We've all seen plenty of depictions, in fiction, of enormously long dining room tables, with a husband and wife sitting at opposite ends. Usually we see those images in period pieces set in Victorian times, or more modern eras but evoking the hyper-formal rigidity that we (correctly or not) associate with the Victorians. Now, with tons of inexpensive servants for every middle-and-upper-class family, that seems
doable, but did it really happen?
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posted by Tomorrowful
on May 3, 2013 -
11 answers
I'm looking for books about parenting in past times -- did the Victorians write about raising children? How about the middle ages? Even early 20th century would be interesting to me. If you have any personal insights about past parenting methods and the day-to-day of child-rearing, please share!
posted by amanda
on Jan 17, 2013 -
15 answers
Research help: I'm trying to find political affiliations for specific members of the British House of Lords in the 1850s and 1860s.
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posted by estlin
on Nov 28, 2012 -
6 answers
How were the ideas expressed in
The Origin of Species received among country people and laypersons in Victorian England?
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posted by Miss T.Horn
on Jun 26, 2012 -
10 answers
Where can I purchase faux Victorian Aristocratic-Military Dog portraits such as those that were featured in last night's episode of The Big Bang Theory?
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posted by Hanuman1960
on Apr 27, 2012 -
5 answers
Do you recognize
this cat illustration? It's a Victorian/Edwardian looking picture of a cat wearing a monocle, labeled "Masher". I don't think it's Louis Wain, though I think it may be Wain-inspired as he did some very similar images (right down to the "masher" title). Mug came from a now defunct Cafepress shop. There's a small, mostly illegible copyright mark on it that says "J. Meyer [something with 4 letters]" that may or may not be contemporaneous with the image.
posted by Lentrohamsanin
on Feb 24, 2012 -
3 answers
Schools or asylums that trained young girls in some sort of speciality skill only to later sell them off to rich men: did they really exist? Do they still?
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posted by divabat
on Dec 27, 2011 -
28 answers
Where can I find statistics about the incidence of syphilis in the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century? Bonus points for evidence of changing virulence...
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posted by pyotrstolypin
on Jun 30, 2011 -
5 answers
Blogger Steerforth of The Age of Uncertainty found an
old picture which intrigued him, especially the
figure in the center. He wonders in his blogpost if it might be Queen Victoria. Some commenters dissent. I'm curious about it myself. Can anyone shed further light on the image?
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posted by Kattullus
on Jun 29, 2011 -
12 answers
Another book-locating question: help me locate this Victorian pulp fiction!
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posted by pavane
on Feb 10, 2011 -
4 answers
Can you help me in my search for a Victorian-style men's striped bathing suit in a Victorian style?
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posted by skylar
on Aug 28, 2010 -
6 answers
Yet another reading recommendation request. Fellow literature nerds, help me out here. Specific requirements inside.
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posted by Lobster Garden
on Jul 26, 2010 -
45 answers
I live in a 19th century Victorian University Residence. Often, a squirrel climbs up the ivy outside the window, launches themselves into my room, Sometimes they stay there and sometimes they leave quickly.
I have read this, and I am not quite sure if I want to eradicate them, and most of the other questions
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posted by PinkMoose
on Jul 3, 2010 -
19 answers
Can anybody recommend a good nonfiction book to read about Jack the Ripper? I am not sure what book is considered to have better scholarship of so many books out there and am not remotely a "Ripperologist" (yet). Like the Zodiac killer, many folks have their own pet theories and the Ripper books are plentiful on Amazon. Any info on where to start to read about ol' Saucy Jack would be appreciated. (Feel free to name more than one title if you want.)_
posted by snap_dragon
on Sep 22, 2009 -
22 answers
I'm trying to find a particular Victorian poem that contains a stanza depicting a peaceful cottage.
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posted by Lorna
on Feb 17, 2009 -
7 answers
Can you please recommend some books on daily life, home life, and general society in the UK and the US in the 1840s - 1880s for me?
I already have
What Jane Austen Ate, and What Charles Dickens Knew and
An Elegant Madness. It doesn't have to be specifically on daily life- creative nonfiction like Larson's
The Devil in the White City or Johnson's
The Ghost Map are awesome, too.
posted by headspace
on Feb 16, 2009 -
13 answers
I'm looking for historical travel journals and books in the public domain. Specifically I'm interested in anything related to Victorian era exploration of the middle east and central Asia.
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posted by thewalrus
on Jul 7, 2008 -
13 answers
Back in 1996, Heather and I visited our friend Jason in Bourne End, northwest of London, and spent a few days in Lynton, in Devon. There was a funicular from Lynton to Lynmouth, and we used to take the train from Lynton down into town and wander around in search of scrumpy.
As we got off the railway, at the mouth of the Lyn, we found ourselves on the west bank of the Lyn, and IIRC there was a building right about there with the best ever Victorian-latinate-lingo "please curb your dog" sign I've ever seen.
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posted by schampeo
on May 8, 2008 -
5 answers
I'm looking for a large version of the classic Victorian
"this way finger". A vector file would be ideal, but any large enough raster images would do as well.
Also, what exactly would you call that thing? I know it would be considered a
dingbat but I can't imagine shopowners ordering signs saying "Give me that finger thing, you know, the uhh, finger?"
I was able to find some
pointing fingers but they're too clean. The Victorian style in the first link is what I'm looking for.
posted by mjbraun
on Jul 11, 2007 -
14 answers
I'd love some help with designing a sort of 'antique'/'vintage'/'dated' advert for my services.
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posted by dance
on Sep 14, 2006 -
7 answers
Looking for ideas for different vintage photograph treatments. i.e. not just duotones or hand colored. Or any other victorian inspiration you know of.
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posted by Brainy
on Apr 7, 2006 -
12 answers
Yet another font identification question. Kinda. Please come inside if you know anything about Scotch Roman.
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posted by Leon
on Oct 30, 2005 -
5 answers
Looking for a link (posted on the blue before) of paintings by an artist who's art consisted of creepy Victorian style paintings of children/animal/technology nightmarish hybrids. The style was very similar to
Mark Ryden's, but I'm convinced their not his...
posted by iamck
on Feb 25, 2005 -
5 answers
More clothing-related japery!
So I'm an English major and pretty queer for most things Victoriana, and have been desirous of obtaining some natty duds in the
Dandy style for... years now. The problem is that I'm something of a failure at all this fashion stuff. I am just no good at it. I don't dress like a slob, but I have
no idea how one would go about obtaining, you know,
waistcoats. Especially at reasonable prices, since I really don't have all that much discretionary income.
So: enlighten me!
Where do you find these sorts of things for real bargain-basement prices? If you have specific regional advice, I live in Madison, WI and have easy access to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Otherwise, specific ebay strategies might be helpful? I find browsing the listings tedious, and although I have bid on things occasionally, there's always someone willing to pay more than me. Are there other sites worth looking at for this sort of thing?
Thanks in advance!
posted by kavasa
on Nov 23, 2004 -
11 answers
I'm looking for a story written in Victorian times, which was basically the author predicting what everything would be like in the 1990's. I think it was in Project Gutenberg, and it had funny predictions such as that we'd all have wires going from our houses to local concert halls so we could listen to the 'latest music' in every room! This story has eluded me for some years now, and I want to read it again. And to avoid this becoming a useless 0 answer question, if anyone can recommend any other notable old stories or books which try to guess what the future would be like, this is the ideal place!
posted by wackybrit
on Jul 12, 2004 -
20 answers
Whilst whittling away on a book within the confines of InDesign, I've come upon a question which is purely subjective in nature: If I wish to present this tome in as nice a fashion as possible, which font should I set the text in? I am looking for a beautiful serif, one which harkens back to the Victorian era, yet is easily readable in a smallish size (12pt).
In other words, friends, what is your favorite serif font?
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posted by tenseone
on Jun 6, 2004 -
13 answers
What are some examples of Victorian novels with elaborate (and ridiculous) chapter titles? I know
these ("In which our hero meets an extraordinary figure, who resolves some puzzles, and at last explains the purpose of his life, and the meaning of his many adventures") are satirical examples, but what about the genuine article? Are there particular authors (or genres) notorious for the practice?
posted by Aaorn
on Mar 29, 2004 -
14 answers
