Every few years, pineapples come back into fashion. There are pineapple printed tote bags, tumblers, dresses, pillows- you name it, it has pineapples on it. As The Devil Wears Prada explains, someone somewhere decides they are “in”. (And then we move onto banana leaves or whatever is next…) But when did pineapples come into fashion in the West? And why were they so popular? We are going to be peaking into the Regency period and the world of Jane Austen today. Let’s get to pineapples in the Regency and how it ended up a status symbol!
Pineapples and Sanditon
If you have watched Sanditon this year, you will be vaguely familiar with the Regency pineapple. And if you missed, I will set the scene! We have a Regency luncheon, where everyone is eating their meal while an exotic pineapple sits as a centrepiece in the middle of the table. Lady Denham, the hostess, grills Miss Lambe, a Black heiress from the West Indies. After everyone watches Miss Lambe fend off Lady Denham and her overt racism, Arthur Parker decides to cut the pineapple and give a piece to Miss Lambe. Lady Denham shouts he should stop but not in time. He cuts it open… to find it rotting with maggots. (A metaphor for her company, perhaps?)
Pineapples in the Regency Period
So, why a pineapple? Obviously, it is difficult to grow a pineapple in England- the growing season isn’t long enough or hot enough. Although pineapples originated in South America, essentially all of the Western imperialist nations started growing them in their colonies. Hotter climates and slave labour meant that they could grow and harvest pretty much anything. They were then imported to the European nations. By the time they reached England, the inside could very well be rotten. In spite of being rotten, people would pay a premium price to have one in their home, to show their social status. And this continued for nearly two centuries. They were prized to the point that country houses actually had pineapples carved into them.
Pineapples in the Regency- did you know it was the “in” thing?
Cheers,
The Historian
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