Post by SAMUEL HAYDN on Apr 12, 2010 23:38:46 GMT -5
Seems like things have stagnated juuust a tad, so here's some information about jolly old England in the late Victorian Era to help spark the imagination for roleplay plots.
I. Politics
It's called The Victorian Era because of course we all hail to Queen Victoria! Queen from 1837 to 1901, she's the longest-reigning fuggin' queen that Britain's ever been stuck with... erm, ahem, I mean, that we have been fortunate enough to pledge our fealty to.
From the start of Queen Victoria's reign until she died, England's population doubled... and London's population sextupled! Sex... Yes... Londoners were having a lot of it... It's a wonder we're not all bursting out the cracks in the walls.
II. Culture
III. Entertainment
Victorian Britons were very much interested in the theatre and the arts, regardless of social class. Music, drama, and opera were widely attended. Gambling at cards was also a very popular past time. Natural history increased in popularity as a hobby, in which collectors studied birds, butterflies, seashells, beetles and wildflowers. Many people also took the train to visit the seaside.
IV. Technology
Communication and transportation greatly improved during the Victorian era. Stage coaches, canals, steam ships and most importantly the railways all allowed goods and people to be quickly moved about, while the telegraph (although invented, the telephone was still a novelty) allowed them to quickly communicate with each other.
Can't think of anything else right now. For a good source of information about the time period this site is set in (late Victorian) I happily recommend reading some Sherlock Holmes stories. They are all available to read free online at a website called Page by Page Books. Not only are they very entertaining (and quick! Many stories are less than 20 pages), they also paint a wonderful picture of late-Victorian England.
I. Politics
It's called The Victorian Era because of course we all hail to Queen Victoria! Queen from 1837 to 1901, she's the longest-reigning fuggin' queen that Britain's ever been stuck with... erm, ahem, I mean, that we have been fortunate enough to pledge our fealty to.
From the start of Queen Victoria's reign until she died, England's population doubled... and London's population sextupled! Sex... Yes... Londoners were having a lot of it... It's a wonder we're not all bursting out the cracks in the walls.
II. Culture
A. The World's Fair and The Great Exhibition
The first Universal Exposition aka Expo aka World Fair aka World's Fair was held in Hyde Park, London, in 1851. There were 13,000 exhibits from around the world, including an envelope machine, kitchen appliances, the first single-cast ironframe for a piano, the Koh-i-noor diamond, and more! During the Victorian Era, the focus was on industrialization, so most of the stuff in the exhibitions had to do with early technological inventions and advancements. One of the first telephones were showcased here!
B. Photography
Cameras were also showcased at The Great Exhibition and quickly became the new hot item. Queen Victoria was the first British Monarch to be photographed. Although cameras were still too novel (and therefore expensive) for personal ownership, photography studios quickly sprung up where you could dress up in your Sunday best and pay to have your photograph taken.
C. Child Labor
Child labor is still very much the norm. Agile boys frequently became chimney sweeps, small children retrieved cotton bobbins under the machinery in textile factories, and many children are employed in the coal mines, crawling through tunnels too narrow and low for adults. Children also worked as errand boys, shoe-shiners, or sold small cheap goods such as matches and flowers. Some children found jobs as apprentices for respectable trades such as building or servants, while many young women worked as prostitutes.
D. Jack the Ripper
The famous serial killer Jack the Ripper murdered and mutilated at least five prostitutes on the streets of London in 1888.
III. Entertainment
Victorian Britons were very much interested in the theatre and the arts, regardless of social class. Music, drama, and opera were widely attended. Gambling at cards was also a very popular past time. Natural history increased in popularity as a hobby, in which collectors studied birds, butterflies, seashells, beetles and wildflowers. Many people also took the train to visit the seaside.
IV. Technology
Communication and transportation greatly improved during the Victorian era. Stage coaches, canals, steam ships and most importantly the railways all allowed goods and people to be quickly moved about, while the telegraph (although invented, the telephone was still a novelty) allowed them to quickly communicate with each other.
Can't think of anything else right now. For a good source of information about the time period this site is set in (late Victorian) I happily recommend reading some Sherlock Holmes stories. They are all available to read free online at a website called Page by Page Books. Not only are they very entertaining (and quick! Many stories are less than 20 pages), they also paint a wonderful picture of late-Victorian England.