The Victorian Period (1832-1901)

Romantics Music Era

Period: Feb 1, 1825 to Feb 1, 1900

Although the time is not set on stone for music time periods (since musical trends occur over time, not overnight), it is widely accepted that Romantics Era for music starts around 1825 and ends around 1900, which falls right with the Victorian Era. However, English people were not too greatly affected by the romanticism until the end. This period of music is characterized by its programmatic music, expressiveness, melodies with simplicity and presence, as well as connections to literary works.

First Reform Bill Passed

Apr 22, 1832

http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/1c290f745d6b5e745e0f372abca38ae3_1M.png In 1832, the First Reform Bill extended the vote to all men who owned property worth ten pounds or more in yearly rent.

Industrial Revolution

Period: Jul 6, 1832 to Oct 18, 1848

Industrialization in the Victorian Period meant working in factories. Working in factories meant unsanitary labor conditions, long labor hours, and poverty. This eventually lead to labor reform, with factory workers rioting and demanding better working conditions, wages, and hours. IThis period was also characterisitic of new inventions, such as the light bulb, which further influenced technology and education.

Early Victorian Furniture

Dec 19, 1832

Early Victorian furniture is very ornate and detailed, with dark wood such as rosewood and black walnut being popular.

The Burning of the Houses of Parliament

Jan 31, 1835

The Burning of the Houses of Parliament was painted from memory by Joseph William Turner in 1835.

Queen Victoria's Reign

Period: May 11, 1837 to Apr 27, 1901

The Victorian era was characterized by the rule of Queen Victoria of Britain. During her reign, the Queen encouraged world exploration and at its peak, Britain was the world power. The empire doubled in size under her reign. She was a social queen who interacted with the public and was a source of great influence to them. She is the creator of the style of wearing a white wedding dress.

Oliver Twist

Jan 31, 1838

Charles Dickens finished Oliver Twist; or. The Parish Boy's Progress in 1838. It became a cultural icon of Victorian childhood.
Victorians believed the child was conceived as naturally innocent but also prone to the society's corruption. Public awareness. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Dodger_introduces_Oliver_to_Fagin_by_Cruikshank_(detail).jpg/220px-Dodger_introduces_Oliver_to_Fagin_by_Cruikshank_(detail).jpg

Monday's Child

Feb 1, 1838

http://www.windstarembroidery.com/cw2/Assets/product_full/1191_250.gif Monday's Child is one of many fortune-telling songs that passed down from generations ago through oral recitations. It was first published in written text in 1838, and it tells a child's characteristic based on the day they were born as well as aid young children in remembering the days of the week. Monday's Child

Portrait of Queen Victoria

Aug 7, 1843

Portrait of Queen Victoria was painted by Sir Francis Grant in 1843. This painting demonstrates the pyramid design that was popular during the Victorian Era.

A Christmas Carol

Dec 19, 1843

Focus on morality. Social Darwinism. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Scrooges_third_visitor-John_Leech,1843.jpg/170px-Scrooges_third_visitor-John_Leech,1843.jpg

Irish Potato Famine

Period: Feb 28, 1845 to May 16, 1849

Potato dependency and crash of the crop caused a famine that killed perhaps a million people and forced two million others—more than 25 percent of Ireland’s population—to emigrate. Some went to English cities, where they lived ten or twelve to a room in slums that had two toilets for every 250 people. This represents how, during the Victorian period, people fought against poverty because they began to realize how they were able to gain more and have more power, or wealth.

Study of Stone Pine at Sestri

Jun 11, 1845

Study of Stone Pine at Sestri by John Ruskin was completed in 1845 and uses watercolors to depict the landscape.

Bronte Sisters publish their poetry

May 31, 1846

Bronte sisters started their writing career with the publishment of their poetry under male pseudonyms Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. Initial critic response to Wuthering Heights: "Strange, inartistic story full of brutal cruelty and semi-salvage love." Fierce animal imagery, scenes of raw violence, and supernatural overtones prevail the novel. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Bronte_poems2.jpg/220px-Bronte_poems2.jpg

The Princess

Jan 30, 1847

"The Princess" by Alfred Lord Tennyson Man for the field and woman for the hearth;
for the sword, and for the needle she;
Man with the head, and women with the heart;
Man to command, and woman to obey;
All else is confusion.

Ten Hours Act

Sep 22, 1847

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Liz-ONBC/Alice%20in%20Wonderland/Victorian%20Era/2101.jpgT en Hours Act limited the number of hours that women and children can work in factories.

The Great Exhibition

Oct 15, 1851

http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/victorians/exhibition/images/great.jpg The Great Exhibition was the first international fair held at the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London. Again, this was characteristic of Great Britain's status as a world power and increased globalization during the Victorian Period.

Crimean War

Period: Oct 1, 1853 to Feb 1, 1856

The Crimean war interrupted the general peace that was characteristic of the Victorian Period. It was a conflict between the Allies, including Great Britain, against the Russian Empire for influence over the territories of the declining Ottoman Empire. Since Great Britain was the major world power during this period, it was essential that they fight and win to further maintain their influence.

The Crystal Palace

Jun 13, 1854

The Crystal Palace, completed in 1854, was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton and was named for the predominantly glass design.

Jesus Washing Peter's Feet

Sep 22, 1856

Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet, painted in 1856 by Ford Madox Brown is located in the Tate Gallery, London.

The May Queen

Feb 1, 1858

http://books.google.com/books?id=MUZLAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1 William Sterndale Bennett's The May Queen was a huge hit in the Victorian Era. This piece led to the increasing appetite for larger scale works that covered epic, biblical, and mythical themes.

On the Origin of Species

Nov 24, 1859

Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1985. The book invalidated previous Victorian beleifs in a "clockmaker world."
Darwinism was applied to nonscientific area - Social Darwinism - and was used to justify colonialism. http://static.superherosuperstar.com/uploads/2011/05/charles-darwin-the-origin-of-species.jpg

The Railway Station

Mar 29, 1862

William Powell Frith painted The Railway Station in 1862. Currently , this piece is located in the University of London.

Jenner

Aug 20, 1862

Jenner was made by William Calder Marshall in 1862 for the Kensington Gardens. This statue was inaugurated by Prince Albert and commemorates the success of Edward Jenner's first smallpox vaccination in 1796.

Lewis Carroll

Jan 31, 1865

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
-Humorous children's book.
Most of the songs and poems that appear in the book are parodies of well-known Victorian poems (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat). Some were inside jokes only recognizable by his close associates.
Reflects Victorian's views on children - demanding discipline and compliance.
White Rabbit - Victorian adult.
http://sabian.org/images/alice02a.jpg

Second Reform Bill

Mar 27, 1867

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cocktail-party-physics/files/2011/11/bow_bells.jpg Second Reform Act gave vote to most male industrial workers, doubling the number of voters.

Lady Lilith

Apr 12, 1867

Painted by D.G. Rossetti, Lady Lilith was completed in 1867. His model was his mistress, Fanny Cornforth. Rossetti was part of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood who wanted to revitalize the arts by defying traditional painting techniques.

Royal Albert Hall

Feb 1, 1871

http://mikebm.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/royal-albert-hall2.jpg This magnificent concert hall was built in 1871 among other series of facilities that were built in the London area for the englightenment of the public. Since its opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, it has become one of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings that feature distinctive concerts.

Great Britan Purchases the Suez Canal

Feb 12, 1875

http://www.dutchtouch.nl/images/dB/1191.jpg Britain purchased Egypt's shares in the Suez Canal as the African nation was forced to raise money to pay off its debts. This was characteristic of Britain's world power status.

Thomas Edison's Invention of the Incandescent Lightbulb

Dec 2, 1879

http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/thegreengrok/graphics/edison Thomas Edison invented the first incandescent lightbulb. This was characteristic of the industrial revolution.

1812 Overture

Feb 1, 1880

http://www.orsymphony.org/discography/images/cds/Tchaikovsky_1812.jpg The Year 1812, Festival Overture in E flat major, better known as 1812 Overture, is a piece written by Tchaikovsky. This piece tells the story of the powerful Russian defense of Moscow against Napoleon's Army in 1812, adding to the increasing nationalism throughout Europe. 1812 Overture Finale

The Mikdado

Mar 14, 1885

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/The_Mikado.jpg/250px-The_Mikado.jpg Written and composed by Gilbert and Sullivan, The Mikdado is an example of a savoy opera, which is a name for a usually satirical comical operas. Like many other savoy operas, The Mikdado mocks British politics and institutions, but in this opera it is done under a Japanese disguise.

Sherlock Holmes

Jan 31, 1887

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes novels are marked by Holmes' technique that resemble modern forensic science. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y5J0WCp-V34/TPBo3DLjzuI/AAAAAAAAAOs/p15gOYkrCmg/s1600/09_sherlock-holmes.jpg

Connaught Hotel

May 29, 1896

Connaught Hotel is located on Mount Street and Carlos Place in London, England. This building was completed in 1896 and was designed by Lewis Isaacs and H.L. Florence.

Pierre and Marie Curie discover radium

Nov 15, 1898

http://blog.oup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Curies.jpg French scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discover radium. This was characteristic of the industrial revolution.

The Dream of Gerontius

Jan 1, 1900

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Gerontius-score.jpg/300px-Gerontius-score.jpg Edward Elgar composed his oratorio, The Dream of Gerontius. In this piece, the relationship between religion and Victorian musical life is portrayed through the journey of a pious man's soul from his deathbed to God's judgment and then to Purgatory. This piece also shows the expressive style of romantics era. Dream of Gerontius

Unifying Principles in Victorian Literature

Jan 31, 1900

-Spread of "family values," strict social and moral codes.
-Romanticized hard work and strong virtue
-Often the oppressed members of society were the heroes.
-Prudery

Pomp and Circumstance

Feb 1, 1901

http://www.musicroom.fr/images/catalogue/fullsize/GS28809.jpg Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar has various literary connections. Its title is taken from Othello, a Shakesperean play, and the motto of the march is taken from The March of Glory, a poem by Lord de Tabley. Pomp and Circumstance