Victoriana

For the genus of Syrphidae (hoverflies), see Victoriana (fly).

An 1843 Victorian circus poster for the Pablo Fanque Circus, which inspired the 1967 Beatles song "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", a homage to Victorian circuses
The Dusty Circus font, a commercial font inspired by Victorian circus posters, is an example of Victoriana.

Victoriana is a term used to refer to material culture related to the Victorian period (1837–1901).[1] It often refers to decorative objects, but can also describe a variety of artifacts from the era including graphic design, publications, photography, machinery, architecture, fashion, and Victorian collections of natural specimens.[2] The term can also refer to Victorian-inspired designs, nostalgic representations, or references to Victorian-era aesthetics or culture appropriated for use in new contexts [3]

The term "Victoriana" was coined in 1918, just before a wave of interest in Victorian objects and artifacts began in the 1920s. Another increased period of collecting of Victoriana emerged in the 1950s.[4] In 1951, the Festival of Britain commemorated the centenary of the Victorian era's first world's fair, the 1851 Great Exhibition held at the Crystal Palace.[5]

In the 1960s and 1970s, the eclectic character of Victorian era wood type inspired graphic designers like Seymour Chwast and Push Pin Studios.[6] Items such as Stevengraphs were popular collectable items during the revival of interest in Victoriana in the 1960s and 1970s.[7]

In the 1980s, Margaret Thatcher, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, promoted an interest in Victoriana by emphasizing "Victorian family values"[8] as part of a roadmap to cultural, moral, and economic improvement.[9]

  1. ^ "Definition of VICTORIANA". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  2. ^ Stevens, Matthes (18 January 2021). "John Gould: The age of collecting". The Australian Museum. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  3. ^ Kaplan, Cora (2007). Victoriana: Histories, Fictions, Criticism. Columbia University Press. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-231-14217-5.
  4. ^ Gardiner, John (27 October 2006). The Victorians: An Age in Retrospect. A&C Black. pp. 91–2. ISBN 978-1-85285-560-4.
  5. ^ Taylor, Miles; Wolff, Michael (4 September 2004). The Victorians Since 1901: Histories, Representations and Revisions. Manchester University Press. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-7190-6725-9.
  6. ^ Chwast, Seymour (9 September 2004). The Push Pin Graphic: A Quarter Century of Innovative Design and Illustration. Chronicle Books. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-8118-4103-0.
  7. ^ Thorncroft, Antony. Memories are made of this FT.com 29 November 2008
  8. ^ "TV Interview for London Weekend Television Weekend World ("Victorian Values") | Margaret Thatcher Foundation". www.margaretthatcher.org. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  9. ^ "What is Thatcherism?". BBC News. 9 April 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2022.