Jo Steer

These gowns were acceptable attire for a private meal at home.

So women could free themselves of the corset for afternoon tea and then continue in comfort for the rest of the day.

In the 1860s, a chain of tea rooms known as the ABC Tea Shop opened in London.

By the early 1920s, there seemed to have been about 250 branches alongside similar establishments across the country.

Many tea rooms were expertly designed and proved popular with female customers.

In Victorian times, they were one of the few places where women could dine in public without a male escort.

Tea rooms provided a safe haven, a place where women could meet and socialize without supervision.

They were one of the few venues in which women might engage in real political discussion.

suffragists and suffragettes began meeting in tea rooms from the late 19th century onwards.

And when women received equal voting rights in 1928, it was a result in part of activism that had first begun as conversations.

Conversations that were often held in tea rooms.

The food offered in such establishments varied from place to place.

In general though, it wasn't dissimilar to the light finger food enjoyed by the Duchess of Bedford.

Many offered a traditional cream tea, sometimes referred to as a Devonshire or Cornish cream tea.

This indulgent treat originates from England's Southwest and became widespread in the 19th century.

A cream tea consists of a freshly baked scone, though you might also know this as a scone.

Britain remains divided as to the correct pronunciation of this delicious treat.

The scone is served with thick clotted cream and a fruit jam.

And of course, it's accompanied by a warm pot of tea.

Afternoon tea was also served not only in tea rooms, but in posh hotels such as the Ritz, which elevated the experience into something more luxurious.