Gilded Age: a Victorian “Violet Tea”

by Nancy Armitage

Let’s start with the Violet flower during the Gilded Age (1880’s-1920’s) in America. The Violet flowers was very popular flower during this time period. People studied the romantic secret language of flowers; violets stood for great everlasting love, faithfulness, & loyalty. When a women received a flower bouquet at that time, violets were often included. As a sweet gesture, violets might be placed on a gift package for a special person. Violets have a lovely sweet scent & in Victorian times they made Violet perfumes, Violet water, Violet Tonic (for lungs), & Violet Soaps. Today one has go to a French store to find these items or go on-line. They also sold Violet liqueurs, Violet candies, & Violet tea blends. Violets could include many different kinds of violets: English, Russian or Palma Violets. BTW, Mrs. Arabella Huntington grew all those violets. Also, pansies, especially purple pansies & Johnny jump ups flowers are very pretty.

What’s a “Violet Tea” event?

In the Gilded Age, especially in the 1890’s, it was very popular event. In creating & hosting these themed “Violet Teas” &/or luncheons. I found many Violet Tea(s) in many American newspapers in 1890’s. Like a “Rose Tea” with a rose theme in the plateware, decorations, & the flowers. In the 1860-1870’s, Violet Teas were very popular in England & France. Then, America following the Violet Tea trend.

In sunny Southern California it is still hot & humid & 80’s-90’s degrees. This would be a fun to host a Violet tea to have today in September of 2025. Make it Iced cold tea with salad and sweets or hot tea.

“Violet Tea” was a fad in America from early 1890’s to 1900’s

The American newspapers described this sweet Violet Tea events as “unique affairs”, or “a pleasant time is anticipated”. The “Violet Tea” was written up in American cities like San Francisco -CA, Hartford – Conn, Lincoln -Nebraska, Jersey City-New Jersey, Portland – Maine, Duluth-Minnesota, New Bern – North Carolina, & Smyrna -Delaware. Themes like a rose petal tea party or a violet tea party were very popular, especially in the early 1890’s . It is a very romantic & lovely notion, that we could recreate today.

They even had songs dedicated to the sweet violet in the Victorian era. Special violet songs they could use for a Violet Tea: Gilhooleys “Violet Tea”, 1882 “Sweet Violets”, in 1879 “With Violets” and 1912 “Only a bunch of Violets” (a waltz).

What is a “Violet Tea”? I think the Violet Tea could be interpreted in several different ways.

1. A host could use lavender/purple as a color theme on her Dining-Room or Tea table. She/He could incorporated a purple damask tablecloth & white damask napkins for drama & contrast with purple/lilac or lavender flowers mixed with white, hot pink & light pink on the table.

2. To decorate your tea table with pretty “Victorian Violet” plates. Violet fine bone china plates were the rage in the Gilded Age; these plates were decorated with bunch(s) of violets around the rim of the plates or floating on the plates. Just look on the Replacements.com website. One could buy a set of 8-12 plates of one of these violet patterns (below). Depending on how many guests the hostess is inviting to her tea party. For a Violet Tea, I would buy salad or dessert plates.

So many porcelain & fine bone china companies took great advantage of this Gilded Age “Victorian Violet” fad. They produced vast amounts & created many different patterns each year – they came out of these “Victorian Violet” plates. French companies like Haviland “Provincial Flowers”, Schleiger by Haviland, & Limoges. Many English companies had Violet plates like Hammersley, Royal Albert, Royal Victoria, Queen Anne, Waverly, Royal Windsor, Royal Chelsea. Other companies like Schumann-Bavaria & Lefton made this Victorian Violet plates, too. American companies like Lenox “Spring Violets” & Homer Laughlin “Pink Violets”.

3. Purple transferware or Lavender transferware plates could be another option to use for a “Violet Tea” party. The color is really pretty. They are fun with purple/lavender & white & scenes printed on them – for great conversation pieces. English companies like Spode, Ironstone, & Royal Staffordshire make these delightful plates. (photo below)

4. A hostess could also pick a fine bone china or porcelain plate that has a solid purple or lavender colored rim. I saw some in Homer Laughlin plates, “Old Paris”, & Nancy Calhoun plates like that.

5. An elegant route for the tea hostess, could be to use gold & white plates: to decorate the tea table. With the violet/lavender purple colors coming from the flowers or napkins. Maybe purple “amethyst”- colored water glasses. Mrs. Arabella Huntington had mass quantities of gold & white plates especially in French Havilland & Limoges.

Purple/Lavender or Violet as a color in your food at your teaparty:

Another way to have a “Violet Tea”, would be to have real Violet Tea (purple-lavender colored tea) in a glass tall pitcher. You can order the violet tea on- line on Amazon. Or make a Earl Grey & Lavender tea & also adding a couple drops of purple food coloring. Also, there are many violet syrups available: Monin Premiun Violet Flavoring, Epicerie de Provence Violette Sirop, or Maison Routiin or Simply.

Also, the host could include foods that are lavender/purple in color: Purple Cabbage Coleslaw with Italian dressing (warning: it might be too messy), French Lavender Macaroons, Petit Fours with Candied violets, or Cold Lavender Lemonade, Shortbread Cookies with Lavender Royal Icing & lavender blossoms sprinkles, Blueberry Cheesecake (the mixture of blueberries & cream cheese makes a beautiful lavender color) .

Foods at the Violet tea: The beverages could be a Sweet Violet Tea, Lavender Tea Blend or Violet colored Lemonade or a Violet Cordial (Monin Violet Syrup (Home Goods) or Epicerie de Provence Violet Syrup). To eat at the tea party, guests could nibble on Violet/pansy & Nasturtium tea sandwiches, nasturtiums are edible flowers that are peppery or spicy. For dessert: Lemon Curd Tartettes with Candied Violets on the top & Violet Bonbons * (Candies), recipe below.

Decorate your tea table with the Color of Violets/Lavender/Purple:

In the 1890’s, some of the “Violet Teas” advertised in the American newspapers were fundraisers. Sometimes, they were meetings or a tea for a church club. Often, the newspapers would description the “Violet Tea” with the flowers (purple, lavender, pink, blue & white), the décor, & a Violet Menu with violet/purple balloons & lavender candies. Even the committee members & important guests were mentioned by name . In 1891, The Woman’s Relief Corps hosted a “Violet Tea” in Hartford – Conn. Sometimes, the Violet Tea(s) were hosted by the Ladies Aid Society.

“Violet Tea” was connected with “At-Home” tea tradition in the evening – Gilded Age 1890’s

Some “Violet Teas” written up in the local American newspapers, were also hosted at people’s homes or mansions. These home “Violet Teas” were usually connected to the Victorian “At-Home” tea gatherings. Sometimes, given in the evening, often on a Friday night. The evening time being from 4-6 pm or 5-7 pm & I’ve seen as late as 6-8pm & later. In 1893, in New Bern -North Carolina, “The Sunbeams” of the Baptist Church will hold a Violet Tea, Friday from 5-10 O’clock .” Gentlemen were also invited to these events.

I saw evidence at these Violet tea parties in Society Columns of the New York Times newspaper in 1904. Foods with violets in Paris, were candies & macaroons. I saw Violet hard small candies in a small tin & violet-colored macaroons in Paris (but usually lavender in flavor). I found a recipe for “Violet BonBons, recipe very popular in 1904” which I will share below. Also, Violet foods in Paris are, “Biscuit de Violetta (Cookie), Violet-Raspberry Green Tea, and Violet Black Tea.

Setting the stage for a Gilded Age “Violet Tea”? Of course, a violet-hued tablecloth or striped violet/lavender with white tablecloth would be so pretty. This tablecloth could be matched with violet, lavender, or white napkins.

Purple – colored plates: Purple transferware or purple/lavender rimmed plates

Royal Staffordshire “Tonquin Plum” purple & white transferware, Purple & white Transferware (Jenny Lind Royal – mountain scene), Violet color scallop plates with a raised scroll in white), Staffordshire transferware “Lavender pastoral estate”, Spode botanical purple & white transferware plate with passion flower in the middle – also called Spode Archive Collection Lilac, and Old Paris plates circa 1914 or earlier (below).

Violet – themed fine bone china plates: Get salad plates perfect for tea!

Most Violet plates: “Imperatrice Eugenie”: 6 Violet plants on the rim of the plate by Haviland (French), Royal Albert vintage violet plates, Spode “Victorian Violets” purple & white with gold edge on a scalloped plate, Royal Stafford “Sweet Violet” purple & periwinkle blue & white, Royal Victoria Lavender/Purple Violet with the images of violets, English Hammersley Victorian violet pattern purple & white with gold, Cunningham & Pickett “Spring Violet” with violets in the middle & ornate filigree of gold on the rim, Royal Violet with bunches of violets & scallop plate with gold edge plates, Vintage Lefton Violet Chintz with gold trip, Royal Albert “purple violet”.

Lavender or “Amethyst” colored glasses:

There are some lovely purple glasses with a amethyst cup & the stem is clear glass. Like tall Estelle colored glass -purple stemware (Amethyst), Godinger Veneto “Amethyst” glasses, L’Objet Prism – 9 oz. wine glasses Purple/lavender.

Violet Bonbons, very popular in 1904 (New York City, NY)

“One of the favorite bonbons [candies] for dinners this winter is an odd but delicious mixture of English walnuts & violets. The walnuts form the interior of the confection, and they are covered with a thick [sugar] paste of violets. They are quite ornamental, very popular, & of course, exceedingly expensive.” Document: New York Times Newspaper February 21, 1904, Society at home and abroad, “5 O’clock Tea” Section Nancy Note: I would just love to find a photo of these. One could iced these little sweet nibbles with Royal Icing. Top with a candied violet.

I used to be a member of the Herb Society of America in Southern California. We collected herb books, & herb recipes; we shared them at our Herb Society meeting at the LA Arboretum in Arcadia, CA. We had cooking demonstrations & wonderful afternoon tea parties. One of our grandest was a Victorian tea party extravaganza: for the public & located in the rose garden & herb garden at the Arboretum in Spring. The herb garden was special because the herb society members had helped created it & maintained it. I remember violet recipes & I remember people saying that violets had a wonderful scent, also. Violets or “Blue Violets” (US) like rose petals are edible flowers, but African violets are not edible. Violets are in bloom in February. There is also delicious sugary candied violets & sugared violets at cooking supply companies or local gourmet or French food stores.

Purple flowers for flower arrangements :

It is fun to purchase small vases from Michaels or Florist shop, tie a purple/lavender thin ribbon around the neck of the vase. Micheals and other stores have great French ribbon and others. Cluster these vases together down your dining-room table with lovely herbs (lavender & rosemary)& flowers like:

Florist flowers or Trader Joe’s Flowers:

Lavender- colored stock, lavender or purple roses, Lilacs, Lavender blossoms, Mexican purple sage (pictured below), or Purple & white orchids could be easily purchased.

In the purple garden:

Violet colored campanula, magenta Buddleia, Purple Petunia, Verbena (lavender and white), Baptisia “Royal candles”, Purple Mexican sage, Catmint (lavender -blue), Geranium, Violet colored Sweet Alyssum, Sweet peas, Speedwell, Allium, Phlow, Agapanthus “Lily of the Nile” Purple, Aconitum, Purple Iris, purple Roses, Lavender colored Aster, lavender colored Wisteria, Delphinium, pansies, Johnny Jump ups, Purple Hydrangea, Lavender, Lilac, Bellflower, Salvia, & Heliotrope,

Purple/Lavender- colored Roses:

I’m a big fun of roses & they are easy to grow in Southern California, if you water & fertilize them once of month. I have noticed over the years of growing roses, that the lavender-colored roses are highly fragrant! Which really thrills me. Not only are they so very beautiful but they smell good, too! A nice plus when you are setting a pretty tablescape for a violet tea party.

“Angel Face” rose (highly citrus-scented with pretty curly ruffled lavender petals)

“Heirloom” rose (lavender/purple highly scented with a sweet rose smell)

“Lavender Crush” rose (purple with white rose, highly scented with citrus)

“Love Potion” rose (lavender in color & highly scented)

“Blue Moon” rose (Bred in France, one of the 1st lavender-blue hybrid roses, offspring of Sterling Silver rose has a lovely intense fragrance)

“Ebb Tide” rose (plum purple soften to lavender color, strong clove & citrus scent)

“Rhapsody in Blue” (highly fragrant, grows in clusters)

“Barbara Streisand” rose (citrus-scent)

“Paradise” rose (Lavender inside petals and hot pink on edge of petals & lovely scent)

“Deep Purple” rose (lavender and magenta color)

“Arctic Blue” (floribunda light pink/ lavender with white reverse, citrus-like scent)

“Intrigue” rose (Lavender color and scented)

“Fragrant Plum” rose (lavender/purple color and strong scent)

“Twilight Zone” rose (Grandiflora 5ft. tall and a strong citrus & clove scent)

“Sterling Silver” rose (silver-lavender color)

What could be on the menu at a Gilded Age “Violet Tea”?

Ideas for Menu for a “Violet Tea“:

Beverages:

Mrs. Huntington’s Purple Grape Punch with Gingerale

Violet tea or Violet tonic (good for the lungs)

Violet & Lavender Tea Blend

Violet Cordial

Violet Cocktail or Martini with Violet or Lavender Syrup (Torani at HomeGoods)

Violet & Lavender Lemonade

Violet Soda Mocktail

Nibbles:

Goat cheese & cream cheese ball with minced herbs, top with fresh violets & minced yellow roses

Tea Sandwiches:

Violet & Nasturtium Sandwiches (Edible flowers)

Cream Cheese & Boysenberry Jam Sandwich

Scones or Buttermilk Biscuits:

Heart-shaped Cream Scones with Lavender-colored Royal icing drizzled on the top

Desserts : Cakes and Cookies:

Lemon Cake with Lavender-Colored Royal Icing

Lemon Cake with Dark Fudge Frosting

Chocolate Cupcakes with Violet colored icing, baked in Violet-colored muffin paper

Lemon Curd Petit Tartelettes with Candied violets

Shortbread Heart-shaped Cookies with Violet-colored royal icing and candied violet on top

Chocolate round cake topped with a candied violet

Mrs. Arabella Huntington’s

Lavender colored Grape Punch with Gingerale (1919)

On a 1919, there was evidence that the Huntington mansion household held tea parties for the holidays. On November-December Huntington NYC invoice, these tea ingredients were listed together: Welch’s syrup & apple cider. These two ingredients with Soda water or gingerale added would have been made delicious & refreshing punch. It was an food invoice from the gourmet market called Park & Tilford, NYC. Also, with the addition of lots of ice would have made a great punch. Iced cubes could be frozen with a small violet or pansy inside would be cute, too. If you added champagne instead of the soda water and/or gingerale, the punch would become a “Champagne Punch”.

1 large punch bowl with punch cups on a silver platter

2 qt. Welch’s grape juice or 1 container of Welch’s grape concentrate (frozen)

1-2 qt. Apple Cider/juice or Martinellis Apple sparkling cider and/or Gingerale

Lots of ice (ice frozen made with violets or pansies)

Recipe: Nancy Armitage

Historical Note: Mrs. Arabella Huntington mansion in NYC had Welch’s grape concentrate (it was in a glass bottle in Victorian times. I can’t even find the grape concentrate on-line. You could use Welch’s frozen concentrate. But Welch’s grape juice will be juice perfect. Also, a company called Burnett’s use to make a Violet syrup (in a clear glass bottle), one could add to the punch.

The Huntington NYC Mansion – 1919 invoice had so many tea items included:

Tea Blends: India tea & Ceylon tea (together make Orange pekoe tea – Arabella’s favorite),

Tea sandwiches or Canapes: using McLarens cheese, Bacon, Sardines, Chicken

Festive Punch: Welch’s grape concentrate & apple cider, ginger ale or Apollinaris water

Fruit or Compotes: dried apricots, bananas, oranges, limes, apples, lemons, & brandied peaches

Tea Cookies: Tea wafers, vanilla wafers (crust for small lemon curd tartlettes with candied violets on top), Loone Doone, Afternoon crackers, French Butter thins,

Scones & Jams: Parks Raspberry Jam & Strawberry Jam with Buttermilk Biscuits or Cream Scones. Document HEH Coll. MS 38/11 (NYHouse bills – No.2 57th NYC Huntington Mansion).

Mrs. Arabella Huntington & the “Violet Tea“

I’m not sure if Mrs. Arabella Huntington hosted a Violet Tea or attended a Violet Tea. It is highly-likely she did in the 1890’s. She adored Violets, & she grew a very large collection of violets at her Throggs Neck estate garden in Westchester Co., NY. She had every kind of violet in her garden & hot house collections: Parma Violets, Russian Violets & English Violets. Her son, Archer M. Huntington & Mrs. Arabella Huntington would joke about her mass quantity of violets & say that Mrs. Huntington could open up a Violet flower farm, she had so many violets. Mrs. Arabella Huntington loved teaparties & “At-Homes” tea gatherings. We know she used Violet bath soaps in No. 2 NYC mansion & at the San Marino Ranch, CA.

Mrs. Arabella Huntington’s Fine Bone China plates with purple/lavender

(San Marino Ranch & other Huntington mansions)

French Haviland (1914) pattern called “Bretagne” was a scallop plate with light green with bunches of pink-lilac blossoms with gold of edge (SMR)

French Haviland “Sweet Pea” pattern (1914) Art nouveau pattern plate with Lavender & green & gold sweet peas color with thick gold rim, (SMR)

French Haviland #H3503 (1914) pattern with scallop plate, blackberries & foliage on plate with gold edge & rim. (SMR)

Schleiger Pattern #374 made by Haviland: maroon & purple flowers & roses & greens. She purchase condiments trays in 1914 at Parmalee Los Angeles, CA (SMR)

Schleiger Pattern #1306 (1914) by Chas. Field Haviland with pink flowers with lavender & green leaves & branches. Mr. & Mrs. H. E. Huntington purchased 10″ rectangle vegetable bowls at Parmalee LA Calif. (SMR)

French “Old Paris” plates with green & white with lilacs & violets “Feuillet porcelain” Lime green ground with gold edge similar to her Sevres French plates. (SMR)

Plates of Mrs. Arabella Huntington with lavender/purple in them

Chelsea bird plates with blue medallions & bees (Lavender & purple) (NYC)

Mauve-Lavender rimmed plate in the middle a illustration of a man sitting & a women handing him a plate. Cabanel, the famous French painter, specially designed these plates for Mrs. Arabella Huntington. (SF) (photo above) 1890’s

Mrs. Arabella Huntington’s Dresden plates with lots of colorful flowers ( lavender & purple) (4 patterns) in SMR & Chateau Beauregard.

Violet Tea Blend or Violet Tonic (Gilded Age recipe)

So Violet Tea is also a cure for bad sore throats & lung problems. This is a strong recipe that can be watered down. Once you add the lemon juice it really turned pinkie-lavender.

1 c. Violet flowers, fresh or dried (no African violets, they are poisonous) or Violet Essential Oil (edible & alcohol free) just a couple of drops will do

2-3 C. boiling water

1/2 lemon

drizzle of honey, I love lavender honey (Holy Honey brand or French brands)

In a French coffee press, add the violets. Pour over the boiling water. Add juice of 1/2 lemon & drizzle in your favorite honey. Recipe: Nancy Armitage

Lemon Tea Cake with Lavender-colored Royal Icing

It was a delicious moist tea cake.

Cake:
1 Duncan Hines Lemon cake mix (Perfectly Moist Lemon Supreme)

3 eggs

1 c. 1/2 & 1/2

1/2 c. coconut oil

Preheat 350 the oven. In a medium size bowl, add cake mix and egg and stir, add 1/2 & 1/2 & coconut oil & stir or blend until smooth. I used 2 pans, 7″x7″ square pan, cook 25-26 mins. I iced the cake with Pillsbury supreme Chocolate Fudge Frosting. I also used another pan-a small rectangular pan (Cook for 20-21 mins.) that I used the Lavender Royal Icing. Check if the cakes are cooked – when a skewer comes clean. Place the cake on a cake plate. If glass pan, just frost & serve right inside that glass pan. Recipe: Nancy Armitage

Lavender-Colored Royal Icing:

I thought the Torani Lavender syrup would give me a bright lavender color, & an elevated taste of lavender – it did not, it let me down. When I added more lavender syrup, I made the Royal Icing too thin. So the Royal Icing was just the lightest shade of lavender color – so I suggest using some food coloring (Blue & red makes purple). Use a couple of drops at a time, stir, & see if you like the color. One could use a couple drops of Lavender essential oil too; for more intense lavender flavor, a drop at time.

1 3/4 c. Powdered sugar

2 T. Torani Lavender syrup (sugar- free) at Home Goods

2 squeezes from 1/2 lemon

blue & red food coloring to make purple (do just a few drops at a time)

In a small bowl, add powdered sugar, add the lavender syrup, lemon juice & a few equal drops of red and blue food coloring to make lavender/purple. When the cake is cooled, drizzle royal icing on the cake. I had used a glass purex dish & iced it right in the pan. Recipes by Nancy Armitage