JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
Alexandrina Victoria, around the time her father died- so a Queen. Such a little, pretty young woman, hard to imagine her imprint over 60 years. Imprints. We owe her a span of an improbable 60 years we call an era.
Sorry couldn't resist thread title. Words are like Legos, you can build anything.
We may not have been her subjects but you'd never know it. I'm not convinced we remember why the word ' Victorian ' is so pervasive. Here's why. From that day in 1837 when Lord Conyngham and The Archbishop of Canterbury brought Alexandrina Victoria, last of the House of Hanover the news she was Queen, to her death at Osborne 63 years, seven months two days elapsed. 1901. Six decades of History was written during those decades, her stamp all the heck all over them. Destinies of entire countries had been decided for good or ill, with her stamp all the heck all over them.
The United States entangled itself in Alexandrina Victoria's destiny, too. Our Civil War created widows across this country and a hugely famous one 3,000 away. Already unwell, husband Albert famously intervened in the Trent Affair. His diplomacy succeeded in laying badly ruffled ( and armed ) feathers but probably cost him his life. That was 1861. They'd been married 21 years. Victoria famously mourned her husband for decades and I'm not sure I blame her. Albert would have been irreplaceable.
1861, Victoria's dress could have been taken straight from a war years issue of Godey's ( and was probably copied by every society matron North and South ). Not that she'd have cared- 1861 took Albert from her.
So we, American citizens became erstwhile Brits, living under the far brim of her 63 year umbrella. 63 years imprinted itself on us to the point we still view all those decades in a kind of nostalgic clump called " Victorian ". All 16 of my great great grandparents were born in the decade following 1837. They're the Civil War generation, my 8 great grandparents were born during Victoria's time in office ( ' on the throne ' is a little inaccurate, implying 60 years sitting down somewhere ), grandparents came along around the time she died. Think about it! This era we study was Victorian, sure, but which part?
From 63 years ago today, walking through History's door into 1956 would be serious culture shock. Cadillac had just glued fins on luxury cars, Elvis had recently shocked the blue rinse out of elderly women's hair swiveling Hound Dog hips on Lawrence Welker's show, Dwight was President under a 48 star flag, WWII vets were raising the Booming Babies, a computer took up a large room and could successfully count and Lawrence Olivier was giving us Richard III. Oh, and Marilyn Monroe married Arthur Miller. Getting dressed for the wedding must gotten her up early that day. Struggling into girdles and those awful, clip rimmed elastic bands holding up her nylons took awhile.
Early married life, sometime in the 1840's- if we counted back from 2019 and compared her reign, by 1901 this outfit would have been like wearing saddle shoes. Or penny loafers.
63 years! Impossible documenting all the changes. We went from comic book stories about spaceships to walking on the moon to veritable bus stops in space where astronauts from way down here hang out. Hemlines hiked slowlyyyy from mid calf to knee, dove and really, really hiked to the point where it was a poor idea to pick up that dropped quarter. Get you arrested. 63 years but it's not a clump called anything but History.
Back to 1837 . Fashion, more women's than men's illustrate changes and is extremely handy, too. You know who you're dealing with in some orphaned photo for - which tells you an awful lot of someone's world, who they were and from what vantage point in History they viewed their world. Thanks to Alexandrina Victoria's staying power it can be tough ascertaining much from ' Victorian '. Gee whiz. Three generations worth of changes, thank you, Victoria!
The mutton sleeves, flying buttress bosums and bun seated on a nest of fluffy hair ( that isn't a fashion term, just made that up ) of 1895 are seen in profile in this photo of Victoria ( and daughter? ), 6 years of reign to go. Someone must be sitting while wearing a bustle- and congrats to her.
She'd have worn the svelte, tight waisted, clinging dress ( the one with puffed sleeves, tight wrists and drooping lace collar ) at the time, when ascending that throne, Regency England making the transition. We're a little lucky photography made an appearance around the time of her 1840 wedding, easy enough following her era although that's a bad word in which to stuff 6 decades. What's funny is we Yanks break it down variously- ' pre-war ', ' Civil War era ' and ' post war '. Civil War era photos of Victoria give us short jackets, hoops and climbing necklines, post war, the crimped hair, rows of pleated and dragging hems, ginormous hats decked with everything from ships to peonies and that crazy bustle- proof she couldn't sit much on a throne or anywhere. There was one constant. A veil she wore at her wedding is worn for one of her last portraits, around 1900.
From 1837 to 1901- Victoria, we hardly know ye.