Georgian Drawing Room

By the 1780's, Chester was a thriving centre. Brick built Georgian terraces and fashionable villas had replaced the earlier wooden houses. New commercial and public buildings were constructed. The city had a reputation for selling fine luxury goods.

Fashionable society attended balls, dinners, concerts, card-evenings and lectures in the many assembly rooms and hotels within the city. Entertaining guests at home and receiving calls was also an important part of 18^th Century life.

Visitors would be entertained in the drawing room, situated on the first floor. Although panelled for warmth, the room was painted in light colours. Large sash windows filled one wall, draped with brightly coloured patterned silks. Mirrors enhanced the light from candles during the evening.

Furniture was now upholstered and more comfortable compared to the plain wooden furniture of the previous century. This was the period of the great English furniture makers: Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton. It was common practise to arrange items around the walls leaving the centre of the room free.

Guests would be dressed in rich silks and velvets, worn with large hairstyles and wigs. Bright colours were popular for both men and women. By contrast, pale, deathly white faces were very fashionable for ladies. Preparations containing mercury and white lead were applied to the face and neck to achieve a suitably pale look. Many women died young from using these poisonous cosmetics.

Tea was becoming a popular refreshment. It was drunk in the oriental manner, very weak, with no milk, from handleless cups. Tea was very expensive and kept locked away in special caddies. Greedy shopkeepers often added dust and even sheep's dung to make it go further. Tea-leaves were dried out and re-used several times. Old leaves were often given to servants who, in turn, sold them to the poor.