THE CONTEST IS OVER
Here are some of the fantastic
entries I received.
Read them for slices of life in
Victorian America!
AND To find the winning names,
too.
A way of life for Victorians.
In 1880's New Orleans, they would post the death notices on the lampposts. That was the way people found out who died. And people had the wakes in their homes, not in funeral parlors. They would cover their mirrors in their homes when a family member died.
I don't think we have the coffins in our living rooms any more, thank God. But
I remember when I was four or five years old, an uncle died. He was
only thirteen years old, and my grandmother had his coffin with his corpse in
her living room. He had been a traffic boy and he wore his traffic boy
white belt across his shoulder down to his waist, and I still remember that so vividly. He had blonde hair and blue
eyes, and I will always remember
him.
~Dolores
Wearing "mourning
jewelry" is no longer "in fashion." Although a quick google
search did provide a host of links - so maybe it's an art that is still
practiced.
~Wendy
They used to hold the funerals in the parlor and my
grandma told me that the children had to kiss the dead as a way of saying
goodbye, someone would sit up all night with the dead, today we go to funeral
homes, but back then it was a sign of respect!
~Glena
Mourning for the widow, would
last usually two and-a-half years. Within this mourning were four distictive
stages of mourning. It seems that in the later part of the Victorian era, three
stages were more common. The first was being the deepest peroid of mourning
lasting on the average of a year and a day. Dresses were to be two pieces
consisting of a bodice and a skirt. The poor woman may make a dress out of
cotton, or even dye an existing dress black. A middleclass woman would have
chosen a black wool, cotton or even silk. An upperclass woman would have had
the latest fashion made up plainly in silk or wool. The keys to the fabric that
was chosen was: it had to be black, one of these three materials, and
lusterless. One of the main clues to the fact that a woman was in the deepest
stage of mourning was the addition of crepe (transparent, crimped, dull silk
gauze) to her wardrobe. A long crepe veil that come down to her waist or knees
as well as a crepe covered bonnet, and crepe trimmings on the dress (crepe
covered buttons, crepe hem, and even crepe cuffs and collars).
~Alicia
Widowed women were supposed to show they were in mourning by
way of dress. This could mean wearing black clothing and
veils. They also had to be in mourning for a certain amount of
time. Although Queen Victoria was not the first to start this tradition,
she made this phenomenon fashionable. (Information obtained from the
following article: http://www.mourningmatters.com/mourningmatters-article.html
~BJ
Electricity was Big News. . .anyone remember how in the
fifties everything was atomic? (I don’t.
I’ve just seen the movies – no really.) Electricity was the 19th
century equivalent of MODERN.
An English-born,
American-based Dr. George Scott invented and patented the electric hair
brush [in reality, the brush contained three magnetic iron rods that ran from
the handle to the brush inside] in 1872, which he had produced and advertised
in 1880.
According to his adverts, the Scott Electric Hair Brush has an ability to cure
Spinal Complaints, Incipient Consumption, Diarrhea, Pleurisy, Tumors, Asthma,
Bronchitis, Epilepsy, Lumbago, Debility, Dropsy, Loss of Voice, Hysteria,
Coetaneous Diseases, Nervousness, Indigestion, Palpitation, Baldness [which
must have thrilled balding men], Constipation, Lameness and Paralysis.
Needlessly to say, his customers weren't impressed. Today, the Scott Electric
Brush is as freely available as hen's teeth.
[It has to be noted that Dr. Scott also invented, patented and produced
Electric Girdle, Electric Corset and Electric Sock Garters.]
~Maili
The electric chair was invented in the late 1880's and was last used in 1963. Here is a link to lots of info if you'd like to read more. Very interesting, but gruesome. http://www.ccadp.org/electricchair.htm
~Sherri
Patent devices! This book
claims that the "Perfected" Oxygenor King "Stands Without a
Rival as a Curative Agent and Possesses Complete Mastery over all Curable
Diseases Without Employing Nauseous or Poisonous Drugs."
The Principle on which it works is given as
follows:
The "generator" exposed to a
temperature ranging from 25 to 66 degrees lower than that of the body, acting
as one terminal , and the two treating plates attached to the body acting as
the other terminal, the body completing the circuit between the treating
plates, and the flexible conductor cords to the "generator," set up a
gentle, imperceptible current of animal vitality, producing a combination of
Thermo-Chemico currents of generative force, which are diffused through the
entire body. At the same time the nascent allotropic oxygen evolved in
the "generator" by this action is conveyed to the system, and by a
process known as endosmotic action the oxygen of the atmosphere is caused to be
absorbed by the pores of the skin, the vitality of the body restored,
impurities and impure gases thrown out, and the magnetic polarity of the atoms
forming the body that may be out of the normal condition, restored."
The item is a stainless steel cylinder about 5
inches long, very heavy, attached to wires insulated in maroon and black woven
cotton thread and attached to one end, and the wires have discs the size
of a half dollar that attached to the patient. There is another piece
called a distention attachment and I couldn't figure it out. The list
price at that time was $26.50.
~Paula
Emile Berliner--the disk gramophone
Melville Bissell – carpet sweeper.
~Pam
Granville T. Woods invented the induction telegraph system (1887) which informed an engineer of trains directly in front and behind him, ensuring safer rail travel. Today it is done by radio.
~Kim
Sterling Elliott patented the knot-
tying machine in 1881. This machine automatically tied a square knot after it
stitched the pages of the magazine together. It is no longer used today.
~Karen
In the
1880s, there were elevated railroads with steam locomotives. Now, it's the
subway system, celebrating its 100 year anniversary.
~Tina
The "Gong and Signal Chair for Hotels" had a
button on the chair that would buzz the waiters' station and a light on
the chair that would let the staff know who wanted service (patented in
1888). It was also adapted and used in the United States House of
Representatives!
~Eva
In
1885 Frank Reade, who made the first robot, an electric horse, created his
first robotic man, Electric Man.
Also
if that isn’t good enough . . . in 1893
Professor Archibald CAmpion created the first robot soldier, Broiler plate man.
BPM was the prototype soldier and he was used with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough
Riders in the war against Poncho Villa.
~Lisa
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
A number of entries mentioned bustles . . . At least
eight people wondered what the HECK was that about?
The bustle was a rumpled pad on the back side worn under a petticoat or two. To make the female's buttocks look more curvy? It was a style that developed in the 1870s right on through till 1905-ish. But since I can't describe it very well I have included a link.
http://www.mantua-maker.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/1880-bustle.jpg
~Rook
Something
they did in the 1880s that we don't do today -- the women tried to make their
butts look enormous. (bustles)
~Theresa, who needs no help in that department
One object represented civility, cultural refinement, education, and proper manners: the parlor piano. A young girl with proper posture sitting at the parlor piano was considered the epitome of the enlightened Victorian woman.
~Bonnie
The silver calling-card tray was a popular
ornament in entry halls of houses in the 1880's. Ladies (and gentlemen, too)
paying formal calls left
their calling cards with the butler, who deposited them in the tray, where they
accumulated as a testament to the hostess's popularity and social
standing.
Nowadays silver calling-card trays have fallen into disuse, as have calling
cards themselves, and formal calls, for that matter. Instead,
denizens of the blogosphere judge social standing by the number of comments
found on a blog proprietor's posts ;-)
~Elsewhere
The custom of using every button on a man's coat, right up
to the neck, leaving very little of anything visible. Apparently was "in"
from 1860 - 1880.
~Stacey
An American 1880's
custom or invention that is not practiced today is that women no longer wear
drawers with an open crotch to facilitate nature's necessary practices without having to remove layers of clothes and
corset. (Okay, a few women do wear crotchless underwear these days, but not for
the same reason!)
~Bron
In the 1880's the Victorians
used pink for baby boys as a sign of virility and blue for baby girls as a sign
of virginity because it was the color attributed to the Virgin Mary. Today we
use the reverse!
~Kathi -- this is from an 1880 book on etiquette that belonged to my great grandmother.
Bridesmaids used to dress very much like the bride (down to a white dress and veil) which was based on a tradition of confusing evil/jealous/unhappy spirits as to who the bride was.
~Teresa
Hair art became
popular in the Victorian age. What started as a simple way to keep a loved one
near became an elaborate art practiced by many. Taking a lock of hair and
weaving it into knot designs for use in a broach was the most popular form of
Victorian mourning jewelry. Rings, bracelets, earrings, watch fobs and
necklaces all became quite common in the later portion of the century. Today
this art is prized by collectors and family historians alike.
~Diane
From the internet:
Why do we use
Diamonds in our Wedding Rings? You will be disappointed to know that Diamonds
are synonymous with romance because of a corporate marketing campaign for the
DeBeers company. Until the mid-fifteenth century, diamonds symbolized royal power,
not love. Until the late 1800's, they were worn as a sign of social standing
because only wealthy people could afford them. The use of diamonds in
engagement and wedding rings didn't
popularize until the late nineteenth century, when massive amounts of diamonds
were discovered in South Africa. The DeBeers family, which
mined and controlled 95% of the diamond industry, launched a campaign to link diamonds
and love, hence came the slogan "Diamonds are Forever." Diamonds are
indestructible and have the ability to capture light and shine with an internal
brilliance. Therefore, diamonds represent the imperishable fires of love. Just
as in the Victorian days, people are still trying to impress one another and prove
their social standing with the size of their diamonds.
~Kim
Coca Cola. It was
introduced to Victorian society in the USA in 1886. The difference
between then in now, is that it had cocaine in it in the 1880s. It no longer
has cocaine in it now. I wonder what it was like to drink the
original.
~D. M.
We no longer carry smelling salts so
that we can be revived from fainting spells - but we
can no longer indulge in a nice fit of the vapours to
avoid unpleasant situations, either!
~Glenys
Parlor music, and piano playing in particular was a common custom in ones home to entertain guests in the 1880's. Usually only the well off families participated in this form of entertainment, as only the wealthy could afford to purchase pianos and lessons. It was considered a status symbol of sorts when one could afford to own and play a piano. This is no longer the case.
~Kimberly
Women would leave their husband's calling cards when
visiting. The custom was for a married woman calling formally on another
married woman
to leave one of her own and two of her husband's cards, one of his being for
the hostess, the other for her husband.
~Norma Jean
The 1800's men thought wearing a long mustache proved
virility.
~`Jackie
An American custom in the
1800's was for men to NOT bathe daily but to use a cologne-type
preparation to mask their body odor. The most popular scent that men
selected was Sandalwood. Also, a lot of men "stuffed" their drawers
in order to be more acceptable to the ladies. (Stuffing was mostly in the
front).
~Joy
[I assume this stuffing was not a la
Spinal Tap.]
Ladies
in the 1880s used to wear wax-based make-up, which would melt if they sat too
close to the fire (not very attractive). So they invented little
table-top firescreens to shield the face from the fire's heat.
Bonus
answer: Victorians used to sleep in a semi-upright position because they were
afraid they would die if they slept fully reclining (like, fluids would collect
in their lungs or something.)
Bonus
answer #2: Pickle forks. Used to be part of every silver service.
~Kara
Most people carried 'calling cards' which they left when they came calling.
~Robyn
When a woman entered a room, it was considered rude for a
man to offer his seat to her because the cushion might still be warm.
~Darlene
AROUND THE HOUSE.
I believe that the emptying of chamber pots out of
upper-story windows onto the heads of thy least favorite neighbor is no longer
practiced in this century. Instead we have elections.
~Cathy
Several things popped to mind that were used in the 1880's
but not today... The washboard, the butter churn, and tin type for pictures.
Close enough?
:-)
~Beth
They used to use
frayed twigs to brush their teeth. Now we use nylon toothbrushes. And
they used cologne for mouthwash (remember Scarlett <g>) Now we use
Listerine and Scope.
~Gigi
Tooth Powder - Take
any quantity of pulverized chalk, and twice as much finely pulverized
charcoal, make very fine then add a very little suds made from castile soap and
sufficient spirits of camphor to wet all into a thick paste. Apply with
the finger, rubbing thoroughly, and it will whiten the teeth better than
any tooth powder you can buy.
~Carrie Jo
Mixing
lye and ashes was a way to make soap. Wrapped and scented today!
~Kay
How
about the old had crank phonograph to listen to recorders. Or a washtub and
ripple washboard where they had to do it by hand and boiling water.
~Lisa
I am going with bread and bear claw
[yum, me too]. Most people no longer make them at home. Also
chocolate was not around like it is today.
~Debra
A custom which is not practiced today: women used sponges as contraception, or sometimes used to drink a certain tea to prevent conception. Now, it is the pill.
Another thing is that vinegar was used for everything from cleaning to curing insomnia.
~Suz
In the 1880's,
every house had a nutmeg grater.
~Cathy
MISCELlany
I found this online
at http://histclo.hispeed.com/act/holiday/holxmas.html.
At Christmastime, Victorian children played “snapdragon.” To play, raisins
soaked in brandy or another alcohol were set ablaze. Once sufficiently blazing,
the children reached into the fire and pulled the raisins out!
Gee, I wonder why
we don’t do this anymore?
~Kris
In 1880s America, women could not vote in federal
elections. So they could not, as many American women will do this Tuesday,
walk, or drive, or ride a
horse or a bicycle, down to their local polling station and do their part to KICK
THE [expletive deleted] OUT OF OFFICE. (Or, in the case of a woman living
abroad, fill in an absentee ballot some weeks earlier.) They were not allowed
to exercise their right to KICK THE DUMB-ASS [expletive deleted] OUT OF OFFICE
until 1920.
Or, if you were a black woman (or indeed man) in the south, you couldn't KICK
THE DUMB-ASS [expletive deleted] OUT OF OFFICE until 1965.
Um...do you think that's too political?
~Julie [submitted before November 3]
It was the custom to write in long hand all communications
and letters.
It was the custom to light homes with candles and lanterns.
It was the custom to put people with no wealth or income into poor houses.
It was the custom to travel in covered wagons and sleep in tents on trips.
It was the custom to attend 1-room school houses.
~Grandpa Chuck
People didn't say
"plastic" much, but they did talk about "gutta percha"
umbrella handles, golf balls, etc In 1888, a guy named George Eastman developed
a camera he called the "Kodak," which was a nice improvement over
the . . .clunkers.
American girls were
famed for their relative freedom in comparison to English girls, but a lot of
American wives longed for the freedom and political involvement enjoyed by
their English counterparts.
In 1880, Joshua Norton, the man who had
declared himself Emperor of the United States, died in San Francisco. His
funeral drew up to 30,000 people (figures vary). If this doesn't prove
that San Franciscans already had a taste for the political fringe and the
charmingly eccentric, consider Emperor Norton's equally well-loved
contemporary, Oofty Goofty, who earned his living by letting people pay to
thrash the living daylights out of him. Needless to say, the ladies on
Nob Hill were sheltered from all of the Barbary Coast's savage goings-on...
And finally, in
1882, the Chinese Exclusion Law was passed, banning the entry of Chinese
laborers into the US for the next ten years -- the passage of this act was felt
most emphatically in San Francisco, where the "Chinese question" was
being hotly debated.
Can you tell I'm from SF? :D Kristen Kyle and Patricia Gaffney are
the only romance novelists I know of who have set stories in 1880s San
Francisco, but it's a great setting, capable of rivaling Almack's any
day.
~Meredith
Trepanning! [cutting a hole in
the head as a cure for what ails you]
~Coffeenogrumpy
There
were plenty of other entries – but they were along the lines of “horses were
used as a form of transportation.” Hey, they were real entries too! Thank you
to EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!
AND NOW THAT YOU’VE WADED THROUGH ALL THESE ENTRIES . . . Here you are at last. At the winners!
These three people win copies of Somebody To Love and Somebody Wonderful.
AND THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER . . .
WINNER OF THE PERSONAL SELF-INDULGENCE BASKET IS (Picked by random drawing) . .
