Don't get your knickers in a twist!

HAHAHAHA enough said.

-Urszula

Swimsuit bodies!

Okay, so we all know that commercial with the yellow polka-dot bikini song, and man is it ever catchy! Here are some hilarious pictures of bathing suits throughout the wonderful transition from Victorian era to presently.

-Urszula

Umbrella-ella-ella-eh!

I have to laugh at myself for this brilliant idea. I was lying in bed last night when Rihanna's stupid Umbrella song popped into my head. Then it hit me, umbrella's in the Victorian era! Here's a nice transition for you all.

-Urszula

Ships!

After blogging one of my entries on bathtubs, I started thinking about that joke one of the submarine-ers made in Titanic, "Oops, somebody left the water running." Naturally, I started thinking about ships and the transformations they have gone through in the last two centuries or so. Posted below I have some pictures of Victorian sailing ships (not in the greatest quality). Next to that is the legendary Titanic (minus Leonardo DiCaprio) and the present-day cruise ships we consider vacations. Of course, ships during the Victorian era were cramped, dark, wet, and everything but luxurious. Now look at them! I was listening to the Beat the other morning and they were saying how the BC Ferries are now going to contain online casinos, an outdoor pool and a spa! Talk about change!

-Urszula

Sister Suffragette - Mary Poppins

Here's a clip from our childhood that can also be seen as the importance of the Suffragette movement in Victoriana.

Doesn't it make you want to sing and dance?



Katie

Transportation

During the Victorian era, their main way of transportation was by the horse-and-carriage. Now we polute the air with our stinky cars, and enjoy the odd horse-and-carriage ride on a warm summer evening with our special someone cuddling beside us while someone else takes us in circles on the busy streets of Downtown. Not to mention that it's colder than a car, and stinkier too! At least it helps save the earth, which is contrary to what was thought in the Victorian era. Cars were actually thought to be healthier for the environment because it would eliminate all the horse poop.

-Urszula

Let there be light!

Just another quick comparison. There's not much to say really about this expect to appreciate how lucky we are to have such a variety of heat and light activating appliances.

-Urszula

Lockets

I was thinking about jewellery and how now we have those "gangstas" out there with their long-hanging chains and pants that don't cover half their bum-bums. Jewellery represented wealth, and accented an outfit, just like it does today. After Victoria took the throne, wearing jewellery was considered romantic and nationalistic. Interestingly, black jewellery was designed to symbolize the mourning of someone's death, but soon became a fashion item. I thought these lockets were kind of nice.

-Urszula

Bubbles, bubbles everywhere!

I was just browsing the web for bathtubs (dont ask why) when I came across these clawfoot ones. I thought it was worth putting up. And for the record, the modern one looks awesome! Although rather short if you ask me...

-Urszula

Legend of Sleepy Hollow to Legend of the Creepy Collars and back again.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, originally written by Washington Irving in the 1800's, is still a popular story amongst society. Throughout the decades, the plot, characters and costumes have relatively remained the same, but effects and twists in the story itself have become altered depending on the audience. Wishbone, a silly little pup who was the main character in the Wishbone series before it got taken off the air, represented Ichabod Crane in a version renamed The Legend of the Creepy Collars. In another popular kids show, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, an episode was aired by the name of The Tale of the Midnight Rider. It served as a sequel to the original tale, with the main focus being on a boy who sees the ghost of Ichabod after a school dance and helps him cross the "magical bridge" to safety. More recently, Johnny Depp starred in Sleepy Hollow, where the characters were explored more closely.

-Urszula

The Music of the Gears

Steampunk is a term that represents the re-creation of the era where steam was the major source of power. Often set in Victorian England, the movement is influenced by elements of science fiction and fantasy. Though more common in comic books, anime and fashion, steampunk also has its influences in music. The term refers to any music or stage presence that evokes the feelings of the Victorian era or steampunk movement. Examples: Abney Park, Tom Waits, Rasputina and Vernian Process

The Darling Davenport sisters, Emmett & Klaude, have brought steampunk to the airwaves, broadcasting from their airship Calpurnia. (aka. their studio in Chapel Hill/Carrboro North Carolina). Their show, called the Clockwork Cabaret, transmits over both radio and internet, their mission statement being to provide “music o’ gears for steampunk ears, an old timey radio show with the Neo-Victorian flair”, to make the listeners wish for the days of the past. Common features of the show are failed inventions, Victorian dress, literature, and a wide variety of music, ranging from steampunk to classical, each show centered around a particular theme.
Here is the link to check out their show:

http://www.clickcaster.com/channel/archive/2008-02?channel_slug=clockworkcabaret



Jessica K

The Present Day Mindset

While drastically searching for anything to allow for further procrastination from the multitude of essays piling up, I came across an article on the internet (yes, I know, Gissing would be appalled) called “Are you afraid to look poor.” The title itself seemed appropriate to the subject at hand because what could be more Victorian than the need to look wealthier. The article talks of a society that shuns consignment stores and only wears the best; people who try to have the most modern decor, and most importantly desire to appear a financial bracket higher than they actually are. Highlighting the tricks of the trade, the article shows the elaborate means that people go to in their acts of financial deception, such as filling Dior perfume bottles with no name scents. The Victorian mentality on culture and appearance seems to have transcended the ages and remains a focal point of life today. The desire to appear wealthy can often result in foolish spending, but maybe, over the years, we will realize that the facade is ten times as detrimental as the truth.

Five Golden Rings

We all know the middle-class loved the appearance of glitz and glam. The aristocracy of the Victorian period loved to show off just as much. Queen Victoria's engagement ring is an example of this. Her gold band was designed as a coiled snake. It sounds grotesque to me, but rings are still produced in this style.

This one sells for $1275 USD on www.london-victoria-ring.com
Other rings sold that replicate the styles of the Victorian age are clustered diamond rings, Romantic rings that contain five or more stones of different colors, and half-hoop rings, shown here respectively:

Many of the gems used in Victorian jewelery came from Africa, as the British (as well as other imperial powers) exploited their colonial powers to extract the continent's resources. Many have been killed since this time as the struggle for African diamonds continues. I'm sure many have seen the movie Blood Diamonds. This is one of the negative aspects of Victorian Britain that has carried over to the present day. Visit http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html
to find out more about this.

For those don't think this aspect of the Victorian Era is "cool", there are conflict-free diamonds, many of which come from Canada. They're a little more expensive, but the extra price you pay saves lives.
So, by supporting producers of conflict-free diamonds you are supporting the Canadian economy and discouraging bloodshed in the African countries of Angola, Sierra Leone and Liberia. This advertisement put out by Amnesty International is a pretty real way of getting the message across. The French reads "What is the price for these diamonds?"

"Diamonds are forever" it is often said. But lives are not.
We must spare people the ordeal of war, mutilations and death for the sake of conflict diamonds."

Martin Chungong Ayafor, Chairman of the Sierra Leone Panel of Experts

Progression as another central theme in "From Hell"

Progression also seems to be a strong theme evident in the movie “From Hell” as can be throughout the movie. This is a common sentiment through the Victorian age as progress was seen as a good thing which only allowed human beings to further themselves. Progression and rational thought was something that differentiated human beings from the animals and was seen as quite important in this age.

Progression is strongly displayed in the medical profession more than anything in this movie. In the movie, there seems to be a society that admits doctors who have discovered new innovative technologies. Prince Albert, who we know as the guy who married Anne the prostitute, invents a new ‘treatment of insanity’ in which he thrusts a knife or wedge into the frontal lobe of the brain in order to calm those who appear to be mentally disturbed. Of course he performs this task on his former prostitute wife to keep her quiet on the topic of their shameful marriage. In addition to being preoccupied with first attempts at lobotomies, the medical society in which Albert is admitted to is also concerned with deformities. These are examples of how progression is not only a central theme in the movie but is also used in the plot itself.

Edgar Allen Poe: Music's New Muse

Edgar Allen Poe’s horror fiction and macabre poetry have inspired a multitude of songs from every genre, ranging from classical to rock, folk to avant-garde metal. Poe’s works, such as The Bells and The Masque of the Red Death have been retold in several musicals and symphonies, and his poems have been referenced in a number of songs (see below list of artists). The most shocking interpretation was in 2001-2002 when Poe’s work underwent the most drastic of transformations. His literary genius resulted in the creation of a theme for a concert tour; a tour, featuring THE Pop Princess, Britney Spears, called Dream within a Dream. Britney Spears incorporated lines from a number of Poe‘s works into her show, making it one of her most theatrical performances yet.

Edgar Allen Poe is not only confined to bubbly ballads and girlish tunes but also inspires bands that appear more fitting of Poe’s work. One such band is called Creature Feature, a Goth Rock duo from L.A. They wrote a song in tribute of Edgar Allen Poe called Buried Alive (video below), which contains multiple references of his work, including “A Dream Within a Dream", "The City in the Sea," "The Valley of Unrest," "Loss of Breath," "The Premature Burial," "The Oblong Box," and "Never Bet the Devil Your Head,". Their music video reveals a genre and style influenced by the gothic movement, indirectly impacted by the Victorian Era.




Other “Victorian Cool” bands or musicians inspired by or using Poe include: Iron Maiden, Tool, HIM, AFI, Bob Dylan, Marilyn Manson, Thrice, Voltaire, Blues Traveler, Bright Eyes, Green Day, Michael Hurley, Good Charlotte, Tourniquet, Mr. Bungle, The Crüxshadows, Roses Never Fade, Cradle of Filth, Team Sleep, Five Iron Frenzy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Tiger Army, Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows, Utada Hikaru, Elysian Fields, The Smithereens, Symphony X, Rozz Williams, Scarlet Wells, Overlord, Nightwish, Omnia, Insane Clown Posse, Antony and the Johnsons, Marissa Nadler, Lloyd Cole, and Bob Dylan.


Jessica K

Our Modern Day Jubilee

Here is a video of Queen’s legendary guitarist Brian May, playing “God Save The Queen” while standing on the roof of Buckingham Palace. This performance took place during the Golden Jubilee in 2002. The concert fully embodied the feeling of patriotism and engulfing power of festivity outlined in Gissing’s In the Year of Jubilee, just look at all the people.



Jessica K

A Taste of the Wilde

Just for fun, I thought I would post this piece from Monty Python referencing one of the most iconic figures from the 19th Century, Oscar Wilde.



Jessica K

Goth Talk (SNL)

Thought this is a good representation of Gothic fashion drawing on Victorian clothing.
The whole theme of Goth-ism really draws from the Gothic novels from Late Victoriana
It is as hilarious as it is educational.

EDIT: I just realized that the opening and closing music to this clip is the ever famous "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus. This is THE famous Goth song that we all pretended to sway to when we were teenage goths (or at least when I was).
FYI: Bela Lugosi was the actor that played Dracula in Bram Stoker's book and was made famous by that role.

SNL Goth Talk- Prom of Doom
Uploaded by krmb20

Katie

Moulin Rouge!

Moulin Rouge is considered the film to put musicals back on the map after a long period of being ignored by many film goers for a long time.

What made Moulin Rouge such a success?
Maybe it was the percieved conservatism that Victorians pretended to up hold?
Maybe it was the reality of the British Victorian men escaping Victorian sexual morals to indulge in the decadence of the French? This is not uncommon in Victorian underground literature, such as the famous book My Secret Life written by an anonymous author of the time. We even know of Oscar Wilde frequenting France for international exhibitions and other... ahem.... activities.

Maybe it was just an incredibly good looking cast?

The music is not only familiar to our tastes, but the singing and dancing is absolutely splendid and breath taking.

Without further ado....



Katie

Oliver! The Musical!

I don't know how anyone could have made a musical rendition of Charles Dickens' commentary on social problems concerning the Poor Law in London, but LO AND BEHOLD
IT CAN BE DONE!

The following clip is from the movie rendition of the musical "OLIVER!" in the famous "Please Sir, can I have some more" scene.



It definately makes it look much more upbeat than it really was suppose to portray.

And of course MY FAVOURITE CLIP from Oliver!

Because we all know people in London randomly break out in song and dance all the time with flying meat in the back ground.




Katie

Modern Day Fashion Queen

I have to admit I stole this idea from Professor Ogden's blog.. But who's more Victorian cool than Victoria Beckham when it comes to fashion?
She sports the English accent, but she's also one of the best-dressed celebrities. Perez Hilton sums up her place in the celebrity world...

"Vicky B. is back in the U.K. as David plays with the English soccer team.

What's the first thing she does upon her return???

Go shopping, of course!" (PerezHilton.com)

But Victoria doesn't only buy clothes, she designs them and models them too. Here's a behind the scenes look at one of her fashion ads.



Posh Spice has changed the meaning of what "Victorian" fashion is. Her dresses seem to have a little "Victorian" flare, but the 50's style music kind of throws me off. Maybe Victoria Beckham transcends every decade of fashion since the 19th century.

Grow Old with Me

Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning, Yoko Ono and John Lennon, immortalized in history due to their powerful way with words, connected through song. In 1980, Yoko Ono and John Lennon wrote two love songs based on the writing of the Browning couple. Barrett Browning’s Sonnet 43 inspired Yoko Ono’s song, titled “Let Me Count the Ways”. Hearing the song, John Lennon was provoked to write an accompanying piece. His response resulted in “Grow Old with Me”, based on Robert Browning’s poem “Rabbi Ben Ezra”. This song has inspired multiple covers and has become one of many songs played at weddings.
Yoko Ono released the songs in their 1984 album Milk and Honey, shortly after Lennon’s death.


Jessica K

19th Century Brides

Its "cool" to sport the Victorian look down the runways and down the aisle.

"Comme des Garçons" Fall 2005 collection of wedding gowns was completely Victorian inspired. The dresses were all "romantic, Victorian-flavored creations of lace and ruffle" (Mower, Style.com). The dresses all have elements of Victorian fashion, but are very couture and high-end. Comme des Garçons created these dresses in both classic white and Gothic black. Not anything I would want to wear on my wedding day, but interesting how the designer has warped Victorian style into something almost scary (though the makeup on the models contributes to this I think).

Spring Awakening

Hi Everyone,
I wasn't able to log on with my own email address, so I'm just going to borrow Jess' right now

Here is a little musical montage of the recent Tony award winning musical "Spring Awakening"
If you listen to the lyrics, it really displays the trapped sense of sexuality and freedom that teenagers long for in the period of Victorian sensibilities. It is an overall very depressing theme in the musical, which I will explain more in detail in class
Here's the link and enjoy! :D

Katie

Class Divisions in the Whitechapel District

As we can see in the movie, Heather Graham’s character plays a prostitute who encounters bits and pieces of the scandal which causes Jack the Ripper to commit the murders in the movie. At least, in this version of the scandal anyways. There is a great scene in which Anne, former prostitute and friend of Heather Graham’s character, comes back from her new middle class life to visit with her friends of the night and to ask them to take care of her baby temporarily. I say this scene is great because it illustrates the dress differences that are evident between classes, which is depicted in the picture I have chosen to post for this topic. Clearly, one can see that Anne is wearing clothes of a higher caliber than the rest of her friends, not only in the styles in which they wear but simply because she is cleaner and more put-together than her friends.
This scene is also great in demonstrating accents as well. Even though Anne is of a higher class now that she has married Albert, a painter, her accent is still of a cockney variety which is more characteristic of lower class society.

Class divisions are also shown in the evidence in which Depp’s character collects as the inspector looking after the ‘Ripper’ case. By discovering that the killer lures his prey with grapes it can be concluded that the killer is of a higher class since lower class killers could not possibly afford to buy grapes.

Finally, class divisions can be seen in the overall plot of the movie. Queen Victoria wishes to cover up the fact that Prince Albert has chosen to marry and have a baby with a lower class prostitute. Thus, she has Prince Albert’s wife and baby taken away and asks Jack the Ripper to take care of the prostitutes that were witnesses to the marriage. Although in the movie it demonstrates that she did not have murder in mind when asking Jack to take care of these inconvenient witnesses, she still displays a sense of not wanting to be associated with lower class society, something that is particularly characteristic of the class which she is a part of.

So why is class division in Victorian society important? Because class divisions are characteristic of the times. As mentioned in lecture, the Upper Middle Class, wishing to resemble the aristocracy, are also condescending towards the lower classes. The lower classes are self confidence, have pride and are resilient, but are also cynical towards the middle and upper class. Thus, pointing out this very dominant theme in the movie demonstrates that it is attempting to resemble Victorian times in class distinction and division.

Sherlock Holmes and Disney

Sherlock Holmes, some who might call a superhero of the Victorian era, is seen here with the classic look as Connan Doyle presented him vs Disney's representation. Much more humourous. Here's a link to a clip from The Great Mouse Detective and the dramatic interpretation of "Basil of Baker Street."

-Urszula

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OtOurnyFQ8&NR=1

Tennyson and Power Metal?

Tennyson’s pastoral The Lady of Shalott combined with the raw power of electric guitar and heart thumping drum beats? An unlikely combination has, indeed, been done. The Italian power metal band, Domine, appears to have been inspired by the tragic tale of Elaine of Astolat and created a song entitled “The Lady of Shalott” for their 2007 album Ancient Spirit Rising. The new take on the poem is a bit of a stretch from it’s original soft rhythmic beat, but surprisingly enough, was not the first song of its type in Shalott’s history.

There have been other interpretations of the Victorian poem, such as a soft ballad by Lorenna McKennitt. McKennitt plays with a new age, Celtic sound which she used to incorporate the stanzas to a more fitting folk song.
Emilie Autumn created the most powerfully emotional rendition. Autumn, an American singer-songwriter and violinist, captured the desperation and sadness conveyed in The Lady of Shalott and placed a contemporary twist on the Tennyson poem. Mixing classical and electronica music, her song, titled Shalott incorporated strong vocals and her trademark violin; creating a sound she dubbed "Victoriandustrial."
Seems fitting now doesn’t it?




Jessica K

Victoria's Secret Sex Appeal

The first thing that came to everyone's mind when brainstorming about Victorian influence in fashion was the sexiest, tightest style out there --the corset. Made to make the woman look more womanly and highlight curves, the corset restrains the stomach, some so tight no air can enter. This classic undergarment that was so popular in the Victorian era has been transformed into hundreds of styles of undergarments for under the sheets: black leather for the S & M, frilly pink lace for the girly-girl and everything in between. And where better to purchase such apparel than America's favorite lingerie store (named after the era itself), Victoria's Secret.

Depp as Holmes Equivalent

The main character, played by Johnny Depp, is an inspector with many parallels to Sherlock Holmes. Right from the beginning of the movie, the viewer understands that the inspector looking after the ‘Ripper’ case is an opium addict. Though not exactly the same as heroine, it is still related to the highly addictive drug which Sherlock Holmes, as we know from lecture, would use for medicinal purposes. On these opium binges, Depp’s character sees clues into murders already performed and visions of murders to come.

More importantly than this, however, the inspector uses powerful deductive reasoning to bring him to the conclusion that the Ripper murders pose as a cover up for controversy surrounding the heir to the throne after Queen Victoria. Upon arriving at the first murder scene, Depp’s character notices that there is no blood spray on the walls and that the corpse is dry even though the ground is wet. This leads him to believe that the body was murdered elsewhere and then brought out onto the streets. The inspector also notices that an empty sprig of grapes is always beside the body after it is disposed of, meaning that the killer is a member of the upper classes of society with enough money to be able to afford grapes to give to a less fortunate prostitute. In addition, Depp’s character notices that whoever has been carving up the bodies and harvesting organs has done so with surgeon like precision. It is more than likely that the person responsible is an educated person with a keen interest in human anatomy.

These clues have implications for the many examples of class divisions in the movie and will be discussed in greater detail at a later date.

On a somewhat unrelated note, Depp’s character even has a Watson-like sidekick! Though in the movie he is not a doctor as he is in the actual Sir Arthur Conan Doyle version of “A Scandal in Bohemia,” he still asks many questions which would lead the inspector to say something along the lines of “you see but you do not observe” (Doyle 1558). In addition, the constable helping Depp’s character with the Watkins-like presence mentions in the movie that Depp’s character has witch-like powers, quite similarly to when Watkins says “You would certainly have been burned, had you lived a few centuries ago” (Doyle, 1558).

Works Cited:
Doyle, Arthur Conan. "A Scandal in Bohemia." The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch and Kevin Dettmar. New York: Pearson Longman Education Inc, 2006, 1557-72.