Creepy photographs from the Victorian era. Victorian morality
The Victorian era in England began with the rise of Queen Victoria in 1837. This period is described with admiration by historians, art historians examine it with genuine interest, and the empress’s system of government is studied by political scientists around the world. This era in England can be called the flowering of a new culture and the age of discovery. Such a favorable development of the kingdom during the reign of Victoria, which lasted until 1901, was also influenced by the relatively calm position of the country and the absence of major wars.
Personal life and reign of Queen Victoria
The Queen ascended to the throne at a very young age - she was only 18. However, it was during the reign of this great woman that huge cultural, political and economic changes took place in England. The Victorian era gave the world many new discoveries, outstanding writers, and scientists, who subsequently influenced the development of world culture. In 1837, Victoria became not only the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, but also the Empress of India. Three years after her coronation, Her Majesty married Duke Albert, whom she fell in love with even before ascending to the royal throne. During their 21 years of marriage, the couple had nine children, but the queen’s husband died in 1861. After that, she never married again and always wore a black dress, grieving for her husband who left early.
All this did not prevent the queen from brilliantly ruling the country for 63 years and becoming a symbol of an entire era. These times were marked by an unprecedented development of trade, as England had a large number of colonies and well-established economic relations with other states. Industry was also actively developing, which entailed the movement of many residents of villages and villages to cities. With the influx of population, cities began to expand, while the power of the British Empire covered more and more areas of the globe.
It was a safe and stable time for all Englishmen. During Victoria's reign, morality, hard work, honesty and decency were actively promoted among the population. Some historians note that the queen herself served as an excellent example for her people - among all the rulers of the country, she is unlikely to find equals in her love of work and responsibility.
Achievements of the Victorian era
A huge achievement, according to historians, was the lifestyle of Queen Victoria. She was strikingly different from her two predecessors in her lack of love for public scandals and amazing modesty. Victoria created a cult of home, family, thriftiness and economy, which significantly influenced all her subjects, and with them the whole world. Exceptional hard work, family values and sobriety became the main moral principles in the Victorian era, which led to the flourishing of the English middle class, improving the social and economic situation in the country.
The prim British people during the reign of Queen Victoria seem to be models of decorum and good behavior. It’s hard to imagine, but British women of those years wore pantaloons with a hole in the most interesting place, and respectable doctors relieved them of hysteria with the help of a thorough massage... of the clitoris. Rotten food and canned food with arsenic, dead children in photos, a glutton queen, and other strange and disgusting facts about the Victorian era.
Doctors of the era treated hysteria in women with masturbation
At that time, female "hysteria" (i.e. restlessness, irritability, nervousness and other similar symptoms) was seen as a serious problem. But doctors have discovered that these symptoms can be temporarily relieved with the help of “finger massage in the intimate area,” which, if done correctly, will cause a “hysterical paroxysm.”
Women's underwear was open in the crotch area
Victorian pantaloons were, as it were, cut in two, the halves for each leg were cut separately and connected with ties or buttons at the waist and on the back. Thus, the crotch seam (i.e. the crotch) was open, which could be very convenient in certain cases, which we, being very well-mannered, will not mention.
Many historians believe that due to the lack of special hygiene products at the time and the fact that women's clothing consisted of many layers of fabric, most women did nothing at all during menstruation and allowed the blood to flow freely and be absorbed into their petticoats. Other solutions to the delicate problem involved the use of cloth diapers, which were secured with a belt, or sheep's wool, which was glued to the vulva with lard. Thank God, modern women have pads and tampons.
During this era, women were very hairy... everywhere
In the Victorian era, such useful items as a safety razor did not yet exist. And although depilatory compounds had already been invented, they were very toxic and were used only for removing hair from the face and hands. So my armpits, legs and intimate area were terribly overgrown. But considering that they were all hidden under several layers of clothing, it didn't matter.
The Thames was so full of feces, garbage and dead animals that you could walk on it
By 1860, about a thousand tons of feces were dumped into the Thames every day, since there was simply no other storage facility for wastewater. And at the same time, the river was the main source of drinking water for the residents of London. People died like flies from dysentery, cholera and typhoid, believing that the dirty air was to blame for everything. Oh, how wrong they were!
A written account from Lady Harberton in 1891 states that during a short walk in London, the hem of her long dress collected: two cigar butts, nine cigarettes, a piece of pork pie, four toothpicks, two hairpins, a piece of cat food, half a shoe sole , tobacco bars (chewed), straw, dirt, scraps of paper and God knows what else.
In the 1960s, crinolines became so wide that women got stuck in the doors
The "Era of Crinolines" lasted from 1850 to 1870. At that time, the basis of the women's toilet was a domed gathered skirt, the shape of which was given by numerous petticoats. Sometimes a lady in such an outfit really could not squeeze through the door. You could also inadvertently touch the candle and knock it over on yourself, and this is truly life-threatening. The satirical magazine Punch even advised husbands to buy insurance for their wives in case of fire due to crinolines. So this fashion trend did not last long.
Before the invention of pasteurization, milk could be a source of tuberculosis. The safety of products, especially those purchased in large cities, could not be relied upon. Unscrupulous traders sold rotten meat mixed with fresh carcass fat; bakers added alum and chalk to the dough to make the bread appear whiter. Arsenic was added to pickles and other canned foods to improve the flavor and make it brighter. Well, and kill the buyer.
Victoria hated spicy food, but, as the ruler of India, she insisted on preparing curry every day - just in case “oriental people” came to visit her.
As a child, Victoria was raised very strictly and was not allowed to eat much, so when she became queen, she did everything to make up for lost time. She ate a lot and at an incredible speed, which was a problem for her guests - after all, according to etiquette, they were supposed to finish each dish as soon as the queen finished eating it (even if they only had time to take a bite). In general, by today's standards, Queen Victoria was a rather obese woman.
One beauty advice writer recommended to readers: “Make a mask every night using thin slices of raw beef, which is said to protect the skin from wrinkles and keep it fresh.” Of course, unless your dog gnaws your face in your sleep.
This Russian boy's name was Fyodor Evtikhiev, and he suffered. Fyodor and his father Adrian were presented to the public as “the two greatest wonders of our time.” Their faces were covered with hair, making them look like Skye terriers. Subsequently, Andrian died from complications caused by alcoholism, but Fedor continued to “delight people” for many more years.
Boys wore dresses as children - until it was time to go to school
In wealthy families, young children, regardless of gender, were usually dressed in white, elegantly decorated dresses with frills and lace. And the caps with ribbons were also the same for both girls and boys.
Almost 50% of children died before reaching the age of five
The highest infant mortality rates were, of course, in the slums. The slums of Seven Dials in London and Angel Meadow in Manchester were so terrible that they were called hell on earth. Manchester was home to more than 30,000 workers, mostly Irish immigrants, in just one square mile. The children there were left to their own devices, eating whatever garbage they could find, and some even ate cats and rats.
Rich people usually took photographs, and those who could not afford this expensive pleasure hired an artist. For example, a kind-hearted artist named John Callcott Horsley often visited morgues to paint portraits of recently deceased children. Such a posthumous image was often the only memory of departed relatives.
In the Victorian era, when gluttony coexisted with incredible frugality, not a single piece of food was wasted. For example, whole veal heads were boiled for dinner, and the brains were cooked as a separate dish: they resembled pink lumps floating in a butter sauce. Veal ears were shaved, boiled, and then fried in boiling oil. A sort of feast in the style of Hannibal Lecter.
Charles Darwin was very fond of dishes from exotic animals
Darwin not only studied rare animals, but also loved to feast on them. He joined the Cambridge Glutton Club, whose members ate unusual dishes of hawks, squirrels, maggots and owls. And during his travels, the scientist tasted an iguana, a giant turtle, an armadillo and a puma.
(1837-1901) - the period of the reign of Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India.
A distinctive feature of this era is the absence of significant wars (with the exception of the Crimean War), which allowed the country to develop intensively - in particular in the field of infrastructure development and railway construction.
In the field of economics, the industrial revolution and the development of capitalism continued during this period. The social image of the era is characterized by a strict moral code (gentlemanship), which reinforced conservative values and class differences. In the field of foreign policy, Britain's colonial expansion in Asia (the "Great Game") and Africa (the "Scramble for Africa") continued.
Historical overview of the era
Victoria succeeded to the throne on the death of her uncle, the childless William IV, on June 20, 1837. The Whig cabinet of Lord Melbourne, which the queen found upon her accession, relied in the lower house on a mixed majority, only partly consisting of old Whigs. It also included radicals who sought to expand suffrage and short-term parliaments, as well as the Irish party led by O’Connell. The opponents of the ministry, the Tories, were animated by a firm determination to oppose any further triumph of the democratic principle. New elections, called as a result of the change in monarch, strengthened the Conservative Party. The large cities of England, Scotland and Ireland voted predominantly in favor of the liberal and radical factions, but the English counties for the most part elected opponents of the ministry.
Meanwhile, the policies of previous years created significant difficulties for the government. In Canada, the discord between the mother country and the local parliament has reached dangerous proportions. The Ministry received permission to suspend the Canadian Constitution and sent Earl Dergham to Canada with extensive powers. Dergam acted energetically and skillfully, but the opposition accused him of abuse of power, as a result of which he had to resign from his position.
The government's weakness showed itself even more clearly in Irish affairs. The Ministry could achieve approval of the Irish tithe bill only after the complete elimination of the appropriation paragraph.
Foreign and domestic policy
In the spring of 1839, the British successfully fought with Afghanistan, which from that time became a kind of advanced cover for their East Indian possessions and the subject of jealous guardianship on the part of England.
In May of the same year, a ministerial crisis broke out, the immediate cause of which was the affairs of the island of Jamaica. Disagreements between the mother country, which had abolished black slavery in 1834, and the interests of planters on the island, threatened to lead to the same rift as in Canada. The ministry proposed suspending the local constitution for several years. This was opposed by both Tories and Radicals, and the ministry's proposal was accepted by a majority of only 5 votes. It resigned, but again took charge of affairs when the attempts of Wellington and Peel to form a new cabinet ended in failure - among other things, due to the fact that Peel demanded that the Queen's ladies of state and ladies-in-waiting, who belonged to the Whig families, be replaced by others from the camp Tory, but the queen did not want to agree to this (in English constitutional history this question is known as the “Bedchamber question”). The parliamentary session of 1840 was opened with a solemn announcement of the forthcoming marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; The wedding took place on February 10.
On July 15, 1840, representatives of England, Russia, Austria and Prussia entered into an agreement aimed at putting an end to the discord between the Porte and the Egyptian Pasha. Mehmed-Ali rejected the decision of the conference, counting on the help of France, offended by the exclusion from participation in such an important matter; but this calculation did not come true. An English squadron, reinforced by Turkish and Austrian military forces, landed in Syria in September and put an end to Egyptian rule there.
The triumph of foreign policy did not in the least strengthen the position of the ministry; this came to light during the parliamentary session that opened in January 1841. The government suffered one defeat after another. Already in 1838, under the leadership of Richard Cobden, the so-called Anti-Corn Law League was formed in Manchester, which set itself the task of abolishing the existing protective system and, mainly, duties on imported grain. Met with fury by the aristocracy and landowners, who derived enormous benefits from the high tariff, the League demanded the free import of all foodstuffs as the only means of raising the fallen state revenues, improving the condition of the working classes and facilitating competition with other states. Partly under the pressure of financial difficulties, partly in the hope of finding support among opponents of the grain duty, the ministry announced its intention to begin revising the grain laws. Following this, on the question of the sugar tax, it was defeated by a majority of 317 votes to 281. The Ministry dissolved Parliament (June 23).
The Conservative Party, superbly organized and led by Peel, was victorious, and when the ministerial draft address was rejected by a strong majority in the new Parliament, the ministers resigned. On September 1, 1841, a new cabinet was formed. It was headed by Peel, and the main members were the Dukes of Wellington and Buckingham, Lords Lyndhurst, Stanley, Aberdeen and Sir James Graham. And earlier, on the issue of the emancipation of Catholics, Peel, who showed some sensitivity to the demands of the time, in February 1842 spoke in the lower house with a proposal to lower the import duty on grain (from 35 shillings to 20) and adopt the principle of gradually lowering tariff rates. All counterprojects of unconditional supporters of free trade and protectionists were rejected, and Peel's proposal was accepted, as well as other financial measures aimed at covering the deficit (introduction of an income tax, reduction of indirect taxes, etc.). At this time, the Chartists began to stir again and submitted to Parliament a petition with a gigantic number of signatures, outlining their demands. They found strong support in the discontent of the factory workers, fueled by the trade crisis, the lull in industrial activity and the high prices of subsistence supplies. Disagreement with the North American States over borders was settled by a convention on August 9, 1842. The tensions with France caused by the 1840 treaty were still ongoing; its echo was the refusal of the French government to sign the convention concluded by the great powers on the destruction of the slave trade and on the right to search suspicious ships (English droit de visite).
Old disputes with China over the opium trade led back to 1840 to open war. In 1842, this war took a favorable turn for the British. They climbed up the Yantsekiang to Nanjing and dictated peace to the Chinese. Hong Kong Island was ceded to the British; 4 new harbors were opened for trade relations.
In Afghanistan, the rapid success of 1839 blinded the British; they considered themselves masters of the country and were taken by surprise by the Afghan uprising that suddenly broke out in November 1841. Trusting the insidious enemy, the British negotiated a free exit from the country, but on the return trip to India they suffered terrible losses from the climate, deprivation and fanaticism of the inhabitants. The Viceroy, Lord Ellenborough, decided to take revenge on the Afghans and in the summer of 1842 sent new troops against them. The Afghans were defeated, their cities were destroyed, and the surviving English prisoners were freed. The devastating nature of the campaign drew sharp condemnation from the opposition in the House of Commons. The year 1843 passed anxiously.
The Catholic trend of some of the Anglican clergy (see Puseyism) grew more and more. In Scotland there was a break between the established church and the Presbyterian strain of nonintrusionists. The main difficulties faced the government in Ireland. From the moment he took office in the Tory ministry, Daniel O'Connell renewed his agitation for the dissolution of the union between Ireland and England (English Repeal). He now gathered gatherings of 100,000 people; an armed conflict could be expected. Criminal prosecution was brought against O'Connell and many of his supporters. The trial was delayed several times, but the agitator was eventually found guilty. The House of Lords cassed the verdict due to formal violations of the law; the government abandoned further persecution, but the agitation no longer reached its previous strength.
In the session of 1844, the issue of the Corn Laws again came to the fore. Cobden's proposal for the complete abolition of the Corn Duty was rejected by the Lower House by a majority of 234 to 133; but already during the discussion of the Factory Bill, when the famous philanthropist Lord Ashley (later Earl of Shaftesbury) managed to pass a proposal to reduce the working day to 10 hours, it became clear that the government no longer had the previous strong majority.
The most important financial measure in 1844 was Peel's Banking Bill, which gave the English bank a new organization.
That same year an important change took place in the highest administration of the East Indies. In December 1843, Lord Ellenborough launched a victorious campaign against the Gwalior district in Northern Hindustan (Sindh had been conquered even earlier, in 1843). But it was precisely this belligerent policy of the Viceroy, in connection with unrest and bribery in the civil administration, that caused the intervention of the directorate of the East India Company. Taking advantage of the right granted to her by law, she replaced Lord Ellenborough and appointed Lord Harding in his place. In 1845, the internal disintegration of the previous parties was completed.
Everything Peel accomplished in this year's session was achieved with the help of his former political opponents. He proposed to increase the funds for the maintenance of the Catholic seminary at Maynooth, which, being the only public institution of its kind in Ireland, presented a deplorable contrast with the luxurious furnishings of the schools of the Church of England. This proposal aroused the strongest opposition on the ministerial benches, which brought into relief the whole heartlessness of Old Tory and Anglican orthodoxy. When the bill was admitted to its second reading on April 18, the previous ministerial majority no longer existed. Peel gained the support of 163 Whigs and Radicals. Church agitation received new food when the ministers came up with a proposal to establish three highest secular colleges for Catholics, without the right of state or church intervention in religious teaching.
Because of this measure, Gladstone, then still a strict churchman, left the office; when it was introduced into Parliament, Anglican high-churchmen, Catholic fanatics and O'Connell alike burst out with curses against the godless project. Nevertheless, the bill was passed by an overwhelming majority. This changed position of the parties was even more pronounced in economic issues. The results of the last financial year were favorable and showed a significant increase in income taxes. Peel petitioned for the continuation of this tax for another three years, suggesting, at the same time, allowing a new reduction in customs duties and the complete abolition of export duties. His proposals aroused the displeasure of the Tories and landowners, but met with warm support in the former opposition and were adopted with its help.
Meanwhile, a terrible famine suddenly broke out in Ireland due to a poor potato harvest, which was almost the only food for the poorest classes of the population. People were dying and tens of thousands sought salvation in emigration. Thanks to this, the agitation against the Corn Laws reached its highest degree of tension. The leaders of the old Whigs openly and irrevocably joined the movement, which until then had been in the hands of Cobden and his party. On December 10, the ministry resigned; but Lord John Rossel, who was entrusted with the task of forming a new cabinet, encountered no less difficulties than Peel, and returned his powers to the queen.
Peel reorganized the cabinet, which Gladstone re-entered. Following this, Peel proposed a gradual abolition of the Corn Laws. Part of the old Tory party followed Peel into the free trade camp, but the main body of the Tories launched a furious agitation against their former leader. On March 28, 1846, the second reading of the Corn Bill was passed by a majority of 88 votes; all changes, partly proposed by the protectionists, partly tending to the immediate abolition of all grain duties, were rejected. The bill also passed through the upper house thanks to Wellington's influence.
Despite, however, this success and the enormous popularity acquired by Peel by carrying out his great economic reform, his personal situation became increasingly difficult. In the struggle against the poisonous attacks of the protectionists - especially Disraeli, who, together with Bentinck, assumed leadership of the old Tories, Peel, of course, could not count on the protection of his long-time opponents. The immediate cause of his downfall was the issue of emergency measures in relation to Ireland, which was resolved negatively by a coalition of Whigs, radicals and Irish deputies. Foreign affairs at the time of the removal of the Tory ministry were in a very favorable position. The former strained relations with France little by little gave way to a friendly rapprochement. There were disagreements with North America due to mutual claims to the Oregon region, but they were peacefully settled.
In June 1846, the Sikhs raided British possessions in India but were defeated.
On July 3, 1846, a new Whig ministry was formed under the leadership of Lord John Rossel; its most influential member was the Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston. It could count on a majority only if it had support from Peel. Parliament opened in January 1847 and approved a number of measures to help Ireland's woes. About the same time O'Connell died, on his way to Rome, and in him the national party of Ireland lost its main support.
The issue of Spanish marriages led to a chill between the London and Paris cabinets. Taking advantage of this, the Eastern powers decided to annex Krakow to Austria, ignoring the belated protests of the British Foreign Minister.
In the general elections of 1847, the protectionists remained in the minority; the Pilites constituted an influential middle party; the united Whigs, Liberals and Radicals formed a majority of 30 votes. The Chartists found a representative in the talented lawyer O'Connor. Inside the country, the situation was bleak. The proliferation of crimes in Ireland required a special repressive law. In the English factory districts, want and unemployment also assumed appalling proportions; bankruptcies followed one after another. The shortfall in government revenues due to general stagnation in business and the impossibility of cutting expenses forced the ministry to propose legislation to increase income taxes by another 2 percent. But the increase in this unpopular tax caused such a storm in parliament and outside it that at the end of February 1848 the proposed measure was withdrawn.
Victorian architecture(English: Victorian architecture) is the most general term used in English-speaking countries to designate the whole variety of varieties of eclectic retrospectivism common in the Victorian era (from 1837 to 1901). The dominant movement of this period in the British Empire was Gothic Revival; entire neighborhoods in this style have been preserved in almost all former British colonies. British India is also characterized by the Indo-Saracenic style (a free combination of neo-Gothic with national elements).
In the field of architecture, the Victorian era was marked by the general spread of eclectic retrospectivism, especially neo-Gothic. In English-speaking countries, the term “Eclecticism” is used to denote the period of eclecticism. victorian architecture».
Victorian art and literature
Typical writers of the Victorian era are Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, Anthony Trollope, the Brontë sisters, Conan Doyle and Rudyard Kipling; poets - Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning and Matthew Arnold, artists - the Pre-Raphaelites.
British children's literature is formed and reaches its heyday with a characteristic departure from direct didactics towards nonsense and “bad advice”: Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, William Rands.
The Victorian era is not very easy to describe, if only because Queen Victoria's reign was incredibly long. Styles and trends in literature and art changed, but the fundamental worldview remained.
We have already said that the old, stable world was disintegrating before people's eyes. Green hills and valleys were built up with factories, and the development of science called into question the very origin and essence of man: is he really the image of God, or a descendant of strange creatures that crawled out of the primeval mud a million years ago? Therefore, throughout the entire era, through all art, there runs the desire of people to somehow hide from reality or recreate it themselves. (Turner and Constable do this: in their paintings they seem to recreate light and color). Some try to escape modernity by hiding in the Middle Ages, like the Pre-Raphaelites, Morris and Pugin.
Others are trying to contrast the collapsing world with simple, reliable middle-class values: family, children, home, honest work. Queen Victoria herself sets an example. In her youth, Victoria was very beautiful, and the stereotype that arises when you mention her - the image of an overweight old woman in eternal mourning - is her later years. Victoria was an exemplary wife, remaining faithful to her beloved husband even after his death (hence the lifelong mourning), perpetuating his memory in monuments such as the Albert Hall. They were the ideal family, true to middle class values. It was Prince Albert who introduced the Christmas tree and the custom of giving gifts to children at Christmas into English everyday life, and gradually this desire to find warmth and joy in a cruel world turns into the syrupy sentimentality so characteristic of Victorians - or, conversely, moralizing. In this sense, Charles Dickens seems to be the Victorian of the Victorians, with his innocent angelic children and the inevitable punishment of vice.
At this time, revolutionary changes were taking place in the country. Industrialization affected more and more areas of life. Mass production appears (the same porcelain dogs, lithographs and postcards), the phonograph, photography. The level of education is also growing: if in 1837 in England 43% of the population was illiterate, then in 1894 - only 3%. The number of periodicals has increased 60 times (among others, fashion magazines such as Harpers Bazar are appearing), a network of libraries and theaters has emerged.
Perhaps it was mass production that was the reason that when we use the term “Victorian,” especially in relation to design and interiors, we most often think of a room with lush, heavy furniture, where it is impossible to turn around due to the numerous tables, armchairs, ottomans, shelves with figurines, where the walls are completely covered with paintings and photographs. This eclecticism was not a single style; This was for the most part a middle-class house, and most of these interiors date from the period commonly called High Victorian (1850s - 70s).
Moreover, even in furniture, the Victorians expressed their strict morals: where did such long tablecloths come from, where did the covers for the chairs come from? But the fact is that you can’t even show your legs on a chair or table, it’s indecent. "Decency" is one of the fundamental values of that era. The everyday suit was quite strict and restrained (however, at a ball or reception one could still show off the beauty of the dress and jewelry). But even when going to a ball, it was not customary to use cosmetics - it was indecent, only weaker women wore makeup. A monument to the Victorian concept of decency will forever remain the bathing cabin, which allowed ladies to bathe away from the eyes of men. They changed clothes in these cabins - their bathing suits were not much different from ordinary ones! - and then the cabins were taken out to sea so that they could enter and exit the water without witnesses.
Around this time, people begin to realize that children are not miniature adults, but completely special creatures. Education is another one of the words that runs like a red thread through the era. Childhood stands out as a separate period of human life, and combines all the incompatible features of Victorianism: on the one hand, children are innocence, purity, Christmas gifts; on the other hand, children need to be raised in strictness so that they learn the moral norms of society, and accustom them to hard work and good behavior.
The Victorian era is full of contradictions. This is a time of extreme optimism and extreme pessimism, a time of strict moral rules and a time when prostitution flourished in London, a time of triumph of empire and the time of Jack the Ripper. All this must be remembered when we talk about art, because all this was most directly reflected in it.
The Victorian era gave rise to a movement for women's emancipation, but the emphasis was still on jewelry and accessories. Men's fashion tended to be more formal, and new methods of making clothes spread quickly.
The 19th century—the century of the bourgeoisie and technological progress—had a radical impact on fashion. Thanks to the mass industrial production of clothing and the development of means of communication, fashion is becoming the property of ever wider segments of society. The accelerated pace of life and the development of civilization leads to a rapid change in fashion trends.
Despite the fact that women are gradually winning back their rights from men, the fashion of the 19th century is still chaste and bashful in a bourgeois way. The female silhouette is now entirely determined by clothing. There is less and less exposed body, although it is by no means forbidden to emphasize certain “places” with clothing.
The Victorian age can be divided into three periods:
- early Victorian (1837-1860)
- Middle Victorian (1860-1885)
- late Victorian (1885-1901)
The early Victorian period is also called the "romantic" period. This is the queen's youth, marked by ease and a certain freedom of character, as well as an ardent love for Prince Albert. The Queen adored jewelry, and her lady subjects, imitating her, adorned themselves with lovely enamel trinkets, cabochons and corals.
Wide-brimmed hats decorated with feathers and flowers, fashionable at the beginning of the century, were replaced by practical caps, which influenced the female silhouette as a whole.
In the 20s of the 19th century, a woman’s figure resembled an hourglass: rounded “swollen” sleeves, a wasp waist, a wide skirt. The neckline of the dress almost completely exposes the shoulders. A very open neck allows you to “highlight” the head, and complex hairstyles, usually raised, are in fashion.
Although the skirts are wide, their length has been shortened: first the shoes were revealed, and then the ankles. This was quite revolutionary, because a woman’s legs for a long time (almost the entire European history of the “AD”) remained reliably hidden from prying eyes.
Women's fashion of that time was complemented by long gloves, which were removed in public only at the dinner table. An umbrella has long become a mandatory fashion attribute for women. There was not as much coquetry in this as it might seem at first glance. The umbrella had a rather pragmatic purpose - it protected a woman’s skin from the sun. Until the 1920s, tanning was considered indecent, “country”; pale “alabaster” skin, so in keeping with the period of romanticism, was in fashion.
Also, by 1820, the corset returned to the attire of fashionistas, which would disappear from clothing only a century later. The waist, which in Empire times was located almost under the chest, again takes its natural position, but it requires an unnatural volume - about 55 cm! The desire to achieve the “ideal” waist often leads to tragic consequences. So, in 1859, one 23-year-old fashionista died after a ball due to the fact that three ribs compressed by a corset pierced her liver.
The already long corset (starting under the chest, it covered the buttocks by a quarter, tightening them) by 1845 had lengthened so much that a classic V-silhouette emerged, complemented by wide sleeves. As a result, women of fashion could hardly move their arms, and their ability to move was seriously limited. Helplessness and dependence on a man made the ladies of the Victorian era even more attractive in the eyes of their gentlemen. The color scheme became more muted, in contrast to the diversity of fabrics inherent in the beginning of the century, small details came to the fore, which made it possible to radically change the appearance. Usually these were wide belts with buckles. Women's modesty was emphasized by white scarves around the neck, as well as white armbands - “engageantes”. After almost many years of absence, exquisite cashmere shawls have returned to fashion. However, this time they were much wider and almost completely covered the woman's shoulders. The overskirt gradually lost its former round shape, becoming much wider and taking on the shape of a bell. By 1850, the word “crinoline” came into fashion, meaning a woman’s outer skirt. The wider the crinoline, the better. It was quite problematic to wear it, so soon this accessory had to be abandoned.
Curls were the fashionable hairstyle at that time. Placed around the head, down to the shoulders, pinned into a knot or gathered at the back of the head.
Women's suit, model 1833. 
Fashionable lady in the park
The Middle Victorian period was marked by a tragic event - the death of Prince Consort Albert. Victoria, who passionately loved her husband, plunged into the abyss of grief and mourning. She constantly grieved and mourned her deceased husband and dressed only in black all the time. She was followed by the entire royal court, and then, in general, by the whole society. However, the ladies concluded that they look extremely attractive in black and managed to benefit from the general grief.
Women's clothing of the middle Victorian period was one of the most uncomfortable costumes: rigid corsets, long heavy skirts with numerous folds, high collars that rise to the throat. Men's clothing was much more comfortable.
However, even when England was struggling to reform women's clothing, female travelers stubbornly continued to wear corsets and hats and took great care to maintain a proper feminine appearance, no matter how difficult it was. Moreover, according to them, only this clothing was the only suitable and appropriate for a woman in unusual conditions.
The 60s of the 19th century became a turning point in the history of the development of world fashion, turning it into a real industry. Such significant changes occurred largely due to the invention of the sewing machine, as well as the advent of artificial dyes. At the same time, one of the main directions of development of modern fashion - haute couture - arose and took institutional form. From now on, fashion trends have ceased to be some kind of frozen and slowly changing form, turning into something much more dynamic and creative.
The famous dome-shaped crinoline skirt has sunk into oblivion, replaced by a much more elegant elongated shape. However, the very concept of “crinoline” lingered in fashion for quite a long time thanks to the extraordinary popularity of the creator of haute couture, Charles Worth. Worth himself considered the crinoline to be a rather bulky and unattractive structure, but since his name was firmly associated with this accessory, he continued to experiment with the form, creating an increasingly sophisticated image. As a result, after a few years, the overskirt rose significantly and was gathered into elegant pleats just below the waist.
By 1867, crinoline had finally disappeared from the fashion horizon and was replaced by bustles. Experiments with overskirts and petticoats literally captured almost all layers of English society. As a result, by 1878 the ladies very vaguely resembled their predecessors of the early Victorian period. A thin, graceful silhouette with a long train finally defeated massive forms. From now on, designers began to pay special attention to the figures of customers, giving the latter the desired grace, which meant further improvement of the craftsmanship of the couturier, who often had to turn the ugly duckling into a real princess.
Speaking of crinoline. The crinoline acquired its true meaning only from 1850. It was then that it took the form of a gathered, domed skirt, the shape of which was supported by numerous petticoats. Until 1856, six more petticoats were worn under the overskirt, most of them handmade and very complex. Making them was difficult and took an infinite amount of time. This was due to the fact that improved sewing machines began to be used in Parisian salons, at best, around 1850. These machines were introduced everywhere only in 1857. Since 1859, artificial crinolines were introduced, where elastic steel hoops - a technically modernized memory of the former rifrock with its hoops - supported the lighter modern material as if by springs. This change affected not only the external outline of the dress, but also changed the very nature of the clothing. The skirt took on a new, unexpected movement. The former petticoats disappeared, and faux crinoline became a machine-made product. As soon as the skirt expanded to a crinoline, the sleeves of the bodice, which in the 40s were already tightly fitting the arm, narrowed, and the bodice itself began to be complemented by a wide frill at the collar, called “berte”.
Small hats decorated with feathers and fascinators came back into fashion; Ladies preferred modest hairstyles - a bun or curls tied on the sides in French braids. Particularly relaxed ladies also experienced the first model haircuts, but they have not yet become widespread.
Lady and Gentleman 1850
Dresses with bustles 1869
Slim dress 1889
Lady in an Amazon cut dress
Late Victorian period.
Industrialization is progressing across the planet by leaps and bounds: the telephone and telegraph have already been invented, experiments are being carried out with computers, the Kodak camera has appeared, the luxurious World Exhibition has died down. Life has become dynamic and hasty, which is reflected in fashion trends. It was at this time that the famous “bloomers” were invented - wide trousers similar to the clothes of harem slaves, skirts became narrower, and the silhouette began to take on the shape that is familiar to us today. The bustle and crinoline, although worn everywhere, are gradually going out of fashion, giving way to practical formal dresses (most often from the atelier), Amazon cut suits and mermaid skirts (narrow top and fluffy bottom). Women are starting to cut their hair; Curls and bangs are in fashion.
But all this concerns mainly wealthy women, representatives of the aristocracy and bourgeoisie. For ladies from the lower classes, clothing remains unchanged - a closed dark dress with a closed collar of the most simple cut, a hard bustle made of cheap materials, mercilessly rubbing the skin even through undershirts, rough (“goat”) shoes or low-heeled shoes.
It is characteristic that men's clothing from the beginning of the 19th century. almost unchanged. Only the details and materials changed, but not the cut. After 1875, the type of men's clothing that we know now was established - trousers, a vest and a jacket, all made of the same material - solid English fabrics.
The tuxedo is coming into fashion. Initially it was worn in smoking salons, and then when visiting theaters and restaurants. Tuxedos were worn predominantly by young people. The cuffs were starched so that one could write on them.
In the 1860s, the famous bowler hat was invented, initially intended to be worn by footmen and clerks, but then quickly ascended to the very top strata of society. Whatever you say, the compact and solid headdress with narrow brims was much more comfortable than the usual cylinder. However, it has also undergone changes - some models of cylinders have become foldable.
When eight-year-old boys from aristocratic families went to live in schools, what did their sisters do at this time?
They learned to count and write first with nannies, and then with governesses. They spent several hours a day, yawning and bored, looking longingly out the window, in the room reserved for classes, thinking about how wonderful the weather was for riding. The room contained a table or desk for the student and governess, a bookcase with books, and sometimes a blackboard. The entrance to the study room was often directly from the nursery.
“My governess, her name was Miss Blackburn, was very pretty, but terribly strict! Extremely strict! I was afraid of her like fire! In the summer my lessons started at six in the morning, and in the winter at seven, and if I arrived late, I paid a penny for every five minutes I was late. Breakfast was at eight in the morning, always the same, a bowl of milk and bread and nothing else until I became a teenager. I still can’t stand either one or the other. We only didn’t study for half a day on Sunday and the whole day on the name day. The classroom had a closet where books for classes were kept. Miss Blackburn placed a piece of bread for her lunch on the same plate. Every time I couldn’t remember something, or didn’t listen, or objected to something, she locked me in this closet, where I sat in the dark and trembled with fear. I was especially afraid that a mouse would come running in there to eat Miss Blackburn's bread. I remained in my captivity until, suppressing my sobs, I could calmly say that now I was good. Miss Blackburn made me memorize pages of history or long poems, and if I missed a word, she made me learn twice as much!”
If nannies were always adored, poor governesses were loved quite rarely. Maybe because the nannies chose their fate voluntarily and remained with the family until the end of their days, and they always became governesses by the will of circumstances. Most often, educated girls from the middle class, the daughters of penniless professors and clerks, were forced into this profession in order to help a bankrupt family and earn their dowry. Sometimes the daughters of aristocrats who had lost their fortune were forced to become governesses. For such girls, the humiliation of their position was an obstacle to their being able to receive at least some pleasure from their work. They were very lonely, and the servants tried their best to express their contempt for them. The more noble the poor governess's family, the worse they treated her.
The servants believed that if a woman was forced to work, then she was equal in position to them, and did not want to look after her, diligently demonstrating their disdain. If the poor girl was placed in a family that did not have aristocratic roots, then the owners, suspecting that she looked down on them and despised them for her lack of proper manners, disliked her and tolerated her only so that their daughters would learn to behave in society.
Apart from teaching their daughters languages, playing the piano and watercolor painting, parents cared little about deep knowledge. The girls read a lot, but they chose not moralizing books, but romance novels, which they slowly stole from their home library. They went down to the common dining room only for lunch, where they sat at a separate table with their governess. At five o'clock tea and baked goods were taken upstairs to the study room. After this, the children did not receive any food until the next morning.
“We were allowed to spread butter or jam on our bread, but never both, and eat only one portion of cheesecakes or muffins, which we washed down with plenty of fresh milk. When we turned fifteen or sixteen, we no longer had enough food and constantly went to bed hungry. After we heard that the governess had gone into her room, carrying a tray with a large portion of dinner, we slowly walked barefoot down the back stairs to the kitchen, knowing that there was no one there at that time, since loud conversation and laughter were heard from the room, where the servants ate. Stealthily we collected what we could and returned to our bedrooms satisfied.”
Often, French and German women were invited as governesses to teach their daughters French and German. “One day, Mademoiselle and I were walking down the street and met my mother’s friends. That same day they wrote her a letter saying that my prospects for marriage were being jeopardized because the ignorant governess was wearing brown shoes instead of black ones. “Darling,” they wrote, “the cocottes wear brown shoes. What can they think of dear Betty if such a mentor is looking after her!”
Lady Gartwrich (Betty) was the younger sister of Lady Twendolen, who married Jack Churchill. When she came of age, she was invited to hunt quite far from home. To get there, she had to use the railroad. She was escorted to the station early in the morning by a groom, who was obliged to meet her here that same evening. Then, with luggage, which was all the equipment for hunting, she rode in a stall car along with the horse. It was considered quite normal and acceptable for a young girl to travel sitting on straw with her horse, as it was believed that it would act as her protection and would kick anyone who entered the stall car. However, if she were unaccompanied in a passenger carriage with the entire public, among whom there could be men, society would condemn such a girl.
In carriages drawn by small ponies, the girls could travel alone outside the estate, visiting their girlfriends. Sometimes the path lay through forests and fields. The absolute freedom that the young ladies enjoyed on the estates disappeared instantly as soon as they entered the city. Conventions awaited them here at every turn. “I was allowed to ride alone in the dark through forests and fields, but if in the morning I wanted to walk through a park in the center of London, full of walking people, to meet my friend, they would immediately assign a maid to me.”
For three months, while the parents and older daughters moved in society, the younger ones, on their top floor, together with the governess, repeated their lessons.
One of the famous and very expensive governesses, Miss Woolf, opened classes for girls in 1900, which operated until the Second World War. “I attended them myself when I was 16, so I know from personal experience what the best education for girls was like at that time. Miss Woolf had previously taught to the best aristocratic families and eventually received a sufficient inheritance to buy a large house in South Adley Street Mather. In one part of it she set up classes for selected girls. She taught the best ladies of our high society, and I can safely say that I myself gained a lot from this beautifully organized mess in her educational process. For three o'clock in the morning, we, girls and women of different ages, met at a long table in our cozy study room, the former living room in this elegant 18th-century mansion. Miss Wolf, a small, frail woman with huge glasses that made her look like a dragonfly, explained to us the subject we were to study that day, then went to the bookcases and took out books for each of us. At the end of classes there was a discussion, sometimes we wrote essays on topics in history, literature, and geography. One of our girls wanted to study Spanish, and Miss Wolf immediately began teaching her grammar. It seemed that there was no subject that she did not know! But her most important talent was that she knew how to kindle in young heads the fire of thirst for knowledge and curiosity about the subjects being studied. She taught us to find interesting sides in everything. She had many male acquaintances who sometimes came to our school, and we received a point of view on the subject of the opposite sex.”
In addition to the listed lessons, the girls also learned dancing, music, handicrafts and the ability to behave in society. In many schools, as a test before admission, they were given the task of sewing on a button or sewing a buttonhole. However, a similar picture was observed only in England. Russian and German girls were much more educated (according to Lady Gartwrich) and knew three or four languages perfectly, and in France the girls were more refined in their behavior.
How difficult it is now for our free-thinking generation, practically not subject to public opinion, to understand that just a little over a hundred years ago it was this opinion that determined the fate of a person, especially girls. It is also impossible for a generation that grew up outside the boundaries of class and estate to imagine a world in which insurmountable restrictions and obstacles arose at every step. Girls from good families were never allowed to be alone with a man, even for a few minutes in the living room of their own home. Society was convinced that as soon as a man was alone with a girl, he would immediately harass her. These were the conventions of the time. Men were in search of victims and prey, and girls were protected from those who wanted to pluck the flower of innocence.
All Victorian mothers were very concerned about the latter circumstance, and in order to prevent rumors about their daughters, which were often spread in order to eliminate a happier rival, they did not let them go and controlled their every step. Girls and young women were also under constant surveillance by the servants. The maids woke them up, dressed them, served them at the table, the young ladies made morning visits accompanied by a footman and groom, at balls or at the theater they were with mothers and matchmakers, and in the evening, when they returned home, sleepy maids undressed them. The poor things were hardly left alone at all. If a miss (an unmarried lady) slipped away from her maid, matchmaker, sister and acquaintances for only an hour, then dirty assumptions were already made that something might have happened. From that moment on, the contenders for their hand and heart seemed to evaporate.
Beatrix Potter, the beloved English children's writer, recalled in her memoirs how she once went to the theater with her family. She was 18 years old at the time and had lived in London all her life. However, she had never been near Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the Strand and the Monument - famous places in the city center that you couldn’t help but drive past. “It’s amazing to say that this was the first time in my life! - she wrote in her memoirs. “After all, if I could, I would gladly walk here alone, without waiting for anyone to accompany me!”
At the same time, Bella Wilfer, from Dickens's book Our Mutual Friend, traveled alone across the city from Oxford Street to Hollowen Prison (more than three miles), according to the author, “as if a crow were flying,” and no one I didn't think it was strange. One evening she went to look for her father downtown and was only noticed because there were only a few women on the street in the financial district at the time. It’s strange, two girls of the same age, and so differently treated one question: can they go out alone? Of course, Bella Wilfer is a fictional character, and Beatrix Potter actually lived, but the fact is that there were different rules for different classes. The poor girls were much freer in their movements due to the fact that there was no one to watch them and accompany them wherever they went. And if they worked as servants or in a factory, then they traveled there and back alone and no one thought it was indecent. The higher the status of a woman, the more rules and decency she was entangled with.
An unmarried American woman, who came accompanied by her aunt to England to visit relatives, had to return home on inheritance matters. The aunt, who was afraid of another long voyage, did not go with her. When six months later the girl reappeared in British society, she was received very coldly by all the important ladies on whom public opinion depended. After the girl had traveled such a long distance on her own, they did not consider her virtuous enough for their circle, suggesting that, being unattended, she could do something illegal. The young American woman's marriage was in jeopardy. Fortunately, possessing a flexible mind, she did not reproach the ladies for the outdatedness of their views and prove them wrong, but instead, for several months demonstrated exemplary behavior and, having established herself in society on the right side, also possessing a pleasant appearance, was very successful got married.
Having become a countess, she quickly silenced all the gossips who still had the desire to discuss her “dark past.”
The wife had to obey and submit to her husband in everything, just like the children. A man must be strong, decisive, businesslike and fair, since he was responsible for the entire family. Here is an example of an ideal woman: “There was something inexplicably tender in her image. I will never allow myself to raise my voice or just talk to her loudly and quickly for fear of scaring her and hurting her! Such a delicate flower should feed only on love!”
Tenderness, silence, ignorance of life were typical features of the ideal bride. If a girl has read a lot and, God forbid, not etiquette manuals, not religious or classical literature, not biographies of famous artists and musicians or other decent publications, if she has seen Darwin’s book “On the Origin of Species” or similar scientific works in her hands, then it looked as bad in the eyes of society as if she had been seen reading a French novel. After all, an intelligent wife, having read such “nasty”, would begin to express ideas to her husband, and he would not only feel stupider than her, but would also not be able to keep her in check. This is how Molly Hages, an unmarried girl from a poor family who had to earn her own living, writes about it. Being a milliner and having lost her business, she went to Cornwall to visit her cousin, who was afraid of her, considering her modern. “After a while, my cousin complimented me: “They told us that you were smart. But you are not at all!”
In the language of the 19th century, this meant that it turns out that you are a worthy girl with whom I would be happy to make friends. Moreover, it was expressed by a girl from the outback to a girl who came from the capital - a hotbed of vice. These words from her cousin gave Molly an idea of how she should have behaved: “I must hide the fact that I received an education and worked myself, and even more hide my interest in books, paintings and politics. Soon I devoted myself wholeheartedly to gossip about romance novels and “the lengths to which some girls can go” - a favorite topic of local society. At the same time, I found it quite comfortable to appear somewhat strange. This was not considered a vice or shortcoming. Knowledge is what I had to hide from everyone!”
The already mentioned girl from America, Sarah Duncan, remarked bitterly: “In England, an unmarried girl of my age should not talk much... It was quite difficult for me to accept this, but later I understood why. You need to keep your opinions to yourself. I began to speak rarely, little, and found that the best topic that suits everyone is the zoo. No one will judge me if I talk about animals."
Opera is also a great topic of conversation. The opera Gilbert and Sullivan was considered very popular at this time. In Gissing’s work entitled “Women in Disarray,” the hero visited the friend of an emancipated woman:
“Is this new opera by Schilberg and Sillivan really that good? - he asked her.
- Very! Have you really not seen it yet?
- No! I’m really ashamed to admit this!
- Go this evening. If, of course, you get free space. Which part of the theater do you prefer?
- I am a poor man, as you know. I must be content with a cheap place."
A few more questions and answers - a typical mixture of banality and tense insolence, and the hero, peering into the face of his interlocutor, could not help but smile. “Isn’t it true, our conversation would be approved over traditional tea at five o’clock. I heard exactly the same dialogue yesterday in the living room!”
Such communication with conversations about nothing led some to despair, but the majority were quite happy.
Until the age of 17-18, girls were considered invisible. They attended parties, but did not have the right to say a word until someone addressed them. And even then their answers should be very brief. They seemed to have an understanding that the girl was noticed only out of politeness. Parents continued to dress their daughters in similar simple dresses so that they would not attract the attention of suitors intended for their older sisters. No one dared to jump their turn, as happened to Eliza Bennet's younger sister in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. When their time finally came, all attention was immediately turned to the blossoming flower, the parents dressed the girl in her best so that she could take her rightful place among the first brides of the country and be able to attract the attention of profitable suitors.
Every girl, entering the world, experienced terrible excitement! After all, from that moment on, she became noticeable. She was no longer a child who, with a pat on the head, was sent out of the hall where the adults were. Theoretically, she was prepared for this, but in practice she did not have the slightest experience of how to behave in such a situation. After all, at that time the idea of evenings for young people did not exist at all, as well as entertainment for children. Balls and receptions were given for the nobility, for royalty, for guests of parents, and the young were only allowed to attend these events.
Many girls sought to get married only because they considered the worst of evils to be their own mother, who said that it was ugly to sit with your legs crossed. They really had no concept of life, and this was considered their great advantage. Experience was seen as bad manners and almost equated with a bad reputation. No man would want to marry a girl with what was thought to be a bold, daring outlook on life. Innocence and modesty were traits that were highly valued in young maidens by the Victorians. Even the colors of their dresses when they went to the ball were surprisingly monotonous - different shades of white (a symbol of innocence). Before marriage, they did not wear jewelry and could not wear bright dresses.
What a contrast with the spectacular ladies who dressed in the best outfits, traveled in the best carriages, and cheerfully and relaxedly received guests in richly furnished houses. When mothers went out into the street with their daughters, in order to avoid explanations of who these beautiful ladies were, they forced the girls to turn away. The young lady was not supposed to know anything about this “secret” side of life. It was all the more a blow for her when, after marriage, she discovered that she was uninteresting to her husband and he preferred to spend time in the company of such cocottes. Here's how a Daily Telegraph journalist describes them:
“I gazed at the sylphs as they flew or sailed in their delightful riding costumes and intoxicatingly beautiful hats, some in beaver hunting hats with flowing veils, others in coquettish cavalry hats with green feathers. And while this magnificent cavalcade passed by, the mischievous wind slightly lifted their skirts, revealing small, tight-fitting boots with military heels, or tight riding trousers.”
How much excitement there is at the sight of dressed legs, much more than now at the sight of undressed ones!
Not only was the entire structure of life structured in such a way as to preserve morality, but clothing was also an inevitable barrier to vice, because the girl was wearing up to fifteen layers of undershirts, skirts, bodices and corsets, which she could not get rid of without the help of a maid. Even if we assume that her date was experienced in lingerie and could help her, most of the date would have been spent getting rid of the clothes and then putting them back on. In this case, the experienced eye of the maid would instantly see problems in petticoats and chemises, and the secret would still be revealed.
Months, or even years, passed in Victorian times between the emergence of sympathy for each other, beginning with the fluttering of eyelashes, timid glances lingering a little longer on the object of interest, sighs, a slight blush, rapid heartbeat, excitement in the chest, and the decisive explanation. From that moment on, everything depended on whether the girl’s parents liked the candidate for her hand and heart. If not, then they tried to find another candidate who met the main criteria of that time: title, respectability (or public opinion) and money. Having become interested in their daughter’s future chosen one, who could be several times older than her and cause disgust, the parents reassured her that he would endure it and fall in love. In such a situation, the opportunity to quickly become a widow was attractive, especially if the husband left a will in her favor.
If a girl did not marry and lived with her parents, then most often she was a captive in her own home, where she continued to be treated as a minor who did not have her own opinions and desires. After the death of her father and mother, the inheritance was most often left to the older brother, and she, having no means of subsistence, moved to live with his family, where she was always put in last place. The servants carried her around at the table, her brother’s wife commanded her, and again she found herself completely dependent. If there were no brothers, then the girl, after her parents left this world, moved to her sister’s family, because it was believed that an unmarried girl, even if she was an adult, was not able to take care of herself. It was even worse there, since in this case her fate was decided by her brother-in-law, that is, a stranger. When a woman got married, she ceased to be the owner of her own money, which was given as a dowry for her. The husband could drink them away, skip them, lose them, or give them to his mistress, and the wife could not even reproach him, since this would be condemned in society. Of course, she could be lucky, and her beloved husband could be successful in business and take into account her opinion, then life really passed in happiness and peace. But if he turned out to be a tyrant and a tyrant, then one could only wait for his death and be afraid at the same time of being left without money and a roof over his head.
To get the right groom, no expense was spared. Here is a scene from a popular play that Lord Ernest himself wrote and often performed in his home theater:
“A rich house on an estate where Hilda, sitting in her own bedroom in front of the mirror, combs her hair after an event that occurred during a game of hide and seek. Her mother Lady Dragon enters.
Lady Dragoy. Well, you've done a lot, my dear!
Hilda. What's up, mom?
Lady Dragon (mockingly). What's going on! Sitting in a closet with a man all night and not getting him to propose!
Hilda, Not all night at all, but just a short time before dinner.
Lady Dragon. It is the same!
Hilda. Well, what could I do, mom?
Lady Dragon. Don't play dumb! There are a thousand things you could do! Did he kiss you?
Hilda. Yes mom!
Lady Dragon. And you just sat there like an idiot and allowed yourself to be kissed for an hour?
Hilda (sobbing). Well, you yourself said that I should not resist Lord Paty. And if he wants to kiss me, then I have to let him.
Lady Dragon. You really are a real fool! Why didn’t you scream when the prince found you two in his wardrobe?
Hilda. Why did I have to scream?
Lady Dragon. You have no brains at all! Don't you know that as soon as you heard the sound of footsteps, you should have shouted: "Help! Help! Get your hands off me, sir!" Or something similar. Then he would be forced to marry you!
Hilda. Mom, but you never told me about this!
Lady Dragon. God! Well, it's so natural! You should have figured it out yourself! How will I explain to my father now... Well, okay. It's no use talking to a brainless chicken!
A maid enters with a note on a tray.
Housemaid. My lady, a letter for Miss Hilda!
Hilda (after reading the note). Mother! It's Lord Paty! He asks me to marry him!
Lady Dragoy (kissing her daughter). My dear, dear girl! You can't imagine how happy I am! I always said that you are smart!”
The above passage shows another contradiction of its time. Lady Dragon did not see anything reprehensible in the fact that her daughter, contrary to all Standards of Behavior, was alone with a man for an entire hour! And even in the closet! And all this because they were playing a very common home game of “hide and seek”, where the rules not only allowed, but also ordered them to run away in pairs, since the girls could be scared of dark rooms lit only by oil lamps and candles. In this case, it was allowed to hide anywhere, even in the owner’s closet, as was the case in the above case.
With the beginning of the season, there was a revival in the world, and if a girl had not found a husband last year, her worried mother could change the matchmaker and start hunting for suitors all over again. In this case, the age of the matchmaker did not matter. Sometimes she was even younger and more playful than the treasure she offered and at the same time carefully guarded. It was allowed to retire to the winter garden only for the purpose of proposing marriage.
If a girl disappeared for 10 minutes during a dance, then in the eyes of society she had already noticeably lost her value, so the matchmaker during the ball constantly turned her head in all directions so that her ward remained in sight. During the dances, the girls sat on a well-lit sofa or in a row of chairs, and young people approached them to sign up in a ballroom book for a specific dance number.
Two dances in a row with the same gentleman attracted everyone's attention, and the matchmakers began to whisper about the engagement. Only Prince Albert and Queen Victoria were allowed three in a row.
And it was certainly completely inappropriate for ladies to visit a gentleman, except on very important matters. Every now and then in the English literature of that time examples are given: “She knocked nervously and immediately regretted it and looked around, afraid to see suspicion or ridicule among the respectable matrons passing by. She had doubts, because a lonely girl should not visit a lonely man. She pulled herself together, straightened up and knocked again more confidently. The gentleman was her manager, and she really needed to talk to him urgently.”
However, all conventions ended where poverty reigned. What kind of supervision could there be over girls forced to earn a piece of bread? Did anyone think that they walked alone through the dark streets, looking for their drunken father, and at work, no one cared that the maid was left alone in the room with the owner. Moral standards for the lower class were completely different, although here the main thing was that the girl should take care of herself and not cross the last line.
Those born in poor families worked until exhaustion and could not resist when, for example, the owner of the store where they worked persuaded them to cohabitate. They could not refuse, even knowing what fate befell many others who had previously worked in the same place. The addiction was terrible. Having refused, the girl lost her place and was doomed to spend long weeks, or even months, looking for a new one. And if the last money was paid for housing, it means that she had nothing to eat, she could faint from hunger at any moment, but she was in a hurry to find a job, otherwise she could lose the roof over her head.
Imagine if at the same time she had to feed her elderly parents and little sisters! She had no choice but to sacrifice herself for them! For many poor girls, this could have been a way out of poverty, if not for the children born out of wedlock, which changed everything in their situation. At the slightest hint of pregnancy, the lover left them, sometimes without any means of subsistence. Even if he helped for a while, the money still ran out very quickly, and the parents, who had previously encouraged their daughter to feed the whole family with the money she earned in this way, now, not receiving any more money, disgraced her daily and showered her with curses. All the gifts she had previously received from her rich lover were eaten away. Shame and humiliation awaited her at every step. It was impossible for a pregnant woman to get a job - this meant that she was putting an extra strain on the neck of an already poor family, and after the birth of the child there remained constant worries about who would look after him while she was at work.
And all the same, even knowing all the circumstances, before the temptation to hide at least for a while from oppressive poverty, to open the curtain to a completely different joyful, elegant world, to walk down the street in stunningly beautiful and expensive outfits and look down on the people from whom so much For years, work, and therefore life, depended, it was almost impossible to resist! To some extent, this was their chance, which they would regret in any case, accepting it or rejecting it.
The statistics were inexorable. For every former saleswoman from a store who proudly walked in expensive outfits into the apartment that her lover rented for her, there were hundreds whose lives were ruined for the same reason. A man could lie about his status, or intimidate, or bribe, or take by force, you never know the ways in which resistance can be broken. But, having achieved his goal, he most often remained indifferent to what would happen to the poor girl, who would definitely tire of him. Will the poor thing be able to arrange her life? How will she recover from the shame that has befallen her? Will she die of grief and humiliation or will she be able to survive? What will happen to their common child? The former lover, the culprit of her shame, now shunned the unfortunate woman and, as if afraid of getting dirty, turned away to the side, making it clear that there could be nothing in common between him and this dirty girl. She might also be a thief! Cab driver, go!”
Even worse was the situation of the poor illegitimate child. Even if his father provided financial assistance until he came of age, even then, every minute of his life he felt that they did not want him to be born and that he was not like others. Not yet understanding the word illegitimate, he already knew that it had a shameful meaning, and all his life he could not wash himself of the dirt.
Mr. William Whiteley persuaded all his saleswomen to cohabitate and abandoned them when they became pregnant. When one of his illegitimate sons grew up, he, feeling a burning hatred for his father, one day came to the store and shot him. In 1886, Lord Creslingford wrote in his journal, after walking down one of the main streets of Mayfair after dinner: “It is strange to walk through rows of women silently offering their bodies to the passing men.” This was the result of almost all poor girls who, to use nineteenth-century terminology, “threw themselves into the abyss of depravity.” Cruel times did not forgive those who disdained public opinion. The Victorian world was divided into only two colors: white and black! Either she is virtuous to the point of absurdity, or she is depraved! Moreover, one could be classified in the last category, as we saw above, simply because of the wrong color of shoes, because of flirting in front of everyone with a gentleman during a dance, but you never know because of which young girls were awarded a stigma from the old ones maidens who, compressing their lips into a thin thread, watched the youth at the balls.
Text by Tatiana Dittrich (from the book "Daily Life of Victorian England".
Reproductions of paintings by James Tissot.
source
http://gorod.tomsk.ru/
