Downton Abbey vs Jane Austen
While working on the Doctor Who vs British Lit project I realised the Jane Austen quote worked, in all likelihood, even better for Downton Abbey.
Historically speaking, in the late 19th century (and part of the early 20th), the Brits were marrying the pretty American girls for their money, and the pretty American girls were marrying the Brits for their titles. The Americans were called "buccaneers", and most of them were the daughters of the American "nouveau riche", who, while splendidly educated and very beautiful, couldn't quite cut it in the already established American "aristocracy". Meanwhile, the British landowners were losing money and their estates, so it seemed like a match made in heaven: American money in exchange for a title.
The profiles used in the design are the actual profiles of Lord and Lady Grantham, wonderfully portrayed by Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern.
The designs are available on Redbubble as a prints, t-shirts, and various other bits and bobs.
