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The British Twist

The British Twist

English women learned of the value of the salons from their French sisters, mainly due to the influence of French war refugees and the overall communication exchange between the countries. By the 18th century, social conditions were ripe for the establishment of salons modeled after the French. Women viewed themselves as important intellectual sources, and began to banish feminine activities, such as playing cards and drinking alcohol, from their drawing room socials. By turning the drawing room into a site of intellectual exchange, these salons and events politicized public space, providing new input in the national discourse. These salons originated from the middle-class assemblies in Britain, and incorporated middle-class values – preferring learning and work to pleasure and frivolity.

The British salon lasted a short time, from 1750 to 1790. The salons, which would come to be known as meetings of the Bluestocking circle, were often hosted by Elizabeth Montagu, Elizabeth Vesey, and Frances Boscawen. Their sprawling and decadent homes became the central point of union and meeting for intellectual and fashionable people in London; by providing a supportive atmosphere for exchange, these salonneires assisted in developing female autonomy from male approval in the public sphere. These meetings took place in private homes, but were public, as events of sociability. The topics discussed - publicity, reason, conversation and gender – were invaluable to the evolution of women’s roles in British culture.