I have been busy working my way through my plethora of vintage tomes aimed at women as I continue research for a new book Dangerous Curves and I came across this description of a practice that used to be known as the "Turning of the Table". It is from page 197 of Emily Post's Etiquette (1960 Funk and Wagnall's, New York) and it goes like this:
"The hostess would turn from the man on her right to the one on her left, and each woman at the table was supposed to notice this and switch at the same time."
Well, clearly something has gone awry in the photo above. Our hostess in the forefront has turned to her right but apparently the signal was missed by the other two female guests who are continuing on in a blatant disregard for the protocol established by the lead woman.
We can be thankful in today's modern world, where women have come such a long way baby, that the demands on a hostess have been scaled back so that she is no longer responsible for the conversationally directional tendencies of her dinner guests.
wow, i would have to sit at the kids table....as i would never figure this one out!!
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