Blue Sheets & Green Blankets

[Latisha]

Ever notice how everyone in Collinsport, past and present, all have blue sheets & green blankets?  In the hospital, the old house, Collinwood, the past.  What's with that!
Latisha

[Linda]

Ever notice how everyone in Collinsport, past and present, all have blue sheets & green blankets?  In the hospital, the old house, Collinwood, the past.  What's with that!
Latisha

I'm not an expert on antique linens, but I'm pretty sure they were white.

Cheers,

Linda

[kuanyin]

They go with the blue candles. (And we know how common THEY were in the 18th century.)

[jennifer]

Big sale at Laceys(no strip malls in Collinsport)

jennifer

[dom]

My theory is that these are remnants of the black and white days of DS. It may have been that white did not film well (too bright) and that they had to use blues to give the illusion of white. The same goes for using different dark hues so that everything didn't look jet black. No proof, just a theory.

For a while during the Adam & Eve story it seemed that very bright yellow was the preferred color for sheets. One practically had to wear sunglasses!

Dom

[Cassandra]

Ever notice how everyone in Collinsport, past and present, all have blue sheets & green blankets?  In the hospital, the old house, Collinwood, the past.  What's with that!
Latisha

LOL!! Maybe they thought this went well with the Green[/b] painted walls that seem to show up alot, especially in hospital rooms.;-)

[Miss_Winthrop]

Someone once mentioned that the blue candles were overstock at Ohrbach's so DC got them real cheap.

[yendor]

Here's the scoop behind the blue sheets! In the late 60's, these colored sheets became all the rage. Up until approximately 1968 (which is considered THE wildest year of the decade, what with two political assassinations, the refusal of LBJ to run for a second term, Nixon's presidency, race riots, Black Panther salutes at the summer Olympics, Viet-nam, and campus unrest), all sheets had been white or off-white. But when 68 rolled around, suddenly we had the option to buy these wonderful colored sheets, and the most popular color was blue!

I know, because my Mom invested heavily in these sheets. In fact, she still might have a few in her linen closet!

Rod

[Raineypark]

I lived through that era too, Rod.....which might explain why every shred of linen in this house (sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers) is as white as a bone.

Some childhood horrors are too hideous to revisit.[sconf]


Raineypark

[Linda]

Here's the scoop behind the blue sheets! In the late 60's, these colored sheets became all the rage.

Colored sheets in the contemporary episodes do reflect what was popular and fashionable at the time, but I'm pretty sure that no one had bright blue sheets in 1897.  Even though the production people seemed cavalier about historical accuracy on a number of points, and DC was reputed to be mindful of his budget, plain old bargain brand white sheets didn't cost that much, and I don't remember him showing more than one unmade bed per scene, anyway.  Also (and Luciaphil could probably verify this one way or the other) I think they would have had quilts on the beds in the 19th century rather than blankets.

It's usually the little things that annoy me because it wouldn't have cost THAT much to get the details right.  Like the hairstyles, for instance, or much of Rachel's wardrobe -- in a real-life turn of the century household, the maid and the governess would have worn their hair pinned back in a simple bun, and even with her strong desire to impress Quentin, I'd love to know how Beth -- who is supposed to be a housemaid, and probably quite busy since she's the only one we ever see -- found the time to do her hair.  

And c'mon...a RED dress on Rachel, when she first comes to Collinwood?  I'm surprised she got to keep the job -- most people would have taken one look at her and figured she didn't have enough sense to teach their children anything worth knowing.  Governesses didn't wear red, and they didn't wear silk.  They wore plain, dull-colored clothes in sturdy materials that would last for awhile, because they didn't make a lot of money.

Cheers,

Linda

[yendor]

Linda, you forgot to mention Beth's eyelashes, which are "out to there!" And what about the TON of make-up all the women wear? Would eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick be appropriate for a "decent" servant "girl" in the late 1800's? I think not!

And I must agree with you about the sheets. Did anyone notice Dirk's moutache? I remember something like that for Halloween, way back when...

Rod

[Gothick]

Those eyelashes are fabou, aren't they Rod?  I just imagine all the ladies crowding into their dressing rooms (I think most of them shared) glueing on their eyelashes every a.m.

The most important thing about Rachel Drummond's wardrobe is that it made KLS look divoon.  Any charter member of the TLATKLS club will tell you that that WAS the rationale behind costuming on the series.

So how many days before Don Briscoe shows up again?

Gothick

[CastleBee]

Even though the production people seemed cavalier about historical accuracy on a number of points, and DC was reputed to be mindful of his budget, plain old bargain brand white sheets didn't cost that much, and I don't remember him showing more than one unmade bed per scene, anyway.

I would also have liked to have seen the more realistic white linens vs light blue or whatever. But, if I remember my tv production courses, I would be willing to bet the choice of colored sheets vs stark white had more to do with video contrast ratios than it did set design choice (as Dom mentioned briefly above). Bringing down the difference between very light and very dark made a much better looking shot. Probably the same thing influenced the choice of candles.

[Luciaphile]

Also (and Luciaphil could probably verify this one way or the other) I think they would have had quilts on the beds in the 19th century rather than blankets.

That I don't know.  The sheets would have been white.  And obviously no polyester blankets, but as to coverlets and quilts . . .  not sure. In the Anne of Green Gables books which take place in the teens of the next century, there are mentions of patchwork quilts being old-fashioned so I don't know.  But I'm assuming coverlets rather than blankets.

It's usually the little things that annoy me because it wouldn't have cost THAT much to get the details right.  Like the hairstyles, for instance, or much of Rachel's wardrobe -- in a real-life turn of the century household, the maid and the governess would have worn their hair pinned back in a simple bun, and even with her strong desire to impress Quentin, I'd love to know how Beth -- who is supposed to be a housemaid, and probably quite busy since she's the only one we ever see -- found the time to do her hair.  

I'm with you on Beth's hair.  That is one serious coiffure.  She would have had to have help getting that done and that's just not a realistic thing.

And c'mon...a RED dress on Rachel, when she first comes to Collinwood?  I'm surprised she got to keep the job -- most people would have taken one look at her and figured she didn't have enough sense to teach their children anything worth knowing.  Governesses didn't wear red, and they didn't wear silk.  They wore plain, dull-colored clothes in sturdy materials that would last for awhile, because they didn't make a lot of money.

They did, but the more I think about it, the more this works for me.  Rachel, let's face it, is none too bright and more than a tad opportunistic.  Given what we know (or will know) of her history, it's not too surprising she decided to go all out and buy pretty, impractical clothes.

What I wonder at is that Edward hired her and that she lasted more than a day at Collinwood

Luciaphil

[jennifer]

.

So how many days before Don Briscoe shows up again?

Gothick

Too many Steve nah i'll count and let you know in am
plus send you that tape haven't forgotten! Thank you also brought a smile on m face on a crappy night

jennifer