Record Number: 20889

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'In front of the fire, the little plump cook read the evening paper aloud to the housemaid. "'The Queen is now asleep,'" she quoted in sepulchral tones, while I, absorbed with my crayons, reamined busily unaware that so much more than a reign was ending, and that the long age of effulgent prosperity into which I had been born was to break up in thirteen years' time with an explosion which would reverberate through my personal life to the end of my days.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 21 Jan 1901 and 31 Jan 1901

Country:

England

Time

afternoon: 'a grey January afternoon'

Place:

city: Macclesfield
county: Cheshire
location in dwelling: kitchen

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

anon [a cook]

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Servant

Occupation:

cook

Religion:

unknown

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

The housemaid and Vera Brittain

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Title:

evening paper

Genre:

Politics, Ephemera

Form of Text:

Print: Newspaper

Publication Details

January 1901

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

20889

Source:

Print

Author:

Vera Brittain

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Testament of Youth

Place of Publication:

Great Britain

Date of Publication:

1978

Vol:

n/a

Page:

22

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Vera Brittain, Testament of Youth (Great Britain, 1978), p. 22, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=20889, accessed: 02 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

The cook is reading a newspaper report about the death of Queen Victoria.