Creepy Victorian Practices Now Considered Inhumane and Unacceptable
The Victorian Era is often romanticized in books, movies, and art, but many of the practices and customs prevalent during that time are now considered deeply unsettling and even inhumane. This article explores several such practices that were once accepted but are now regarded as disturbing and unacceptable.
Child Labor
Child labor during the Victorian Era was one of the most horrific conditions faced by children. Unlike the sanitized world depicted in books like Myths, Legends, and Folklore: Mary Poppins, where the life of a chimney sweep might be portrayed as a joie de vivre, the reality was far more grim and dangerous. Chimney sweeps, often starting as young as four years old, faced a brutal life of soot-filled days, backbreaking labor, and high risks of diseases and injury. They frequently succumbed to respiratory illnesses and early deaths, often dying in their twenties due to the toxic environment they worked in. Professor Tim Walker, a renowned British literature professor, has explicitly stated he would not watch Myth: Mary Poppins or bring his children to it, arguing that the depictions of chimney sweeps' lives are misleading and should not be romanticized. It’s crucial to understand and correctly represent the true horrors of child labor during this era.
Mortuary Photography
Another disturbing practice from the Victorian era was the routine of photographing recently deceased family members in group poses as if they were still alive. One of the clearest examples of this is the photograph of a dead girl in the middle of the pose. While the faces of the other members of the photograph seem blurred due to the long exposure time, the dead girl's face remains distinct because the dead do not move. Additionally, the photographer's stand can be clearly seen, holding the girl in place. This practice was not just a simple memorial; it was deeply entrenched in the social and cultural fabric of the era, as the Victorians believed the images served a purpose in helping families cope with the loss of loved ones.
Memento Mori
Human hair art, another unsettling yet fascinating aspect of Victorian customs, involved the creation of keepsakes from the hair of the deceased. These items, such as watch chains, bracelets, and even drink coasters, served as tangible reminders of the loved ones who had passed. The practice began in the 1880s and extended until the early 1910s. In one instance, a family inherited a collection of such items, but they could not distinguish which ones belonged to family members and which were purchased at auctions. This collection also included photos of deceased children dressed in their baptism dresses, propped up in a snowbank outside their home, like something out of a haunting Halloween special. It was a long time before the truth was discovered: the pose was not meant to portray a living child but to create a lifelike memorial. This practice highlights the Victorian belief in the afterlife and their willingness to create such intimate, if macabre, mementos.
Conclusion
The customs and practices from the Victorian Era, while reflecting the values and social norms of their day, are often ghastly from a modern perspective. Child labor, mortuary photography, and memento mori remind us to critically examine historical practices, preserving the lessons of the past while acknowledging the humanity of those who were often treated as less than fully human. Understanding these historical contexts helps us appreciate the progress made in ethics, labor rights, and human dignity since the Victorian Era.