Turning tragedy into timeless romance.
Ottobah Cugoano was captured off the Gold Coast and sold into slavery as a boy. Once he reached London, England, he found his freedom, learned to read and write, and fought like hell to put an end to slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
Jane Clouson was tragically murdered at the age of 16 by someone who should have protected her. Instead, she was found bloodied on Kidbrooke Lane, London and died with the name of her murderer on her lips.
Beauty trends today are nothing compared to the weird, and sometimes deadly, fashions of the Victorian era. Here's 8 insane fashion trends, from lead-filled lotions to combustible hoop skirts.
She was a princess of the Egbado clan of the Yoruba people. She became enslaved to the King of Dahomey before being "gifted" to Queen Victoria, who made her a goddaughter. This is the story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta.
Sarah MacFarlane, a widow, began an affair with her neighbor, Augustus Dalmas, months after his wife died. What followed were rumors, lies, and rambling letters filled with love and hate...and murder.
Before 1839, women had no rights to their children if their marriage failed and led to separation or divorce, nor could a wife own property or keep independent wages. Then came Caroline Norton, poet, author, and early women's rights advocate.
Eliza Fenning had the misfortune of being hired as a cook for the Turner family, and 7 weeks into her employment, she got entangled in a complex web of family tension and murder.
Mary Seacole was a nurse, hotelier, and traveler. She traveled across the globe learning nursing techniques, aiding soldiers and patients, and assisted during the Crimean War, even after the British government turned her away. This is the story of Mary Seacole, known to those she helped as "Mother Seacole."
Love potions have been around since ancient times, if not sooner. The concept of the love potion is simple. Concoct a magical potion, give it to the object of your desires, and she or he will fall in love with you. Some recipes called for very innocent ingredients. Medieval Europeans used roses or honey in... Continue Reading →
Many of our treasured traditions, Christmas cards, Christmas trees, hanging stockings, and caroling, didn’t appear until the 1840s. This makes much of Christmas a Victorian invention., and like anything from the Victorian era, many of these beloved traditions have weird, wacky, and even sinister roots. Here's 7 weird Victorian Christmas traditions.
Kat Devitt 