With glossy pictures (The Chronicles of Downton Abbey) and sidebar tidbits and "celebrity" quotes (To Marry an English Lord), these books are the US Magazine for Downton fans.
The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era by Jessica Fellowes and Matthew Sturgis, 2012
Although Jessica Fellowes, niece of series founder and writer Julian Fellowes, is shamelessly banking off the success of the show, this book works and is a delightful read. (Unlike the current Countess of Carnavaon's attempt.)Filled with glossy pictures, character summaries, memorable one-liners from the series, and quotes from the actors of the show, this book is a real treat for Downton fan(atics).
Supplementing the character overviews are light historical contexts, as well as photos of artifacts from the 1920s that the characters may have come across.
Although the content and photos are mostly fluff, the book is filled with interesting tidbits and makes for great eye candy.
Filming and Production
The book also includes interesting details on filming and production. For example, to film the posh, serene upstairs scenes, the film crew uses wider lenses and slower tracking.
To film the hectic servants quarters, hand-held cameras are used to reflect the hustle and bustle of the servants who work to create and maintain the serene environment upstairs.
Details in each scene are meticulous, where even the letters that characters use for props are created as if they were from the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. This attention to detail contributes to a quality end product.
For the dining scenes, which are plenty as the aristocracy's day revolved around dining, a meal of 70 servings is prepared for an 18-person dinner party scene so that food remains edible and fresh looking throughout filming.
To Marry an English Lord: Tales of Wealth and Marriage, Sex and Snobbery by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace, 1989
Noted by Julian Fellowes as his inspiration for Downton Abbey, To Marry an English Lord is composed of profiles of American heiresses who traveled to England to seek posh marriages and titles.The book is a fascinating read filled with tidbits and trivia that serve as a knick-knack filled reference guide of the era.
Due to the rigid hierarchical society that was controlled by Mrs. Astor in New York City, many wealthy heiresses who were not permitted into New York City society found that their wealth provided entry into London society.
Due to Prince of Wales Albert Edward's acceptance of these refreshing American women, who entertained and amused the fun-loving Prince, London society was welcoming of these women.
Marriages ensued as English nobility was quickly losing money due to land that was no longer generated enough revenue to finance an aristocracy's lifestyle, much less the upkeep of estates or increasing estate taxes.
The premise of Downton Abbey is based on this exact scenario, where Lord Grantham (based on the 5th Earl of Carnavon) is only able to maintain his estate by his marriage to American heiress Cora.
To Marry an English Lord is a pleasure to read and serves as an entertaining reference guide with photos of the grand and wealthy women and men of the late 1800s and early 1900s, atmospheric details such as diagrams of a typical New York City Washington Square brownstone, and random tidbits such as the fact that women wore gloves so tight that fingernails could be seen.
With profiles peppered with pictures, trivial details, random sidebars, this book succeeds in capturing a unique time in history
The only disappointment is that the photos are in black and white. If the book had been published post-Downton Abbey, the publishers would have surely used color photos, which would add to the essence of the decadence of the aristocracy during the Victorian and Edwardian time.
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