News
Pumping New Life into the Gleaming, Victorian-Era Relic that Rid London of Cholera
Although once charged with the incredibly unglamorous task of eliminating sewage from London, the Crossness Pumping Station boasts a stunningly ornate interior.
Victoriana
Art
The Victorian Christmas Card as Aesthetic Object
Christmas card imagery today ranges from the classic depictions of elves and reindeer to the more comical and topical, but every picture is assuredly holiday-themed: you wouldn't be able to unironically give someone a Christmas card on their birthday.
In Brief
Before Tinder, There Were Escort Cards
In the 1800s, long before swiping right, there were escort cards: paper cards that men presented to women as an indication of their interest.
Art
What Did Disability Look Like in the 19th Century?
Clubs for ugly people, ear trumpets designed for mourners, mesmerism as a cure — disability in the 19th century reflected all of the Victorian era's oddities and societal changes. Nineteenth-Century Disability: Cultures & Contexts is a digital research archive of text and images on this more overloo
Art
A Ghost in the Screen Machine
OAKLAND, Calif. — Steve Jobs knew this well: there's something magical about technology. Turn on a phone or a computer, and you can access not just information but people and communities with a few clicks and taps.