Silver Bells and Oyster Shells

ormal dining in Victorian-era America was not for the faint of heart. Lavish affairs that often entailed ten to twelve courses, nineteenth-century dinners were veritable feasts ranging from soup to nuts and could include such delicacies as turtle soup, saddle of lamb, canvasback duck, and sherbet to cleanse the palate. Adding to the complexity of these dinners was the prevailing fashion for elaborate table and place settings consisting of pieces