Victorian Bournemouth (227) has delved into the contributions of its members to the Cage Bird Association, shedding light on their social standing. The study reveals that a group of working individuals formed the club’s backbone, some of whom may have cultivated friendships and connections beyond its confines. In particular, the involvement of both a coachman and his employer (a wealthy physician) suggests that a shared love for birds transcended social boundaries.
Victorian Bournemouth (226) has speculated on how experienced men, although designated as servants, guided respectable and privileged people in making decisions about the chrysanthemum show’s management. To explain how this may have succeeded, it offered, as an analogy, how the army’s non-commissioned and commissioned officers made shared decisions. Relevant experience overcame the need for deference and induced mutual respect. Victorian masters referred to their servants by surname alone. In contrast, the speeches congratulating James Spong’s organisational efforts used the title ‘Mr’.
Victorian Bournemouth (225) has explored wider social and symbolic factors associated with the resort’s chrysanthemum show. The society encouraged the idea that cultivating chrysanthemums, as well as fruit and vegetables, might engender moral improvement amongst the labouring sector of society. Horticulture offered additional support or, even, an alternative to Temperance, as a mechanism of social control.
Victorian Bournemouth (224) examined the resort’s Horticultural and Chrysanthemum Society, tracing its development and social impact. An annual Chrysanthemum Show provided the society’s focus. The society served as a networking hub for the privileged but also helped working people, or ‘cottagers,’ improve their lives by growing vegetables.