Downton Abbey

American History Hit

History Hit

America, History

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 29 December 2022

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It’s December 1912 and we’re joining in with the festivities at Highclere Castle, in London England. The prime minister is Herbert H. Asquith and King George V is on the throne. Across the Atlantic, America has left the Gilded Age behind and elected Woodrow Wilson as president.

Downton Abbey, the hugely popular television series, was filmed at Highclere Castle. The show is of course fiction, but it’s set in a home where the history is real, and no doubt the food was delicious…that is, if you like meat pies and blood pudding. Today, for a special festive episode, we’re looking at history through the lens of food served at Downton Abbey - and what it can tell us about how people lived at that time.

How did British early 20th century eating influence dining in America? And did it go both ways, how were the Brits influenced by what we were cooking here in the US? Don is joined by food historian Annie Gray to tell us more.

Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Anisha Deva. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	It's December.
0:04.7	December.
0:05.7	The year is 1912.
0:07.7	We're joining in the festivities at High Clear Castle, a huge majestic manor house on a 5,000 acre estate just a few hours west of London, England.
0:17.0	We're dining tonight with Lord and Lady Carnarvon.
0:20.0	The sumptuous room is warmly lit.
0:22.0	A crackling fire blazes in the hearth. Large portraits hang from the walls.
0:27.2	The first course, served by uniformed footmen, is a choice of soup followed by some whitefish.
0:33.0	We settle in.
0:34.0	This is only the first of seven courses to come.
0:37.6	Chatter around the table ranges from society gossip to geopolitical tensions.
0:42.1	After all, we're only two years out from Britain's entrance
0:45.3	into World War I when a section of this castle
0:48.0	will be transformed into a makeshift hospital
0:50.1	for wounded soldiers.
0:51.5	The Prime Minister is Herbert H. Asquith, and King George the 5th is on the throne.
0:56.5	Across the Atlantic, America has left the Gilded Age behind and elected Woodrow Wilson as president.
1:02.8	In this more gracious era of manners and etiquette,
1:05.5	defined by aristocratic tradition,
1:07.9	the customs of dining exerted enormous influence
1:11.1	on affairs of home and state. In this rarefied realm how did the Brits
1:15.4	influence what happened in the US and did it go both ways?
	...

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