The Devonshire House Circle (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Devonshire House in Piccadilly, London, was the center of the universe for entertainment, culture, fashion, and politics. This period of English history, captured in this 1916 work, boasts a cast of characters that includes Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire; Horace Walpole, Dr. Johnson, George III, Edward Gibbon, and many more.