While scouting for a location for a publicity photo shoot, I was fortunate to find a Victorian painted lady with a fascinating past. Far too often fine examples of Victorian architecture fall beneath the wrecking ball of modern developers. It takes true passion to fight to save a building that seems long past its glory…
The historical setting for my work in progress, The Brass Queen, is the industrial city of Sheffield, England in 1897. The novel details the adventures of various characters as they prepare for the impending visit of Queen Victoria. Our heroine, Constance, is head of the decorating committee for the royal visit. Her obsession with hanging flower…
I recently attended The Steampunk World’s Fair in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Fair is the world’s largest steampunk event. It’s a very friendly convention. Everyone who attends loves some aspect of the Victorian aesthetic and is genuinely thrilled to meet others of the same mindset. The Fair is a celebration of creativity. There are fantastic…
At the start of Victoria’s reign, Christmas was barely celebrated outside of church services. This changed after the Queen’s marriage to German-born Prince Albert. Albert brought to England many of the holiday traditions of his native land. A fashion for decorated Christmas trees was launched by the publication of an illustration in 1848 of the…
The Yorkshire Terrier is a Victorian canine breed developed in my home county of Yorkshire. In the mid-nineteenth century, mill workers bred a small, energetic dog to combat the rats that ran rampant in the cotton and wool mills. The Yorkshire Terrier’s long, silky coat and bright, inquisitive character led to the breed becoming popular…
During the Victorian age there was a surge of interest in the Celtic queen Boudicca. Boudicca led a British uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire in A.D. 60 or 61. Boudicca’s name means “victorious,” or Victoria, and Queen Victoria was keen to associate herself with her heroic namesake. Queen Victoria’s Poet Laureate,…
The Victorian preoccupation with scientific progress underlies the enormous catalog of animal paintings produced in the nineteenth century. A new understanding of the science of biology led to the development of specialized animal breeds both domestic and agricultural. Immortalizing the new breeds in oil paintings and engravings reflected the physical changes of the breeds….
Did you know that in 1864 it was possible to build a home with central heating, indoor plumbing, a geo-thermal air conditioning system and a burglar alarm? These futuristic marvels are not the imaginings of a steampunk author. Two years before the birth of H. G. Wells, the residents of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion embraced the very…