Gilded Age Etiquette in Shops Abroad

I was somewhat humiliated to be told: “The English ist sehr gut-but ihr Deutsch-ach! Kann ich nicht versteen!” … “The English is very good-but her German-oh! I can't understand!” – Above, image of women buying perfumes in 1905, from Instagram 

The civility of the tradespeople seems to be genuine, and for that reason it comes with refreshing effect after the superficial polish of the Parisian and the brutal etiquette of the Cockney. 

When you enter a German shop you are expected to remove your hat and gloves and greet the shopkeeper politely; you do not replace your hat till you are ready to depart, and then you bid the shopkeeper adieu. These people are awfully in earnest. 

The wit of the Scotchman compared with the wit of the average German is as a cambric needle to a bung. Wishing to get my idea of how I wanted an overcoat made a tailor asked me: “Shall I mage ut like dot goat you haf on?” “Like this one? No, sir!” I cried in horror. “There’s no such thing as fit about this coat - why, it was shot on to me in London.” “Zhot on to you?” exclaimed the tailor in honest amazement. “So-o-o?”

In another shop I was somewhat humiliated to be told: "The English ist sehr gut-but ihr Deutsch-ach! Kann ich nicht verstehen!" -Eugene Field in Chicago News, 1891

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia