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www.horshamposters.com

The Victorian Age(1837-1901)

Friends of Horsham Museumwww.horshamposters.com

The Victorian Age (1837-1901)

Queen Victoria 1837

Queen Victoria 1901

The ‘Victorian’ Age of history in Britain is named after Queen Victoria who was Queen from 1837-1901. People who lived at this time are called Victorians.

Engraving, 1886 copy in book by Cornelius Brown. Now in Public Domain

Poster No.: 2011.388 © Horsham District Council’s Horsham Museum and Art Gallery

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Victoria1837Engraving.jpg


The Time of Change

It was a time of change for Britain. Britain was rich

and powerful because of the British Empire. There

were many new ideas that changed the way people lived, worked, travelled

and had fun.


The British Empire

In the Victoria Age Britain ruled countries all over the world. This was called the British Empire. Queen Victoria was Empress (female ruler) of many large countries like Canada and India and smaller countries like Jamaica.

The countries of the Empire are pink on the map.

Colomb, J. C. R., 1886. Imperial Federation, map. Boston Public Library

http://www.flickr.com/photos/normanbleventhalmapcenter/2710800068/


Trade

Trade means buying and selling goods and services. Because the Empire grew so big in the Victorian Age Britain could trade with countries all over the world. This helped make Britain rich.

Guns

Soap Steel

Fur Tea Cheese

Britain sold these goods to other countries

Britain bought these goods from other countries


The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution had started just before the Victorian Age. This was a time

when industry became very different. New machines meant that goods could be

made faster, cheaper and easier than before. Huge factories were built and

people had to move to cities and towns to work in them.

Many of the new ideas of the Victorian Age were to do with industry (the making of goods

in factories).


Cities and Towns

Because of industry and factories cities and towns became bigger all over Britain. People moved from the countryside to these cities to work in the factories. These people needed places to live. Whole families would arrive together. Most children would work instead of going to school.

The trade and industry in the Empire made Britain rich. But this did not make all the people in Britain rich. Life could be very hard if you were poor.

Map of Horsham before the changes of the Victorian Age (1790)

© Horsham District Council’s Horsham Museum and Art Gallery


Life was very different – the poor 1

If you lived in the factory towns .

- You lived in a slum where lots of houses were built very close together.

- houses were small, dark and whole families might live together in one room.

- It was dirty, with rubbish on the streets and no proper toilets - many people got very ill and died because of this.

- Even as a child you would be working not going to school.

If you lived in the countryside. . .

- You worked very hard in the fields for very little money

- There were fewer jobs as new machines took over the work of men.

- Cottages were small, damp and dark and if you lost your job you often lost your home.

- Families could grow their own veg or even keep a pig.


Life was very different – the poor 2

Later in the Victorian Age people tried to help the poor. New laws made working

safer. New local officials made sure people were healthy and had clean water.

Children were no longer made to work full time. New hospitals and charities

helped look after those in need.



Life was very different – the rich

If you lived in the factory towns:- Your house would be large, bright

and nicely decorated.- You would have clean water and

indoor toilets - You and your house would be

looked after by servants who kept it clean and cooked your meals.

If you lived in the countryside:- You owned lots of land.- You made money by renting land

to farmers.- You had big houses and many

servants to take care of your family.

- Children did not work but were looked after by nannies and went to school

- Children did not work but were looked after by nannies and went to school



Inventions

The new ideas of the Victorian Age meant

all sorts of things were invented. From new

machinery for factories to items for

fun like ice cream.

ICE CREAM


Posters

There were also inventions to make communication (ways to pass on information) better. There was no TV, no radio and no internet.

But there were posters. Because of this posters were essential to communicate. The Victorians invented faster and easier ways to make posters and thousands were printed across Britain ever day.



The Horsham Posters

In Horsham posters were printed in their hundreds in the Victorian Age. They were used to tell the people of Horsham about, politics, events, shop adverts and even when a fat

sheep was stolen! The Horsham Posters website has over 1400

posters collected from Horsham since 1741. these posters are

now taken care of by Horsham Museum.



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