Victorian Era

The Victorian Era , which occurred between 1837 and 1901, marks the reign of Queen Victoria in the United Kingdom and a period of great economic, political and cultural transformations.

Also known as the Victorian period, this era is characterized by the consolidation of English supremacy on the seas, the conquest of colonies in Africa and Asia, the growth of industries and the stimulation of the arts.

Characteristics of the Victorian Era

During the Victorian Era, the United Kingdom expanded its colonies to Africa and India, as well as the Middle East and parts of Asia. England became the most powerful nation in the world and called itself the British Empire.

At the head of the kingdom were Queen Victoria (1819-1901) and her husband, Prince Albert (1819-1861). Both consecrated the model of exemplary parents, devout Christians and impartial sovereigns in political matters.

We can summarize this era in a few characteristics:

• Expansion of English imperialism in Asia and Africa;
• Perception of social inequalities;
• Creation of aestheticism, of art for art’s sake;
• Revolution in public transport with the construction of the first trains and subways.
• Invention of photography , postage stamp, electricity , telegraph, telephone , etc.
• Emergence of the stereotype of the courteous, Christian English, engaged in some philanthropic society and emotionally controlled. This idealization was the counterpoint to compare with the colonized.

However, critics note that the Victorian Era represented the enshrinement of conservative and hypocritical thinking. While the bourgeoisie paraded the latest fashion through the streets of London, thousands of workers died of tuberculosis in unhealthy houses.

Literature in the Victorian Era

The main names in Victorian literature are Oscar Wilde , George Eliot, Charles Dickens and the sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë.

The literature of the period can be divided between novels that narrated the tastes and habits of the bourgeoisie that was getting rich and authors who dedicated themselves to science fiction.

One of the writers who captured the contradictions of the Victorian Era was the novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870), whose introduction to his book “A Tale Between Two Cities” summarizes these years:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. It was the age of faith, it was the age of unbelief. It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness. It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. We had everything before us, there was nothing before us. We all went straight to heaven, we all went straight to the other side.

Dickens would show the hard everyday life of working-class children in his work “Oliver Twist” .

Authors dedicated to writing horror and suspense stories stand out, such as Mary Shelley (1797-1850) exploring the limits of science in her work “Frankenstein” .

Also from this period is the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Watson, by Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), who roamed the dark streets of London to unravel crimes.

Fashion

The new code of moral conduct for women and men was reflected in fashion. Because it was a time where modesty and discretion were above all else, wigs and heavy makeup were left out.

Let’s see how women and men dressed in the Victorian Era:

Women

Dresses covered the entire body of the woman and it was in very bad taste to show the ankle or the chest.

The corset and bodices are the key pieces of Victorian fashion, but they ended up restricting women’s movements. The bulky dresses, with up to 20 layers of fabric, weighed up to 15 kilos.

Only at balls or at nocturnal social gatherings such as the opera or theater could women display their arms, shoulders, the back of the neck and also the chest, through a discreet neckline.

Accessories such as fans, veils, hats, gloves, parasols and shawls promoted the women’s fashion industry and were essential to compose the look that the time demanded.

Men

The Victorian style dictated that men should seek comfort with elegance and the point of reference was to dress like Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. Straight pants that facilitated movement and discreet pieces, in dark colors, vest and tailcoat.

The hat was mandatory and uncovering the head on the right occasions, such as in front of a lady or authority, was part of the etiquette. As a symbol of wealth, the pocket watch was fundamental.

To contrast the style of the 18th century, beards, mustaches and sideburns were well regarded and were part of men’s toilette. Also, walking sticks were popular, even among younger people, who used them to gain more respectability.

Architecture

Architecture in the Victorian Era is vast and varied from country to country. However, we observe the constant use of two materials that are the result of the Second Industrial Revolution : iron and glass.

We can highlight the “crystal palaces” as a symbol of this period. London’s Crystal Palace was built to house the Great Exhibition of 1851, where products from twenty-five countries were exhibited. The architectural style was replicated in several places, including Brazil, where an example was built in Petrópolis.

The Victorian style of upper-class homes consists of roofs that have a triangle shape on the facade and large windows with curtains. Generally, they are residences built in the middle of the land, so that a garden can be cultivated and in some cases, vegetable gardens.

The living room was the quintessential sociability space and was furnished with a piano, comfortable chairs and sideboards for guests to rest their cups of tea.

Novelties such as electricity and piped water were being incorporated into the homes. Thus, a new room appears in the houses: the bathroom.

Workers in the Victorian Era

The Victorian period is called by the English the Age of Peace and Prosperity, as the United Kingdom came to dominate a quarter of the world.

With industrialization , production expanded and the food supply grew. There is, then, an increase in birth rates and health standards. The population grows, going from 13.8 million inhabitants in 1831 to 32.5 million in 1901.

This prosperity, however, was not available to everyone. There was a great famine in Ireland in the years 1845-1847, which forced a third of its population to immigrate.

Likewise, the working classes lived in miserable conditions and life expectancy was only 37 years in 1837 rising to 48 years in 1901. Despite all the campaigns carried out against child labor, it was not until 1847 that it was decided that children and adults should not work more than 10 hours a day.

The unions began to demand improvements in the conditions of workers. For this reason, charitable societies led by churches and members of the nobility multiplied to remedy infant mortality, education and lack of hygiene.