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Sunday, June 01, 2008 05:11:35 PM
 The
Victorian Era first came to me whilst looking at my Grandparents wedding
outfits. My Grandmother stood and my Grandfather sat down along side this
beautiful woman in her very simple and very graceful dress.
I have collected over 20,000 graphics, so you can see I do like this era.
 My first
ward as as Nurse was at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney in the 1960s and
the first ward they sent me to was in the Queen Victorian Block -Vic 1 and each
day to walk to duty I would pass her regal Statue.
My interest over the last years in Decoupage has once again stirred my thought
to this time. So I began to look around the Net for anything related to the Era.
Cards, photographs, poems that showed me more of what was around at that time.
The following is some information that I have found and I hope you find it of
interest.
The world was a very different place during Queen Victoria's reign. It was a
time of enormous growing, with great expansion and new confidence. Britain was
the most prosperous nation in the world. Victorian Britain ruled over the
largest empire our world has ever seen. Even by today's' standards.
There was great respect and social good manners. The life was governed by
defined rules of social behaviour and good manners. Life was slower and so much
more simpler. Prudish even.
Queen Victorian reigned from 1837-1901. In that time that was the longest reign
of any British Royal Monarch. She provided a sense of stability and
respectability. The British were proudly nationalistic and loved their Queen.
She was much loved Queen and the admiration for her was woven through the social
fabric and all school students learned all about .
Her high standards and she ruled with such dignity set the moral standard in the
age to which she lived.
The Victorian society was so very class conscious. There was the very stiff
upper lip high class and not much intermingling with lower classes.
At the top of the ladder was the Queen and morals values and behaviour was set
for those below to follow. They were the known as the SNOBS.
 These
were of course the rich people and therefore divided society and those lived
shared their time between their country estates and their city dwellings.
There were many books to explain the Have Nots to behave in the correct manner.
This gave the middle-class their step up to society without the Pitfalls. The
bases for good manners and etiquette was to spare other people's feelings, and
at the same time let people know exactly where they went wrong.
Girls advanced from their school days to dinners, garden parties, operas, balls
and the theatre. It was there that young ladies were introduced into society.
Her chaperone was always close by. Maybe her mum or another married person
accompanied her on these occasions.
They would dance around merrily and then be returned to the side of the
chaperone after the dance was over.
Social etiquette was very strict. Young girls from a very early age were taught
to behave with such good manners. When their behaviour was not becoming they
were told so with delicate tact. They were shown how to entertain to allow them
when they married to follow on with the finest tradition.
Mark Twain's words... "Good breeding consists of how much we think of ourselves
and little we think of others."
A wife was expected to stay at home, tender to her husbands every need, nurse
him, air in dirty linen, wipe away his tears.
 Queen
Victoria's and her husband Albert, were young, good looking and very much in
love and they set the standard for along and happy marriage. Maybe this is where
Queen Elizabeth gets her strength from.
Their enormous emphasis on love and the romance made it part of the poets of the
days precious words.
Marriage in this wonderful Era made the wife's role in the home a high standard
and she was expected to make it tranquil, peaceful and stable for her beloved
husband.
Queen Victorian and Prince Albert's marriage was the prefect role model for
others to follow. The were the perfect good looking couple, showing a great
emphasis on their cherished love and so we see the Victorian placing a an
enormous emphasis on Romance.
It was common practice when meeting people in the street to raise their hats.
Bowing was done also to mark the sign of respect.
 Once
a woman had made a made an acquaintance with a man the next step was to call and
see her home with calling card and as they left they would leave the card in the
hall for all to see that followed. The man was expected to call on his lady and
make a suitable time to call on her. The women made special days to be at home
for callers. Their stay was to be short and sweet and they would leave their
calling card behind on table when the visit was over.
A typical Victorian Sunday was just about the most boring day of the week. There
was Church and as everything was shut there was very little to entertain them.
The children were expected to give up playing with their precious toys and do
reading or some other uplifting activities. Nothing was opened on Sundays so
visiting was just the only thing to pass the time. Art Galleries a popular place
to visit during these times was shut Sunday till 1896 when they opened for all
to see. Gardens gave the folk something to take pride in as it not only past the
time but provided such beauty.
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