nature
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The Bromley Society of Animal Lovers Collection #1
We have already shared images of the Victorians’ insatiable obsession with animals. However, none were so passionate as The Bromley Society of Animal Lovers. The society was founded in 1868 by the naruralist Kenneth Crabtree and survived until World War One. These images are only a handful of the ones we have in our archives.…
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The Importance of Cards During the Victorian Era Collection #3
Today we bring you another assortment of Victorian cards. These were submitted by the great grandson of a “white witch” called Godfrey Martin. Mr Martin told us that while they look like tarot cards, they are in fact ritual worship cards used by his grandmother and acquaintances. They were apparently used for taking control of…
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Victorian Hoax Photography Collection #1 (Yeti Edition)
Hoax photography was once a lucrative industry. Most of us are familiar with the ‘fairies at the bottom of the garden’ photographs. To a modern audience they look ridiculous, but to many Victorians they were evidence of paranormal activity. So today we bring to you some hoax photography of the mythical yeti and take a…
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The Deathly One Man Boat Race
Today we take a look at the peculiar, if not disastrous, One Man Boat Race of 1864. A total of 57 people set off from the beaches of Blackpool in tiny one man boats headed for New York. They were only allowed to take one umbrella, a useless map, a flask of tea, tobacco, one…
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The ‘Birds’ of Victorian England Collection #1
At the Fellowship of the Victorian Underground Project, we have looked at various subcultures and are set to explore many more in the coming months. This particular subculture we share with you today is one of the most interesting and beautiful in our archives, yet is largely absent from the history books. The women in…
Welcome to the Victorian Underground Project 