Turning tragedy into timeless romance.
Lady Hester Stanhope was an all-around badass. She was an adventurer and archaeologist in an age when women were restricted to the domestic sphere. She helped form the field of archaeology while changing opinions on women's roles.
Lord Byron was a man of scandal, romance, passion, and literary genius. Here's 7 (mis)adventures of the man that was "mad, bad, and dangerous to know."
What would you have seen if you were a visitor to the Great Exhibition of 1851? Here's 10 awesome cultural and technological marvels you would have seen on display.
Many of us have been there. Many of us have believed ourselves in love to the point of obsession, and letters Charlotte Brontë wrote to Constantin Heger, a Belgian tutor, proves that even one of the most famed writers in English Literature wasn’t immune to this human experience.
Kate Webster’s (1849-1879) mark on history is as the “female Sweeney Todd” for murdering her employer, Julia Thomas, but before dismembering and boiling the bones off a corpse, Kate led a life filled with larceny, pick-pocketing, and petty crime.
The United Kingdom has a rich and extensive history. This might not be more apparent than in the country’s legal history, with strange laws spanning from not wearing armor into the House of Parliament to ladies not eating chocolate on public transportation. Some laws are still enforced, but others are not. While this is definitely... Continue Reading →
In the Victorian era, insane asylums were a tool utilized by a patriarchal society in the oppression of women. While there were signs of feminism and women’s rights taking hold in the 19th century (i.e. bluestockings, feminist writers, women’s colleges, etc.), progression was slow. Women’s suffragettes, in England, wouldn’t see the fruits of their labor... Continue Reading →
Beau Brummell took Regency England by storm with his devious good looks, witticism, and fashion sense. He was an ideal dandy, meaning a man who placed importance in his appearance, pursued his passions to the utmost, and adhered to romantic ideals. Beau took these beliefs to heart, taking great pains with his wardrobe. He disdained... Continue Reading →
One of my favorite things to do is to dig into the English annals and discover really weird stories. I’ve covered some strange and deranged stories on this blog, from Lady Caroline Lamb sending her bloody pubes to Lord Byron to one of life’s most baffling questions—was Jack the Ripper a woman? This month I... Continue Reading →
What images come to mind for the Victorian era? Maybe corsets, tea, and large country homes come to mind. Maybe the values of the time: wealth, family, morality, and strict gender roles (like divorce as a rare occurrence and society's obsession with virginity). The last thing you might think of is a crazy sex cult... Continue Reading →
