victorian art
-
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…
-
The Gentlemen’s Moth Appreciation Society of England Collection #2
Today we share 5 more members of The Gentlemen’s Moth Appreciation Society of England who also tragically lost their lived on the turn of the 18th century. May they all rest in peace. TVUP
-
The Victorian Slop House Collection #2
Today we visit another slop house of yore called the Besel Blit. This establishment was a traditional slop house with all the trimmings. The menu had one course and two options: wet slop (photograph #3) or dry slop (photograph #4). People would often flip a coin with friends. Heads a friend would have to pay…
-
The Strange World of Victorian Taxidermy Collection #1
Today we bring to you the first collection of Victorian taxidermy which was kindly photographed and sent to us by a collector. Taxidermy was accessible to anyone who could find an unwilling subject. Oftentimes poorer Victorians would hunt or steal animals and then turn them into strange objects. They would then be sold or kept…
-
The Siblings of Saint Rupert Collection #2
A few people have contacted us since we published our first Siblings collection, asking us for more images of this obscure secret society/ cult. We are only too happy to oblige. The Siblings are a fascinating Victorian subject and we just and so happen to have reams of photographs at our disposal. Today we are…
-
Victorian Arthouse Cinema Stills Collection #1
Today we present some fascinating stills from an early example of arthouse cinema. The movie is called Witch House and was released in the underground theatre and cinema network in 1899. Photograph #9 is of the visionary director and producer Conrad Pitt who inspired a huge shift towards avant-garde narratives and techniques. The Victorian movies…
-
The Rebel Artists Collection #2
Today’s collection is one of the the most precious in our archives and demonstrates the importance of documenting the fringes of any society so that no life is forgotten. Stencilling as an act of rebellion goes back hundreds of years and we are glad that it had found its way into Victorian life. The images…
-
The Rebel Artists Collection #1
At The Fellowship of the Victorian Underground, we try our best to remain politically impartial. However, at the same time our role is to shine a torch on the road less travelled. As the King’s Coronation approaches, we thought it was a good time to show some alternative artists who dared to ridicule power. In…
-
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…
-
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 