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) . .
