Victorian love and marriage
- Victorian feminism, Victorian love and marriage, Victorian theater, Victorian women, Victoriana, W S Gilbert
Was W. S. Gilbert a Victorian Feminist?
What did W.S. Gilbert think about women? During the Victorian era, the division between the worlds of men and women seemed particularly wide, with many popular male writers making efforts to restrict women to the domestic sphere of influence. But as society at large changed, the role of women in public life was expanded – women began to be admitted to colleges and universities, reformers such as John Stuart Mill advocated for women’s right to vote, and women were increasingly able to participate in the world outside their homes. So what was William S. Gilbert’s attitude toward women in the public arena? “Gilbert always enjoyed the company of women, particularly…
- Lucy Agnes Blois Turner, Victorian feminism, Victorian love and marriage, Victorian medicine, Victorian women, Victoriana
Mrs. Robinson’s Disgrace: A Book Review
I highly recommend Mrs. Robinson's Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady to anyone who wants to read a fascinating account of one woman's life and struggles during the mid-Victorian era.
- Victorian art, Victorian love and marriage, Victorian technology, Victoriana, Victorians at home, Victorians then and now
Victorian Valentines
Across the centuries, humans have loved to celebrate love. From the ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, to the Renaissance vision of courtly love, to Ophelia’s sad mention of Valentine’s Day in Hamlet, February 14 and Valentines have been symbols of romantic love. In Britain around the 1820s, specially-made papers for sending Valentine’s Day greetings began to be marketed. They became so popular that they were soon being made in factories. Often flat paper sheets printed with colored illustrations and embossed borders, they were designed to be folded up and sealed with wax for mailing. A very fancy Valentine could be made with real lace and ribbons, with paper lace…
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Victorian Crochet for Christmas
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An Interview with Lucy Turner
Allow me to introduce you to Miss Lucy Agnes Blois Turner of Victoria Road, Kensington. All Lucy really wants is to be the mistress of her own destiny. Sadly, in the Year of our Lord 1866, young ladies – especially those who are members of the large Turner clan, with sisters, aunts and cousins that are reckoned up by dozens – are distinctly NOT encouraged to become mistresses of anything! The Victorian ideal of womanhood is the Angel in the House, sweet and modest, caring and self-effacing – although it is likely that, in the Turner family, this ideal is honored more in the breach than in the observance. Today, The Author…