10 Facts About Victorian London
- Victorians wore black so it wouldn’t show dirt.
- Londoners regularly walked into the Thames by mistake.
- London was once the biggest city in the world.
- The Great Stink.
- Photos of the dead were commonplace.
- Arsenic was the must-have beauty product.
- The Mines Act came into force.
- Big Ben was built.
What are 5 interesting facts about the Victorian era?
10 Interesting facts about the Victorian Era
- Taxidermy was also huge in the Victorian Era.
- Victorians wore a lot of black.
- Freakshows were also big in the Victorian Era.
- When someone passed the family would often have a photograph taken of the body.
- Gothic novels were at their peak.
What was Victorian London like facts?
Hot, overcrowded, with little running water or sanitation, the sheer stink of unwashed bodies, tobacco smoke, horses and garbage would have been horrendous. But worse still was the smell which came from the river Thames. There was no effective plumbing in London until the 1860s.
Did you know facts Victorian era?
2) During the Victorian era, Britain expanded its territory throughout the world and became the largest, richest and most powerful empire in world history. A quarter of the world’s population lived in the empire and Queen Victoria was even Empress of India!
What was London known for in the Victorian era?
During this period, London became a global political, financial, and trading capital. While the city grew wealthy as Britain’s holdings expanded, 19th century London was also a city of poverty, where millions lived in overcrowded and unsanitary slums.
What did Victorians eat?
Popular foods included beef, mutton, port, bacon, cheese, eggs, bread, potatoes, rice, porridge oats, milk, vegetables, flour, sugar, treacle, jam and tea. Breakfast might consist of stoneground bread smeared with dripping or lard, with a large bunch of watercress.
Who was the most famous Victorian?
A List of Famous Victorians
- Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria was the monarch of England during the Victorian era.
- Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens was one of the most famous and popular authors of the Victorian era.
- Lewis Carroll.
- Charles Darwin.
- George Stephenson.
- John Ruskin.
- Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
What are 3 interesting facts about London?
To feed your curiosity, scroll down to read some interesting facts about London you might have never heard before.
- Big Ben Is Not The Name For The Tower.
- London Is The Smallest City In England.
- London Has 170 Museums.
- The Smallest Statue In The World Is Built In London.
- Death In Parliament Is Not Illegal.
How long did Victorian London last?
Queen Victoria ruled Britain for over 60 years. During this long reign, the country acquired unprecedented power and wealth.
Did Victorian London have trains?
In 1870, 423 million passengers travelled on 16,000 miles of track, and by the end of Queen Victoria’s reign over 1100 million passengers were using trains. The railway system offered new chances for travel, holidays, transporting goods, developing businesses and the growth of towns and cities.
What are 3 Victorian inventions?
There were many important Victorian inventions that we still use today! These included the invention of safe, electric light bulbs, public flushing toilets and the phonograph (which recorded the human voice for the first time).
What did Victorians do for fun?
Sporting pastimes, such as cycling, rowing and horseracing were also popular, and large crowds would often attend sailing events like the Henley Regatta and famous horse races such as the Epsom Derby. One of the largest events of the Victorian calendar was the famous Great Exhibition, held in 1851.
What are 5 Victorian inventions?
10 Ingenious Inventions of the Victorian Era
- Electric lighting. Until the mid-19th century, gas lighting was increasingly popular in middle class homes.
- The telephone.
- The underground railway.
- The internal combustion engine.
- The bicycle.
- Moving pictures.
- The x-ray.
- Anaesthesia.
What is the oldest thing in London?
Ancient History: The Oldest Landmarks in London
- The London Wall – 2nd / 3rd Century AD.
- The Tower of London – 1078 AD.
- Westminster Palace – 1097 AD.
- Nelson’s Column – 1843.
How did the rich live in Victorian London?
Most rich people had servants and they would live in the same house, frequently sleeping on the top floor or the attic. The rich had water pumps in their kitchens or sculleries and their waste was taken away down into underground sewers. Gradually, improvements for the poor were made.
How did Victorians treat the poor?
Poor people could work in mines, in mills and factories, or in workhouses. Whole families would sometimes have to work so they’d all have enough money to buy food. Children in poor families would have jobs that were best done by people who weren’t very tall.
What did Victorians drink?
A glass of hock after white fish or claret and port after salmon. Following entrees chilled champagne, a favourite with the ladies, might be served. But it wasn’t all alcohol in the Victorian home. Lemonade, root beer, hot tea and, yes, Perrier that had recently being introduced, were all popular beverages.
What did Victorian children drink?
Godfrey’s Cordial was a patent medicine, containing laudanum (tincture of opium) in a sweet syrup, which was commonly used as a sedative to quiet infants and children in Victorian England.
Did Victorians drink milk?
The Victorian breakfast was usually a heavy meal: sausages, preserves, bacon and eggs, served with bread rolls. The custom of afternoon tea served before dinner, with milk and sugar, became well-established in Britain in the early 19th century.
Who was the last surviving Victorian?
Ethel Lang
Ethel Lang was 114 and the last person left in Britain born in the reign of Queen Victoria. She was born in Barnsley in 1900 when Victoria was old and sickly.
What did people wear in the Victorian era?
The fashion of the 19th century is renowned for its corsets, bonnets, top hats, bustles and petticoats. Women’s fashion during the Victorian period was largely dominated by full skirts, which gradually moved to the back of the silhouette.