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Victorian Hairstyles: a short history, in photos

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In the Victorian era, a woman’s hair was often thought to be one of her most valuable assets. Styles varied quite a bit throughout the nearly 7 decades of Queen Victoria’s reign, with everything from simple middle parts to elaborate pieces made from human hair being in fashion. Accessories such as combs, pearls, hats and bonnets each had their time in the spotlight throughout the 1800s. Victorians weren’t as serious as people think they were, but they sure took their hair seriously. Scroll down and take a look at some of the different ways Victorian women wore their hair from the 1830s to the turn of the century.

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15 vintage cat photos that prove people have always loved them

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It’s a known fact that the Internet consists mainly of cat pictures. People around the world love to see and share kitty shenanigans in the form of photos, macros, and videos. And if Victorians had had access to the Internet, you can bet that they would have spent their time looking at cat pictures as well. Society’s love for cats is nothing new, and people have been drawing and photographing fluffy felines for ages. Want some proof? Check out these 15 vintage cat photos and cartoons that show how deep society’s obsession goes.

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Sick tricks: 10 Victorian ways to cure a cold (or not)

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10 Victorian ways to cure a cold

Medical developments come and go over the centuries, but one thing that unites us with our ancestors is that incurable misery of human life – the common cold. Snot hasn’t changed much since the Hippocratic writings of the 5th century BC described the ‘acrid mucus’ that runs from the nose, and presciently referred to colds as something ‘which we have all experienced and shall continue to do so.’

But it is, as they say, an ill wind that blows nobody any good, and one way to benefit from the common cold is to sell a purported cure. During the Victorian period, commercial over-the-counter remedies proliferated, anticipating the array of cold medicines available today. Big advertising budgets – plus the fact that most colds get better on their own no matter what you take – contributed to these products’ success. Here we look at ten of the remedies available to the bunged-up customers of 19th-century British and American pharmacies.

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