It was during the 18th century that the rituals of tea drinking were established. William Hogarth’s famous conservation pieces, recording upper middle-class life, often focused on tea drinking. In the Victorian era it was J.J. Tissot who captured the nuances of taking tea.

The cafe boom of the late 19th century resulted in Miss Cranston’s famous tearooms in Glasgow, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. All the large department stores had tearooms.

At seaside resorts one enjoyed the tea-dance, while the great transatlantic passenger liners were floating palaces on which everything stopped for tea at 4pm.

During the twenties and thirties taking tea in style was a way of life. After a hard day shopping nothing was nicer than the relaxing atmosphere of a Lyons Café.

This lecture combines social history with fashion and interior decorating. A wonderful selection of images will demonstrate the elegance of taking tea from the 18th century to the 1950s. Please bring any tea related items with you!