PODCAST · arts

Tea Drinking In 18th-Century America: Its Etiquette And Equipage

by Rodris Roth

The title of this 1961 Smithsonian Institution bulletin says it all. “In 18th-century America, the pleasant practice of taking tea at home was an established social custom with a recognized code of manners and distinctive furnishings. Pride was taken in a correct and fashionable tea table whose equipage included much more than teapot, cups, and saucers. It was usually the duty of the mistress to make and pour the tea; and it was the duty of the guests to be adept at handling a teacup and saucer and to provide social ‘chitchat.’” The author was assistant curator of cultural history in the United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution. The printed version has numerous interesting pictures and illustrations as well as informative end notes. - Summary by Author's Introduction and david waltes