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THE CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME BEGINS...
From the V & A ArchivesThe VV really loves this engraving. It reminds her of the time when she wrote The Somnambulist, her first Victorian novel which opens with an imaginary scene of a pantomime...
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PRINCE ALBERT'S DEATH AT CHRISTMAS
The royal Christmas tree at Windsor CastleQueen Charlotte (the consort of King George III) first introduced a pine tree in the royal rooms at Christmas time. But, it was Prince Albert who really...
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MISS MARLEY AND THE ENDURING INSPIRATION OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Charles Dickens, the year before he wrote A Christmas CarolCharles Dickens'A Christmas Carol - its full title was A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas - was first published in...
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RIDDLE OF A CURIOUS LOVE LETTER ...
This letter is held by the American Library of Congress. It dates from the 1850's, and whether the original version was genuine or contrived, it is a most delightful find. Do read the explanation at...
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THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF ARTHUR RACKHAM...
Feeling very Undancy by Arthur RackhamDuring the VV's teenage years, instead of pinning posters of pop stars on her bedroom walls, she had some lovely printed cards, each one with softly rounded...
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THE REAL VAN GOGH: THE ARTIST AND HIS LETTERS
Vincent Van Gogh 30 March 1853-29 July 1890 - self portrait: As an ArtistHaving just been to see the recent Van Gogh exhibition at Tate Britain, I was reminded of another one in 2010 when much of the...
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THOMAS COOK'S VICTORIAN TOURS...
Thomas Cook (1808-1892)Package holidays may seem to be a modern construct, but their origins go back over many centuries, very often being organised for mass religious pilgrimages. The Victorian...
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PRE-RAPHAELITE SISTERS ~ NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Fanny Eaton 1835-1911Portrait by Dante Gabriel RosettiOne of the most interesting things about the current exhibition of Pre-Raphaelite Sisters at the National Portrait Gallery are the images relating...
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THE MARGATE SHELL GROTTO...
In 1835, while attempting to dig a duck pond, a man named James Newlove and his son Joshua discovered a peculiar hole in the ground. When Joshua crept down inside it, he discovered over 70 feet of...
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SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN...
Winking Santa by Essie FoxThe VV has found her old box of watercolour paints and created this greetings card of Santa Claus to say thank you and to wish a very Happy Christmas to each and every one of...
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MARIE LLOYD ~ THE ONE AND ONLY ~ THE QUEEN OF THE MUSIC HALLS...
Today there are many people who know nothing at all about Marie Lloyd - which shows how ephemeral fame can be, and how the years so often dim collective treasured memories. Because, in her time Miss...
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THE VICTORIANS LOVED A FREAK SHOW...
The trade in human disability as a form of entertainment has been around for centuries, with physical 'curiosities' being displayed in circuses or travelling fairs. However, during the nineteenth...
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A SMALL COLLECTION OF STUFFED ANIMALS ...
I found this fine fellow one day when searching for the image of a monkey, wearing a monocle and cravat, and holding a copy of Charles Darwin's 'Origin of Species'. I'm sure I saw something just like...
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DR KAHN'S OXFORD STREET MUSEUM
In the Victorian era Dr Joseph Kahn's Anatomical and Pathological Museum was a great tourist destination. It ran for 22 years despite several court cases arising from anti-vice and medical campaigners...
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RICHARD DADD: MADNESS, MURDER, AND FAIRY FOLK...
Richard Dadd – 1817 - 1886According to the Tate's biography Richard Dadds was 'an English painter of the Victorian era, noted for his depictions of fairies and other supernatural subjects. Orientalist...
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FEDOR JEFTICHEW ~ DOG FACED BOY
Fedor Jeftichew 1864~1904Born in Saint Peterburg in 1864, Fedor Jeftichew (Yevtishchev) suffered from the genetic condition of hypertrichosis, with pale coloured, long smooth hair covering most of his...
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THE MAKING OF THE RAJAH QUILT
The Rajah was the name of the convict transportation ship that set sail for Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) from Woolwich in England on April 5 1841.During the three-month voyage, many of its 180...
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THE CASE OF THE COTTINGLEY FAIRES...
Under the Dock Leaves - An Autumnal Evening's Dream by Richard Doyle. 1878. This painting is held in the British MuseumHaving read The Unseen, Katherine Webb's second novel, there was one scene so...
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THE HISTORY OF PEARS PURE SOAP...
In Michel Faber’s novel The Crimson Petal and the White, the subject of some previous posts– the male character of William Rackham has inherited a soap ‘empire’ The product he sells is famed for its...
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