

Somerset House is a lovely spot. Children running through the fountains in the Summer and ice-skating in the Winter. Its nice to have these large courts just off the busy main road. The law temples a bit further down the road have even more of that oasis-of-calm feeling to them.

 
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