Class Description
Beneath the rigid corsets and calling cards of Victorian Society lay a hidden world of whispered desires and coded messages—all expressed through the silent poetry of flowers. From medieval herb bundles to ward off disease to intricate tussie mussies exchanged in drawing rooms and garden paths, Victorians developed an entire vocabulary of blooms to say what strict social etiquette forbade. This class unravels the fragrant secrets of floriography: how a rose colour, an imported rhododendron, or a dyed flower could carry declarations of love, warnings of imminent danger, or even political rebellion.
Emi Higashiyama is a historian and freelance writer with focus on the intersection of architecture and identity. She has been a contributor to the Urban History Association's blog, The Metropole, and its journal, the Journal of Urban History.
All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.
What to Expect
Format: Virtual
Class Capacity: 30
Class Style: Lecture or presentation; option for questions
Materials List
No Required Materials
A Brief Syllabus
- Origins and the Language Takes Root
- From the Parlor to the World Stage
Cost and Registration
2 Sessions, $55 ($49.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($55), Community Supported ($50), and Sponsor ($60). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
Having trouble signing up? Take a look at our step-by-step guide to registration by clicking here.
RegisterThe views and opinions expressed in this class and/or by the instructor are not necessarily representative of the Newberry. We aim to ensure that in our classes, participants can have respectful disagreement to foster critical thinking. This is a space to challenge and expand our own worldviews to work towards better understanding and appreciating humanity.
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