In this week's podcast episode, we explore the real-life Newport homes and talk a bit about how the concept of summer came about in the first place. We also go over some of the popular architectural styles of Victorian era homes, and how the Newport cottages took some of the most popular architecture of the time period to the next level, and again, left a lasting impact that we can still see in cities and towns today.

What inspired this episode?

Activities like taking a summer holiday and hosting a laid-back, casual social event in the warmer months are part of the concept of leisure that grew out of the 19th century. Nowadays, we look upon summers of the past with a lot of nostalgia. The romanticism of retreating in summer didn't emerge from nothing, however: in the U.S., the idea of taking a summer vacation began wi ...