General Victoriana

[Barrister]

Friends and researchers,
I am looking for a book that discussing day to day Victorian life, both posh and working class. It doesn't have to be specifically about that but can use the information as background for the action. I am looking for things like who made the ladies' dresses, where would a lady find a horse while she was living in town, etc. You folks seem to know everything and I hope you can remove the thorn from my American paw.
Many thanks, as always.

[Sam Flynn]

Hello Barrister

I've enjoyed Victorian London by Liza Picard and, for a fascinating and immensely detailed account of the poorer classes, I'd say that Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor is essential reading. Mayhew's complete work runs to four or five volumes, but I can recommend the single-volume anthologies published by Penguin and Oxford World's Classics.

[Graham]

You might care to dip into People Of The Abyss by Jack London. Technically not Victorian, as it was first published in 1903, but as near to it as makes no difference. Jack London was actually American, but lived on the streets for about six months. His experiences as he reports them are harrowing, to say the least.

Almost forgot to mention The Victorians by the historian A N Wilson.

Graham

[MrBarnett]

I agree with Sam's recommendation of Mayhew. I'd also recommend Charles Dickens's journalism.

http://www.djo.org.uk/all-the-year-round.html

[DJA]

You might care to dip into People Of The Abyss by Jack London. Technically not Victorian, as it was first published in 1903, but as near to it as makes no difference. Jack London was actually American, but lived on the streets for about six months. His experiences as he reports them are harrowing, to say the least.

Almost forgot to mention The Victorians by the historian A N Wilson.

Graham

People of the Abyss download.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1688

Some little guy's lectures on pathology.
His complete works used to be on Internet Archive.

https://archive.org/stream/b21923292/b21923292_djvu.txt

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labouchere_Amendment

This was presented and passed around the time Mary Kelly left the West End, and just before Robert Louis Stevenson wrote his famous novella which reappeared as a stage play just before Nichols' murder.

Baruch Spinoza downloads.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=spinoza

Some Jewish philosophy.

[Disco Stu]

Victorian and Edwardian

Were you looking at London specifically? The Victorian experience was quite varied whether you're looking early or late, town or country, North, South East or West. There's a good range of books under the general heading of, "Victorian and Edwardian[...]", covering different towns and regions, and their progress through the period. Some are specific to transportation, education, fashion, etc. Ebay usually has a good selection.

[Sam Flynn]

You might care to dip into People Of The Abyss by Jack London.

Another essential read.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Friends and researchers,
I am looking for a book that discussing day to day Victorian life, both posh and working class. It doesn't have to be specifically about that but can use the information as background for the action. I am looking for things like who made the ladies' dresses, where would a lady find a horse while she was living in town, etc. You folks seem to know everything and I hope you can remove the thorn from my American paw.
Many thanks, as always.

Hi Barrister,

Try Ruth Goodman's 'How To Be A Victorian.' It's very good (and cheap!)

[drstrange169]

All the recommendations have been good, I'd add:

Outcast London - Gareth Steadman Jones
Our Fathers - Alan Bott
The fiction novels of George Gissing (can be fund for free on the 'net).
Asa Briggs has written several books on Victorian life.
William Fishman's books on the East End our, probably the single, best source available!

[miss marple]

Any book by Historian Sarah Wise, eg 'The Blackest Streets' about The Old Nichol and 'Inconveniant People' about 19th century lunacy laws. Judith Flanders books are a good easy read , she has done books on Victorian homes, shopping and murder.

Miss Marple

[Sam Flynn]

Another vote for Fishman and Sarah Wise