History UsefulNotes / VictorianBritain

UsefulNotes/TheGeorgianEra and TheEdwardianEra are the eras before and after the Victorian Era

* * "Literature/HowGreenWasMyValley"

Ah, Victorian era Britain (1837-1901). A place of tumultuous social, political, cultural, and technological change that is unfairly remembered today as the embodiment of Medieval traditionalism with an anti-sexual moral conservatism that borders on fascism. Victorian Britain is significant for being the birthplace of the modern middle class, for the rapid and jarring transformation to a highly industrialized nation, for many social reforms (anti-slavery, prison reform, etc) the massive expansion of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire, some [[ElegantGothicLolita truly fantastic fashions]], and, yes, an anxious over-emphasis on morality and propriety... that only barely masked a dark and seedy underbelly of society (gambling, crime, liquor, opium and TheOldestProfession).

Ah, Victorian era Britain (1837-1901). A place of tumultuous social, political, cultural, and technological change that is unfairly remembered today as the embodiment of Medieval traditionalism with an anti-sexual moral conservatism that borders on fascism. Victorian Britain is significant for being the birthplace of the modern middle class, for the rapid and jarring transformation to a highly industrialized nation, for many social reforms (anti-slavery, prison reform, etc) the massive expansion of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire, some [[ElegantGothicLolita truly fantastic fashions]], and, yes, an anxious over-emphasis on morality and propriety... that only barely masked a dark and seedy underbelly of society (gambling, crime, liquor and TheOldestProfession).

Ah, Victorian era Britain (1837-1901). A place of tumultuous social, cultural, and technological change that is unfairly remembered today as the embodiment of Medieval traditionalism with an anti-sexual conservatism that borders on fascism. Victorian Britain is significant for being the birthplace of the modern middle class, for the rapid and jarring transformation to a highly industrialized nation, the massive expansion of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire, some [[ElegantGothicLolita truly fantastic fashions]], and, yes, an anxious over-emphasis on morality and propriety... that only barely masked a dark and seedy underbelly of society (gambling, crime, liquor and TheOldestProfession).

Victorian Britain produced some of the finest literature of the English language canon, and also some of the [[ItWasADarkAndStormyNight most famous turgid and overwrought prose in history.]] In ClassicalMusic, this was the era of passionate Romantic music played by huge orchestras. It was also a [[FanOfThePast time of nostalgia]] for a period in history that essentially never existed - the Myth/ArthurianLegend. As well, aristocrats loved historical ruins so much that some had fake ruins built on their estates.

The Victorian Era overlaps greatly with the period historians call the Industrial Revolution, and this was greatly influential to society and culture of the day. The Industrial Revolution was a period starting the previous century, greatly advancing progress in machinery, especially related to manufacture of goods, and mining of coal - which of course, was self-perpetuating, the greater mining of coal creating further ability to improve and increase use of steam engines. Other advantages, such as easy transportation about the island, and the increasing use of trains, led to the industrial revolution completely changing the economy of Britain, and then eventually continental Europe and the United States.

If you know anything about the Victorian Era, you are probably thinking of those tons of dresses and top hats. Fashion was constantly changing, from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1840s_in_Western_fashion#/media/File:Fashion_Plate_La_Mode_1848.jpg this in the 1840s]], to [[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__czwCf07jhw/SQKIZOy0b2I/AAAAAAAAA4o/T6RkO_18YJg/s400/getimage4.jpg this in the 1880s]], as it does these days, and was very important to the new middle class. Where the aristocracy didn't have to worry, and the working class didn't have time to worry, the middle class was very interested in looking wealthy and fashionable. The improvements in the textile industry allowed for fabrics to be experimented with more, and eventually industrial chemistry led to the invention of new dyes. If you think of the Victorian Era as black or white, or sepia toned, blame cameras - bright colors were usually fashionable, and often times in impressive patterns, too (like paisley!), many of which were made possible by the new technology. For instance, paisley could only be mass-produced because of the new [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacquard_loom Jacquard looms]], the precursor to computer-controlled manufacturing; the same was true of the fancy new tartans associated with the Romantic "revival" of supposedly-ancient Scottish traditions. Also, make-up in those days, and [[OldTimeyAnkleTaboo raised hemlines]], were considered taboo and inappropriate.

Ah, Victorian era Britain (1837-1901). A place of tumultuous social, cultural, and technological change that is unfairly remembered today as the embodiment of Medieval traditionalism with an anti-sexual conservatism that borders on fascism. Victorian Britain is significant for being the birthplace of the modern middle class, for the rapid and jarring transformation to a highly industrialized nation, the massive expansion of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire, some [[ElegantGothicLolita truly fantastic fashions]], and, yes, an anxious over-emphasis on morality and propriety... that only barely masked a dark and seedy underbelly of society.

Victorian Britain produced some of the finest literature of the English language canon, and also some of the [[ItWasADarkAndStormyNight most famous turgid and overwrought prose in history.]] It was also a [[FanOfThePast time of nostalgia]] for a period in history that essentially never existed - the Myth/ArthurianLegend.

Ah, Victorian era Britain (1837-1901). A place of tumultuous social, cultural, and technological change that is [[NeverLiveItDown unfairly remembered today as the embodiment of Medieval traditionalism with an anti-sexual conservatism that borders on fascism]]. Victorian Britain is significant for being the birthplace of the modern middle class, for the rapid and jarring transformation to a highly industrialized nation, the massive expansion of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire, some [[ElegantGothicLolita truly fantastic fashions]], and, yes, an anxious over-emphasis on morality and propriety... that only barely masked a dark and seedy underbelly of society.

Victorian Britain produced some of the finest literature of the English language canon, and also some of the [[ItWasADarkAndStormyNight most famous turgid and overwrought prose in history.]] It was also a [[FanOfThePast time of nostalgia]] for a period in history that essentially never existed - Myth/ArthurianLegend.