The Sycamores

In Amy Levy’s The Romance of a Shop, The Sycamores is the name of Sidney Darrell’s studio in St. John’s Wood. Though the name of the studio is not traceable—it is likely fictional—St. John’s Wood  was a wealthier area. The majority of St. John’s Wood was primarily upper and middle class (Charles Booth). Considering that Sidney Darrell is of a higher class, it makes sense to place his studio in this area. The Sycamores is mentioned and visited several times throughout the novel, and is even important enough to be the title of an entire chapter. The first time this place is visited, Gertrude is going to photograph one of Darrell’s paintings. The place is described as “fitted up with all the chaotic splendour which distinguishes the studio of the modern fashionable artist; the spoils of many climes, fruits of many wanderings, being heaped, with more regard to picturesqueness than fitness, in every available nook” (Levy 72). This description emphasizes the social class of Darrell, as well as the difference between his and Gertrude’s classes. The fact that Gertrude explains this place as being so grand and the fact that “she only carried away a prevailing impression of tiger-skins and Venetian lanterns” reveals her lower class. She is not accustomed to the expensive tastes of the high class.

The next important and lengthy mention of the Sycamores is in the chapter titled “The Sycamores.” In this chapter, Gertrude and Lord Watergate go seeking Phyllis, who has decided to run away with Darrell and marry him. At The Sycamores, Phyllis has evolved into a whole new person. This transformation is perceived because of the expensive clothing and makeup that she wears: “a beautiful wanton in a loose, trailing garment, shimmering, wonderful, white and lustrous as a pearl … her brown hair turned to gold in the light … with diamonds on her slender fingers” (Levy 146). She has been removed from her modest surroundings and has become immersed in high class life. This strongly emphasizes the theme of social class because it shows how intensely one’s image can change by assuming the wardrobe of high class. Though Phyllis is still the same class she was before, she is seen as more beautiful and glorious because of the clothing she is wearing.

Pall Mall

In the book Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, there are many themes and symbolic representations of what Victorian culture was like, and it shows the connection between Dorian Gray’s prestige and  rich lifestyle and how the west end of London connects to the theme of aestheticism and elegant attributes of English life. these connections thus reveal how Victorian society will influence people among its culture and that is evident through Dorian Gray’s novel.

One street in particular that is evident is Pall Mall street (although only mentioned once) is a street in London that is thought to be a street where many tourist attractions and mall settings reside. The rich mainly shop there as different types of elegant jewelry, herbs, expensive clothes, and other wealthy materialistic things are. In the novel, Dorian is at this point reading the yellow book that he gets from Lord Henry and the book negatively influences him as it warps his image of reality and the essence of beauty and ugliness; thus showing the contrast and connection between Dorian’s outer beauty and inner ugliness. The novel reads ” His mode of dressing, and the particular styles that from time to time he affected, had their marked influence on the young exquisites of the Mayfair balls and Pall Mall club windows, who copied him in everything that he did, and tried to reproduce the accidental charm of his graceful, though to him only half-serious fopperies” (chapter XI). This shows the importance that fashion was to Dorian and how the yellow book and Lord Henry’s influence has destroyed the innocence that Dorian Gray holds and is slowly losing touch with reality. This is clear by the end of the novel when Dorian kills himself by slashing the old rendition of his painting, but his body revealed his heart, which was his own image, as young and beautiful as Dorian wanted, and ironically, the reality that is Dorian Gray ended up being old and decrepit.

In the Old Bailey online Archive and the Charles Booth Poverty Map, there are many accounts of murder and petty larceny along this street; predominantly because it is a commercial district, there are bound to be people who steal things from different businesses. However, many of the people on this street are rich or of middle class, while there are accounts of poor people on the margin of the street. Therefore, many of the poor people would be liable for such assumptions in case a wealthier person happens to accuse them of a crime.

These archives show the relationship between the societal class distinctions and the hierarchy to which many citizens  are subjugated.  Dorian Gray is a rich and beautiful man who is influenced by his peers and by society itself into being what Victorian society feels is “valuable”. This connection can be seen on Pall Mall as the elegant lifestyle has corrupted Dorian thus turning him, ironically, ugly. This then shows the connection between the superficial aesthetic properties of the west rich lifestyle and how they are less “glamorous” as they seem.

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Works cited:

“Booth Poverty Map & Modern Map (Charles Booth Online Archive).” Booth Poverty Map & Modern Map (Charles Booth Online Archive). N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2015.

“The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891)/Chapter 11.” – Wikisource, the Free Online Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2015.

“The Proceedings of the Old Bailey.” Browse. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2015.

Marylebone Church

In Amy Levy’s The Romance of a Shop, Marylebone Church is only mentioned once: “Fanny was quietly married at Marylebone Church” (129). The location of this church emphasizes the idea of social class. The surrounding area primarily consisted of a number of homes ranging from middle-class to poor (Charles Booth). There is a distinct boundary along Devonshire Place—a road not far away—that marks the beginning of upper class society. The fact that higher classes are concentrated within a separate, distinct area suggests that this church was typically frequented by lower to middle class Londoners. Though the upper class homes are nearby, the church was surrounded by middle to lower class. These people were more likely to be the ones who went there. The upper class would have gone to a church within a wealthy neighborhood. The theme of class is also suggested in the text by the fact that Fanny would have preferred to have a better wedding: “She would have dearly liked a ‘white wedding’; and sisters would suggest what she dared not … Truth to tell so an idea never entered the heads of those practical young women; and poor Fanny went soberly to the altar in a dark green travelling dress, which was becoming if not festive” (Levy 129). If Fanny or Edward Marsh, her groom, had been wealthier, they would have been able to have a white wedding in a prestigious church. Instead, Fanny must wear a plain, presumably cheap dress, and marry in an affordable church. Her sisters do not suggest a more expensive, white wedding because they are not of a high class and have other, more practical, things to think about. Someone like Constance Devonshire would likely marry in a more luxurious, class appropriate place. Having Fanny marry in this church fits with the theme of social class that is woven throughout the novel. Throughout the novel is clear that there are distinct places that certain classes are expected to go, and certain rules that they should abide by. It makes sense to have this family in this church because it is in an area that someone of their social class could afford. Franny being able to marry in a better church would not have been realistic or logical.

Baker Street Station

Present in Amy Levy’s The Romance of a Shop for only a brief period of time, Baker Street Station is where the Lorimer sisters part after a day spent shopping and walking around in the area of Baker Street. Phyllis in particular actually goes underground into the station, while Gertrude boards an omnibus above ground outside of the Station. (pg. 80) In reality, the Baker Street tube station is one of the oldest surviving stations in the London Underground, and still transports people to this day. Baker Street Station, because of its proximity to the famed 221b Baker Street of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series, is also currently decorated with Sherlock Holmes artwork, to celebrate the area’s perhaps most famed (although fictional) resident.

According to the Charles Booth Poverty Map, the area of Baker Street Station is colored red, meaning the area is mostly middle-class, which makes sense as tourist attractions such as Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum are located nearby. However, on the 1898-99 map, it’s interesting to note that there is also a spot of dark blue, where Booth has it marked as “very poor, chronic want.” The area over which this poverty lies is marked as St. Cyprian’s Church, which makes me think the church may have been housing destitute and/or homeless individuals out of charity, and it is possible the church could certainly afford to do so because of the middle-class area it is located in.

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On the Old Bailey Proceedings website, Baker Street Station, while seemingly in a well-to-do area, also seems like a prime spot for thievery to occur. A man was pick-pocketed of his watch outside Baker Street Station, but this seems to be the most intense crime that took place at the station. To add to Baker Street Station’s reputation of being in a well-to-do area, the alleged pick-pocketer was later declared “Not guilty.”

WORKS CITED

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 7.2, 10 December 2015), August 1886, trial of IKE KENNEDY (70) (t18860803-848).

Pinchen, Liz. “Sherlock Holmes Tiles At Baker Street Tube Station.” Fine Art America. 20 Mar. 2011. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Booth, Charles. “Baker Street Station.” Charles Booth Online Archive. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Levy, Amy. The Romance of a Shop. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview, 2006. Print.

“Prime Metro Properties.” The History Of Baker Street. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://www.primemetro.co.uk/Content/About-Prime-Metro/The-History-Of-Baker-Street-.aspx>.

The Albany (in Piccadilly)

The Albany in Piccadilly

The Albany in Piccadilly Circus is an apartment complex built in the late eighteenth century.  The Albany appears in chapter three of The Picture of Dorian Gray, when Lord Henry goes to visit his uncle who resides there.  The Albany was intended to house bachelors, which is fitting of Wilde’s description of Lord Fermor as “a somewhat rough mannered old bachelor” (Wilde), and it had its fair share of famous residents both real and fictiona (Victorian Web)l.  The Albany serves as the backdrop for when Lord Fermor tells Lord Henry about Dorian’s family tree.  Fermor reveals that Dorian came from a wealthy lineage, and his grandfather presumably left him a large sum of money.  He also talks about how Dorian’s beautiful, wealthy mother married a poor man, who died shortly after they wed.  He said Dorian’s mother was a well-liked woman amongst elite social circles, and she had her fair share of potential suitors.  It was a shock for her to marry someone so poor.

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One of the most suiting features of placing this scene in the Albany is that it is home to a large community of bachelors.  Fermor is mostly telling the story of Dorian’s mother when she was a young bachelorette.  It is likely that many men who were residents of the Albany were potential suitors for her.  The other aspect that is interesting are the crimes that The Old Bailey has reported involving the Albany.  They are almost all acts of theft.  This may be an echoing of how Dorian’s father was murdered.  Just as many people have personal items taken, Dorian’s father had his life taken from him.  This is also similar to how Dorian’s soul has been stolen into the portrait of himself.  The Albany represents the luxury of single-life, but it also shows the darker side where things are simply taken without any meaning.

 

Works Cited

“Albany, Piccadilly, London.” Albany, Piccadilly, London. Victorian Web. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.

Booth, Charles. “Booth Poverty Map & Modern Map (Charles Booth Online Archive).” Booth Poverty Map & Modern Map (Charles Booth Online Archive). LSE Library. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.

“The Proceedings of the Old Bailey.” London History. Old Bailey Online. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New ed. Wikisource, 1891. Print.

Mayfair

Mayfair

 

Mayfair is a large wealthy neighborhood in London.  According to the Charles Booth Online Archive, it was occupied almost exclusively by the wealthy, with only a handful of those that were not as well off.  Today, it is much more business oriented and less residential, as opposed to the Victorian era.  In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Lord Henry has a home in Mayfair.  It is here that Dorian first tells Lord Henry of his love of Sibyl Vane.

 

Prior to Lord Henry’s arrival, Dorian converses with Henry’s wife mostly about music.  Dorian declares his love of the young actress Sibyl Vane once Lord Henry arrives.  He tells Lord Henry of the young lady he found performing in a cheap theatre.  The conversation taking place in Mayfair may have a plethora of different meanings.  One may be contrasting the high-end wealth of Mayfair residents with the found love in a lower-end theatre.  This contrast may be foreshadowing to Sibyl’s impending suicide to hint at the fact that she does not belong in Dorian’s company without her interest in theatre.

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More optimistically, this contrast may be showing how this high-end, aesthetic lifestyle is not more important than that of a lower class citizen.  Sibyl is one of the more admirable characters in the novel, and this perhaps shows that the poor may be more likeable than the likes of Dorian.  This contrast may also show that there can be beautiful people, ideas and objects found in places that are not as nice or as a wealthy area like Mayfair.  Mayfair merely serves as an echo and a backdrop for the lifestyles that aesthetes like Dorian Gray or Lord Henry to demonstrate the aesthetic lifestyle they lead, and it serves as a contrast for the lifestyle someone like Sibyl Vane is used to.

 

Works Cited

Booth, Charles. “Booth Poverty Map & Modern Map (Charles Booth Online Archive).” Booth Poverty Map & Modern Map (Charles Booth Online Archive). LSE Library. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.

“The Proceedings of the Old Bailey.” London History. Old Bailey Online. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New ed. Wikisource, 1891. Print.

 

Royal Academy of Arts

The Royal Academy of Arts is an artistic institution based in Piccadilli London. It is mentioned briefly in The Romance of a Shop chapter IX. The significance of this institution is to display the artistic society the Lorimer sisters find themselves associating with. In chapter IX, the sisters attend a party at Frank Jermyn’s house to celebrate Mr. Oakley’s paintings being accepted into the Academy. Their photography shop, on Bakers Street, has integrated them into a society of artists.  This integration of owners of a photograph studio into an artistic circle blurs the boundary of art and life. Photographs, at this time, were not fully considered works of artistic creation, and by including the Lorimer sisters with the artist Mr. Oakley Levy seems to be stating that photography is an artistic pursuit. Levy seems to be saying that the real life events captured in photographs are equal to paintings created by artists such as Mr. Oakley. Levy also made these declarations, about life and art, in a book; books are another form of artistic creation. The major relevance of the Royal Academy of Arts, in the book, is to blur people’s notion of what is art. Photography was seen as a hobby, not as a viable artistic form. The Lorimer sisters struggle to maintain afloat constantly taking a number of strange jobs in order to make money. Mr. Oakley is described as a mediocre painter, but he is still celebrated as a member of the Royal Academy. The difference between the two art forms can be seen in the juxtaposition of these two artists. The Lormiers are exceptional photographers, but they are not respected as members of the artistic circle because they take photographs. Mr. Oakley has not produced any type of exceptional painting in years, but he is still considered a great artist due to his profession and position in artistic circles. The Royal Academy of Arts displays the unfair representation of artistic talents in the Victorian Age.        

Lancaster Gate

Lancaster Gate, according to the Charles Booth, is mostly composed of people from upper middle and upper classes. The area has many mansions, such as “Bayswater House, an isolated mansion in the Bayswater Road, between Lancaster Gate and Orme Square.”  Aside from having mansions, Kensington Gardens is located right across from Lancaster Gate (Nothing Hill and Bayswater).

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Bayswater House was not the only mansion around the area. Since Lancaster Gate is across the street from Kensington Gardens, Kensington Palace is also located around the area. To get a better understanding of the wealth of the people, Queen Elizabeth was born here (The Victorian Web).

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Due to the lavish lifestyles around the area, there are very few crimes reported according to the Old Bailey. One big crime that appeared was of Charles Lord Mohun, a man who died during a duel and was killed by John Hamilton.

In Romance of a Shop, Aunt Pratt lives in Lancaster Gate. Aunt Pratt is described as belonging “to that mischievous class of the community whose will and energy are very far ahead of their intellect and perceptions. She had a vulgar soul and a narrow mind, and unbounded confidence in her own judgments” (Levy Chapter 2). Aunt Pratt does not approve of the Lorimer’s sister photography shop. Aunt Pratt cares more about social appearances and looking like a proper woman, she even tells Gertrude “that now, of all times, you must be careful in your conduct; and among other things, you can none of you afford to be seen looking shabby” (Levy Chapter 3).

It is no surprise that out of all the sisters, Fanny, is the one who lives with her. Fanny, just like Pratt, is not very interested in running a photography studio. Her sisters assigned her the simplest job, a house keeper, due to her lack of interest. Both Fanny and Aunt Pratt are much more interested in living a lavish lifestyle and getting things easily, much like the people who lived in Lancaster Gate.

Work Cited

  • Levy, Amy (2014-05-21). The Romance of a Shop (Black Heath Victorian Bookshelf) (Kindle Locations 400-403). Black Heath Editions. Kindle Edition.
  • Walford, Edward. ‘Notting Hill and Bayswater.’ Old and New London: Volume 5. London: Cassell, Petter & Galpin, 1878. 177-188. British History Online. Web. 8 December 2015. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol5/pp177-188.
  • “The Proceedings of the Old Bailey.” Browse. N.p., Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
  • “Walking toward the Long Water. Kensington Gardens, London.” Walking toward the Long Water. Kensington Gardens, London. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

 

Harley Street

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In Romance of A Shop, Harley Street is only mentioned once, in passing. “‘There is a light in Frank Jermyn’s window- the top one,’ she cried; “I suppose he is dressing. He told me he had an early dance in Harley Street. I wish I were going to a dance.” Phyllis observes this as she is looking out the window. Before I go into the details of Harley Street, I’ll examine the quotation, by giving the context that it was mentioned it. In the beginning of the chapter, Frank Jermyn had stopped by, and left abruptly after Lucy asked if she could invite Fred Devonshire, who later proposes to her. At this stage of the book Frank could have seen Fred as a romantic opponent, as he leaves somewhat upset after hearing that Lucy wants Fred to accompany them. The other Lorimer sisters probably have some suspicion of Frank’s feelings for Lucy, and so when Phyllis mentions that Frank is going to a dance, I think it was her way of trying to see if Lucy had feelings for Frank in return. After she says the above quotation, she is described as giving Lucy a mischievous look. That mischievous look made me wonder if Frank is actually going to a dance there, and if Phyllis is instead trying to provoke Lucy. Nonetheless, Frank could actually be going to a dance on Harley Street, as it was a very wealthy area.

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The sisters also briefly discuss how he will get to Harley Street. It seems as if it’s a very long walk, and they mention that he loves to take the omnibus. This brings up one of the themes of the Victorian era, transportation. Here, Frank Jermyn is also embodying this theme for the Lorimer sisters. Transportation serves the purpose of moving a person from an origin point to a destination. Frank takes the sisters from the point of being unknown, to being very successful. Another theme that comes up with Harley street is the theme of social classes. Although Frank Jermyn and the Lorimers are not very wealthy, they are not poor. Being part of the working class, each one has also given up their true dreams to do what will aid them in their survival. Harley Street, as previously mentioned, was a very wealthy area. Frank is not just going to Harley Street, but he is also moving from their mixed and middle class area to a much wealthier area. This may represent the ambitions of Londoners of the time, to work themselves out of their homes and into wealthier areas. Harley Street, besides being a wealthy area, was also the home to Queen’s College School. Founded by Frederik Denison Maurice and his colleagues in 1848, it was an all girls school. Presently and historically, Harley Street is the location of many medical offices, making it a professional area.

 

“Booth Poverty Map & Modern Map (Charles Booth Online Archive).” Booth Poverty Map & Modern Map (Charles Booth Online Archive). N.p., n.d. Web.

Levy, Amy. The Romance of a Shop. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview, 2006. Print.

“Queen’s College and the “Ladies’ College”” Victorian Web. Ed. Jacqueline Banerjee. N.p., 14 June 2007. Web.

Praed Street Station

Praed Street Station (Paddington Station) is a metro station located in the City of Westminster. It is a relevant location in a number of ways. It is a railroad station, and stations were a point of departure. This could be representing the point, in the narrative, where Gertrude, Lucy, and Phillis are all departing from their previous ways of life, never to return. Lucy, at this point, believes that Frank is dead, and she has gone to Cornwall to visit his parents. She has come to accept that Frank has died, and is seeking closure to the situation. Gertrude has dropped Lucy off at the Station, and returns to the apartment to find two things: Phillis’ note, and Lord Watergate. These two set off a chain reaction that send Gertrude down a certain path. Lord Watergate eventually marries Gertrude, and Phillis’ letter sends them on a rescue mission. Phillis has set herself to marry Mr. Darrell, and go with him to Italy. This course of events eventually lead to Phyllis’ death. The symbolism of the Station is that it is the starting point for the women’s separate journeys into the unknown. Gertrude’s journey leads her to discover more about both herself, and life in general. Lucy struggles to find peace in lieu of her dead fiancee, and when he returns finds the joy of married life and love. Phillis journeys into the unknown darkness that every human being must eventually face. These separate journeys all depart form the same train station, and they all steam out in differing directions. Sadness, joy, and uncertainty are normal characteristics of the start of new journeys, and these three sisters become symbolic of these three emotions.