Furnishing the 18th Century is a collection of original essays that delves into the history of furniture, examining every day items such as tea tables, jewelry boxes, dressers and sofas to uncover the social practices of the 18th century, including tea drinking, gambling, prostitution, conversation, and letter writing, both in Europe and in the colonies. The essays take serious consideration of what the furniture of one's house has to say about 18th century taste, social hierarchies, consumerism, gender, and even sex.