Myths About The Victorian Era, Debunked

[@lordtrigon1733]

As a fan of gothic horror I am quite relieved to find out that the excessive amount of fog back then was *not* a myth. 👍

[@shawn576]

You should check out the great smog of london. Air pollution was so fucking bad that visibility dropped to the point where it was impossible to see more than a few feet away. People died as a result of ambulances not being able to pick people up. Modern environmental regulations exist because we saw what happens when there are no regulations. The victorian era was the age of coal, and it wasn't burned in a clean way.

[@JOEFABULOUS.]

Pea soup its really foggy yes a pea souper

[@angelwhispers2060]

London Fog was actually made from large brick Kilns called clamps that were literally burned on the road because the country was industrializing so fast that they had to keep making bricks fast as close to the worksite as possible. Check out the BBC documentary Victorian Farm their episode on the brick kiln. Between this and crap tons of industrial smoke from early factories that each had to make their own power. Just taking a single breath outside with a freaking health hazard in London for many years. The belief in women's delicate immune systems and that they had to be kept absolutely pure and therefore kept in the house was especially enforced in London because of this. Because child mortality and death in childbirth were so common they wanted to protect the women as much as absolutely possible so that they could keep having babies. Women were the vessel through which family lines and inheritances like titles could continue and therefore protecting them was the highest social good.

[@adamchuahzongye395]

haha that's a good one

[@mangot589]

And it smelled TERRIBLE🤢

[@jacktribble5253]

I don't think Steampunk is usually meant to be historically accurate.

[@milhouse14]

It's not. It's just an aesthetic.

[@rockstarJDP]

Neither is this channel 😅

[@alicerivierre]

Steampunk may not be completely accurate to the Victorian era, but by God, I love the aesthetics! Can't argue with the aesthetics!

[@sirennoir258]

You know what? I always wondered what they did with all the airships and steam powered computers from that Era but it's not real?

[@mrfiddlebottom]

It was a joke.🤦‍♂️

[@MikaelaKMajorHistory]

Victoria and Albert actually educated their children pretty fairly regardless of gender, Albert probably because he was just a doting parent, and Victoria because she was very limited to education in her childhood and she didn’t like that. Victoria definitely wasn’t the warmest to her children after Albert died, but before then, there’s many personal records of the family enjoying vacations and holidays and Victoria writing about how much she enjoyed one of her young son’s performances on his violin.

[@jenniperkins4260]

I think she was kept hidden by her mother and didn’t care for her that much.

[@MikaelaKMajorHistory]

@@jenniperkins4260 yes, I remember learning somewhere (maybe this channel) that her mother controlled every aspect of her life.

[@Annika4000]

Yes, they provided a very good education to their children, including their daughters. Princess Victoria in particular was very bright, and Prince Albert did everything to encourage her studies. By all accounts, she was his favourite and he spent a lot of time with her. So you really can't blame him of not educating, or not caring about, his daughters.

[@lesberkley3821]

Victorian upper and middle class morality was partly a reaction to an incurable STD. Infidelity could mean death for you and your partner(s).

[@jgallardo7344]

As stated in a previous video, contraception like a condom wasn’t circulated with seriousness until WWI

[@debbylou5729]

Same as now

[@ButtonsCasey]

@@jgallardo7344 Condoms have been around, and were available. Back then a woman didn't have any say in if one would be used or not. Men chose not to wear one.

[@jgallardo7344]

@@ButtonsCasey oh…that I wasn’t aware of. Thank you! I take it there were condoms made with material that pre-dated rubber? In regards to that Weird History video, the narrator was saying that the military took it more seriously for their service members and providing that during WWI

[@dguy0386]

and people were just.. more likely to have Christian morals back then i guess? you didn't need STD's to tell you sleeping around was a bad idea, that's still true

[@Bubbaist]

I’ve been to countries where people don’t smile for photos because they want to look natural. It seems like smiling for a photo is something people do when cameras become more common. When photos are rare it’s more formal and a rare opportunity to preserve one’s appearance. Once cameras become common they become more about fun.

[@youmustmonthebiff]

It’s actually more likely because exposures used to take minutes and the sitter had to remain still. Easier to not move if not holding a smile.

[@debbylou5729]

It's funny, but MOST Europeans say they can spot an American because they smile 'all the time'. I find smiling more natural than not

[@KagamineHanon]

I mean, i get it. I feel really weird smiling for a photo, I can't force myself to do it.

[@nicwilson89]

@@debbylou5729 I think it's that massive toothy smile showing all of your teeth and pulling your cheeks as far up towards your ears as possible which is being referred to there. A natural smile is fine, but people don't usually go around trying to display every one of their teeth most of the time because it just looks so bloody forced/fake and two dimensional

[@JoMarieM]

Smiling just simply wasn't a custom in the early days of photography. Getting your portrait taken was a huge deal, especially if you were poor and it might be the only picture you have taken of you, so you wanted to look your best. Getting a picture taken in the Victorian era was a very solemn and serious occasion. But when cameras started to become smaller, cheaper and more portable, people began lugging them along to picnics and other outings, and soon felt comfortable enough to smile and goof off in front of the camera lens!

[@travisinthetrunk]

7:48 The reason for the black hat/white hat trope was so that people could see who the good guys and bad guys were on TV in the 1950’s.

[@gottfriedosterbach3907]

Yeah, I find it a little annoying because so many people classify based in white black hat roles hero villain etc. rather than the role they play and interaction. It is a bit childish and simplistic.

[@hawkeyeten2450]

Actually, if you watch films in that era, they also had a FASCINATING way of showing an "anti-hero" character: A white and black mix-colored outfit, or alternatively a black outfit with a white horse (a couple of Barbara Stanwyck's leading characters in films like Maverick Queen or Forty Guns were like this). They weren't exactly villains, but they weren't really the definitions of heroes, so they accordingly were shown in-between.

[@hawkeyeten2450]

@@gottfriedosterbach3907 A lot of the simplified ones were B-Westerns or TV stuff. If you look at higher end TV or box office westerns of the era, the outfits and plots are often a lot more complex.

[@professorblu6916]

Part of the reason for the lack of smiling was the condition of people's teeth. There has been a good amount of work on smiling, teeth, and dentistry. I believe one is called The Smile Revolution

[@BloodSweatandFears]

Damn the discovery of cane sugar! 😂

[@amdesigns5865]

I thought it was the length of time to take a photograph people had to stay very still for some minutes.

[@youmustmonthebiff]

@@amdesigns5865 THIS

[@Alex-ms9em]

Great point I completely forgot about that lol

[@ILoveYou-rv3pd]

@@amdesigns5865 this bad teeth reason is just speculation. The time to take the photos is the main reason.

[@channellegendarium7677]

What makes studying the Victorian era jarring (at least for me) is that at times the Victorians seem modern, innovative, and compassionate. And then, you've got many other aspects of their society that are very much the opposite.

[@jkatttt1699]

I think that describes much of human history. Whatever era were in is riddled with the same dualities

[@channellegendarium7677]

@@jkatttt1699 A very good point!

[@tristinoray2863]

The same could be said about todays generation and all the ones to come lol

[@NewMessage]

"No Royal, in the entire history of mankind, has ever been misquoted." -Louis the 14th

[@jotcw81]

The worst thing about the internet is, people misquote you. -Konfuzius

[@herowither12354]

TV shows set in the victorian era not having much diversity isn't crazy, since most of those shows focus on stuff like nobility or royalty.

[@panzfaust9812]

Woke community going to have a word with you soon.

[@CrazyBrosCael]

@@panzfaust9812 the woke community needs to face the reality of the day.

[@t.s.8190]

@@CrazyBrosCael the woke community should be shot without trial.

[@grapeshot]

@@panzfaust9812 of course whenever the white guy isn't the center of attention at all times we hear the word woke.

[@grapeshot]

@@CrazyBrosCael yes in the anti-woke community needs to face reality. Everybody has contributed to this planet not just the white guy.

[@TheMannyG]

Maybe Prince Albert DID have a genital piercing and that became Victoria's Secret!

[@CharlieHorse4363]

👀👀👀👀👀

[@ButtonsCasey]

Niiiice. 😂

[@mariaermac9624]

deymmm

[@Violets6991]

In every story I’ve heard about Queen Victoria she did have favourites one of her sons she was rumoured to be disappointed in because he gambled and publicly was known for attending brothels. Many of her children died young. It was in queen Victoria’s time that lockets were popular and keepsakes like photos with your dead. She was incredibly sentimental and seemed to like her privacy. She didn’t approve of breast feeding and was said to have thought breasts were an intimate thing between couples but this could be because royals typically didn’t breast feed their own children.

[@mangot589]

Define “Young”. They all grew up and had children of their own, except Louise. Quite an accomplishment back then. Even her hemophiliac son had two children. But I’ve read Arthur was her favorite because he looked the most like her “angel” Albert. She thought breastfeeding was animalistic, and even named one of her dairy COWS “Alice”😂😂

[@krisdudley7505]

This channel is amazing! I can't stop watching the videos the content is so compelling. One minute you're learning about the Romans, the next, the wild west, then, Victorians, next up, medieval England and so it goes on. I honestly watch the weird history channel more than I do Netflix now 🤣 Also the guy who does the narration is brilliant. Very informative but throws a nice splash of humour into the mix here and there. Personally I think he deserves a knighthood for services to history! Keep up the good work sir 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@michaelreyes9997]

The new videos are much better, the old ones have so much cheap humor it’s cringe

[@lisaahmari7199]

I think he is hilarious too.

[@kimberlypatton205]

Welcome to the fam! Nutty History is great too! Yes he is incredible and such a perfect voice!

[@yippee8570]

I don’t think Steampunks are trying to be historically accurate. It’s fantasy

[@GroundersSourceOfficial]

Steam-punk is an inspiration from the Victorian/Edwardian fashions. But it's not accurate.

[@jamestown8398]

I think that part might have been tongue-in-cheek.

[@yippee8570]

@@jamestown8398 fair enough

[@lesberkley3821]

Another popular belief is that Victorian women were murdered by their corsets. While there were a few 'influencers' who did insist on tight-lacing to a harmful extent, most corsets provided support and shape for the dresses of the period. "Gone With the Wind" was likely the principal source for this misconception.

[@whiterabbit-wo7hw]

I really doubt "Gone with the Wind" had anything to do with that conception. Although Scarlett did want her figure back after child birth. She did try to squeeze into her corset.

[@lesberkley3821]

@@whiterabbit-wo7hw It is shown in the movie very clearly. "Tighter!"

[@RTCPhotoWork]

Yes, people don't know about all the other undergarments of that era which contributed to the severe hourglass shape (like all the padding and paniers) by making hips and/or butt look much bigger. Absent that knowledge, the assumption is the corset did all of the work creating the shapes.

[@thorunnsleight4199]

@@RTCPhotoWork the "bum roll" was an indispensable tool for that in the 18th century, at least...

[@hawkeyeten2450]

I've heard claims that an improperly fitting corset (too tight, etc.) was used by some women as an excuse to get out of awkward situations or boring social gatherings. Perhaps this too is a myth, but I find this a lot more believable.

[@jovanweismiller7114]

You neglected to mention John Brown, Queen Victoria's servant and 'close friend'. Their exact relationship is unknown, but rumours led to her being referred to as 'Mrs Brown' on more than one occasion.

[@shanellematthews5828]

Upon Victoria's death it showed she had a prolapsed uterus. So sexual intimacy is a no no but romantic intimacy is possible. Although history has shown us that Victoria has a tendency for strong controlling men in her life. John Brown was another but labelled a lover bc he wasn't a minister nor aristocrat

[@quanbrooklynkid7776]

@@shanellematthews5828 who really knows

[@jenniperkins4260]

She loved him called him darling or something and had his portrait and letters were buried in her coffin

[@tremorsfan]

Sherlock Holmes only went to an opium den once, and that was because he was undercover. Holmes' drug of choice was cocaine.

[@susanmccormick6022]

Damn stuff.It has destroyed so many.

[@sakkra93]

Ah, the Victorian era, when cocaine was viewed as a harmless drug used to increase your productivity.

[@jonathanstempleton7864]

By that time, however, the harmful effects were becoming known so it was watered down to a seven percent solution. Couldn't have the great detective going off his tits 🤪

[@milhouse14]

Some mistakes in this video 0:00 5:40 Downton Abbey, not set during the Victorian era 4:29 17th or 18th century 9:53 10:18 Regency period 10:19 Medieval period

[@SStupendous]

Irritating, especially given the ideas it could give to people unfamiliar with history.

[@SStupendous]

4:29 from the dresses, hairstyles, architecture and that uniform clearly tells you it's around about 1840s, it's clearly not from the 1th or 17th century...

[@glennso47]

Downton Abbey is set in the late 1800s and early 20th century. Is that The Victorian Era?

[@milhouse14]

@@glennso47 No. It is set in the early 20th century. This is post Victorian Era.

[@marisad292]

As someone who’s hosted a podcast on lesser-known aspects of (& debunking myths about) the Victorian Era, I must say: well done!

[@Painted-Coyote]

What's the podcast?

[@marisad292]

@@Painted-Coyote the Victorian Variety Show! It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart, Amazon Music, & a bunch of other platforms.

[@Painted-Coyote]

@@marisad292 fantastic, ill have to check it out!

[@marisad292]

@@Painted-Coyote hope you like it!

[@romanovalicky]

@@marisad292 - I just subscribed on Spotify! I’m so excited to listen! What a wonderfully diverse list of topics! Bravo! 👏☺️

[@RNS_Aurelius]

The main reason Victorians didn't smile in pictures is because they had to sit in front of the camera for around 15 minutes for the photo. Moving would distort the image so remaining neutral and comfortable makes sense. Try holding a smile for 15 minutes without your mouth moving.

[@RNS_Aurelius]

@@mgenigma5 Yeah someone else said. I can't remember where I picked this myth up but I've believed it since I was a child.

[@justine5588]

Love this channel. Education and humor 👍😁

[@alicerivierre]

I know, right? Super awesome!

[@52filmsmedia]

Why do they keep showing Downton Abbey photos? That wasn't set in the Victorian era!

[@jacobishii6121]

Part of the opium den "myth" is semantics........the Victorians we're heavily involved in opium trade based in Hong Kong.The opium they exported to England was largely used in the brothels as birth control and to keep the workers at the brothel

[@yseson_]

“Victorians we’re using drugs like their parents were out of town for the weekend” lol nothing can convince me that this was not true

[@zach7193]

Man, that's something. Reminds me of Mythbusters on the Travel channel.

[@alicerivierre]

Sounds cool!

[@Midlife_Manical_Mayhem]

at least twice you used pictures from the show downton abbey which DID NOT take place in the victorian era. it starts in 1912, with the sinking of the titanic. not only was victoria long gone, so was king Edward, her son. the show starts with the characters wearing edwardian era clothing and moves on to the 20s from there. edwardian clothing was fairly different from victorian.

[@andrewthomson5650]

Calm down

[@Midlife_Manical_Mayhem]

@@andrewthomson5650 where would the fun be in that? besides, don't you think a channel that is supposed to be somewhat educational should have that education correct? oh. i'm totally calm. :)

[@milhouse14]

And the very first picture used in this video is Downton Abbey. I even saw a picture of Regency era 10:16 and medieval era 10:19. My goodness.

[@thorunnsleight4199]

@@milhouse14 yeah, I was flabergasted at the Regency illustration. I mean true, most of the viewers won't have a clue, but aren't channels like this meant to enlighten them?

[@shanellematthews5828]

Actually it wouldn't have been Edwardian. King Edward died in 1910

[@theon9575]

Queen Victoria's mourning for Albert the rest of her days, as you describe, still left room in her emotional life for first, her Scottish boyfriend John Brown, and later her infatuation with Indian "servant", Mahommed Karim. While she was not exactly "the merry widow", she was also not the lonely, isolated grieving widow that people thought her to be.

[@destinyclark4133]

Her relationship with with Mahommed was for a fact platonic considering he already had a wife who he was actually in love with but I’m not sure about this John brown guy, I’ll have to do some more research on him.

[@theon9575]

@@destinyclark4133 Yes, indeed her relationship with Mr. Karim was OFFICIALLY platonic, sure. Of course it was! But how do you know "for a fact"? Do you really think that if it were NOT platonic that she would broadcast that fact? Or, indeed, that that is any of our business? LOL Why do you suppose her family rushed to burn Queen Victoria's extensive personal diaries when she died? Tell me that, please. And since when did already being married to another person ever stop a member of the British Royal family having extramarital affairs or relationships. Hello! Can you be serious🤣? Prince Charles' adultery with already-married Camilla is simply the most recent of a long Royal tradition. Go ahead, read about "this John Brown guy" - it's well documented. But you won't read anything about what went on in Queen Victoria's intimate friendship with him. And neither should you.. it's none of our business. Besides, in my comment above I deliberately didn't mention SEX 😱 LOL.

[@destinyclark4133]

@@theon9575 Victorias diary was not burned, only anything pertaining to politics or Muhammad were erased from it. The reason for that and why some of her personal letters to Muhammad were also burned was because of the racial discrimination many people in the royal household held against him including Victorias son Edward who even forced Muhammad to watch as each letter was burned, evicted him out of the home he had in London, and deported him and his family back to India.

[@hawkeyeten2450]

Victoria also had a VERY interesting working relationship with French Emperor Napoleon III (the original Napoleon's nephew). She called him "an extraordinary man, with indomitable courage" and also considered him very deep thinking. Some believe their conversations during meetings may have shaped a few of Victoria's progressive or "enlightened" views. You would never guess she was the granddaughter of Napoleon's archenemy, King George III. Albert was more cautious, but eventually came to respect the Emperor as well from what I've read.

[@theon9575]

@@destinyclark4133 Wow! You have a lot of inside information. Impressive. So it was "only" racism? I C 🧐 That the Emperor of India would banish an Indian man for being friends with his mother, the then Empress of India, seems extraordinary. And that he should burn letters which contain nothing embarrassing at all, seems extremely strange. But if your inside information on this is 100% certain and clear, then who am I to argue? Mrs Brown, or at least her son, would have loved you. 😂

[@lisapop5219]

They were a miniscule minority. The majority never saw a black or brown person in their lives back then unless they lived in a large city

[@susanmccormick6022]

Like me,until I lived(for want of a better word)in a grotty city thanks to a dumb mistake.How anybody chooses to live in a city,puzzles me.But to each their own.Soo glad to get out.

[@kimberlypatton205]

Such a sweetheart to say “I don’t have a joke here, that’s just sad.” Endeared you to me x100 more…

[@SweetChicagoGator]

The middle class was more important to me in how people lived in the Victorian era. Not the putrid nobility and royalty, which to me are mainly rancid, idle gluttons ! 😡

[@puccipower]

Who painted the painting at 4:55 of the little girl reading a book with her hound dogs head in her arms? That is beautiful!

[@PLuMUK54]

"The Reading Lesson" by Charles Burton Barber, 1845-1894.

[@charmaineyoti544]

Love this channel! Not to sound prudish (for lack of a better term), but I would like to see some content on South America, and Africa. Yes, there are millions of cultures there, so there are plenty of stories to choose from, but this is the weird history channel, right? Might as well.......

[@mikecameron6667]

Myth: Prince Albert had a Prince Albert Reality: Ummm... It's not true because... Uhh... Because we said so. Move along.

[@HisVirusness]

Sherlock Holmes walked so that Batman could run. Growing up, part of required reading in my house was The Hound of the Baskervilles, right next to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Towel up, homies.

[@wayneedwards5589]

People did not smile in Victorian era photos because the the lens shutter on the camera was open for a long time in order to exposure the glass film. The subjects had to remain perfectly still during the exposure. This is very difficult to do if a person smiles.

[@xplzf]

Diversity in Victorian Britain? what percent were non native white? Edit: The 1901 census recorded 33,000 Londoners having been born in British colonies. Those colonies include Australia, Canada, NZ, Maltese, South African, Indians. One-thousand of Chinese heritage and One-thousand of African Heritage. London’s population in 1901 was 6.2 million. So 33k immigrants of Mainly European heritage is 0.5% of the 6.2million London population. This is only London, which is by far the most ‘multi cultural’ place in Britain.

[@pohsibkcirrag6312]

Dang, that's so diverse...😏

[@epstone]

Shhhhh dont you know? These people dont care for facts. INGLAND WUZ VERY DIVERSE AND BASICALLY BLACK

[@MaraWearmouth]

Would love to see a video on the reality of the brothels and how they allowed sexual exploration !

[@alicerivierre]

Oh, woof! I don't know about that...floof!

[@flicka25]

Pretty much as they do now....you pay for what you want...you pay extra for anything kinky

[@yippee8570]

Exploitation more like

[@nightshadehelis9821]

lol what?

[@scottmantooth8785]

*STD distribution outlets*

[@jakhan4203]

British inequality!! Take a look at US inequality!! Pots...kettles!???

[@elizabethramsey9295]

I was surprised to hear that opium dens weren’t all that prevalent as I had learned earlier. A well read friend of mine believed Sherlock Holmes was smoking opium when he lit up his pipe.

[@thegreencat9947]

Well he did like cocaine.

[@SatanSquad]

He wasn't very well read if he believed that

[@tabithablalock]

I love the Victoria Era! Thank you for doing a video on the myths. It was enlightening!

[@CantoraJamila]

I absolutely love your narrative!!! Lol 😂 hilarious every time , love the sarcasm 😂 could watch all day… 👏🏻 learning history laughing my head off is the best 👍🏼👍🏼

[@CassandraCarrAuthor]

Downton Abbey did not take place during the Victorian era. It started in 1912, a full 11 years after the era ended.

[@vanapirarayne738]

she had two favorites...her two youngest daughters where her favorite two.

[@mrmacguff1n]

Diversity was a small thing in the day, certainly not jow Bridgeton portrays it

[@westzed23]

Victorian Era people lived like everyone through history. There was humour and celebrating as well as death and disease. We have first hand records and photographs plus racy types of such. Queen Victoria had an overprotective childhood. She wasn't allowed to meet other children and was not allowed to even walk down the stairs without someone holding her hand for fear of falling. Her mother kept her isolated and even shared her bedroom until she was crowned Queen. This probably gave her a different outlook on childcare of her own children. It was a good thing that there were nannies and governesses to raise her children.

[@fullmetalmasify]

I did not know about the tear bottle one. It caught my eye instantly

[@NextToToddliness]

Me, wearing my steam punk regalia: EGREGIOUS!

[@scottmantooth8785]

*7:03** Opium dens...the Starbucks of their day*

[@shirasky3049]

I would love to see a Weird History on how language came to be, across the world

[@chasityreynolds3280]

Hey. . .I feel like way more people need to know of the lunacy that was the Toronto Circus Riot of 1855. Love your videos!

[@mangot589]

Oh, how I wish her daughter Beatrice hadn’t “cleaned up” Victoria’s journals, and then burned them, along with her letters, which are a treasure trove among the ones that survived. Victoria was VERY honest, with her opinions. Brutally so. Bea went at them with hot water and a hatchet. Even the stuff she left in, you can see. “We kissed over and over again” (her wedding night). “It was heaven, Albert is SO BEAUTIFUL in just his nightshirt”. And she took out ANY mention of John Brown. What a tragedy. 🙈 And Victoria did herself a wee bit of drugs. They weren’t illegal. Quick note, I understand that she said the “WE” was because she was always referring to her and Albert. Even after he was deceased, she always felt they were together, if not in body, then in spirit.

[@XoLaLaXo]

The reason why people don’t smile in old photos is because they had to sit still for such a long time that it wasn’t practical to smile as the photo may turn out blurry. Geez I thought this was a history channel 🤪

[@sarahsmith4205]

Princess vicky was her favorite because she reminded Victoria the most of Prince Albert

[@nofosho3567]

Makes video about busting the Myths of the Victorian Era Opening image from a show set in the 1920's. alright

[@zakkiamin]

Dear weird history I have some insomnia and your video help me a lot to sleep thks

[@michelepascoe6068]

Another great video. Love your collection of pictures (a couple from other time periods), your commentary and humour. Most enjoyable.

[@theforsaken127]

wtf thought all Steampunk was based to reality....

[@radfem28]

5:33 that illustration is terrifying

[@Gihad97]

Victorias love for albert is unexpected. Nice to see a royal couple that really loved each other.

[@ButtonsCasey]

Victoria was obsessed with Albert. It was unhealthy. The woman told her daughter Alice that losing a child is not as bad as losing a husband.

[@jgallardo7344]

Please do a video on myths debunked about the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression

[@LordMondegrene]

I've read that Victorian writers were reluctant to even use the word "leg" for a woman's lower extremity, and substituted the word "limb". But the Victorian mania for keeping skin covered is evident in their ridiculous bathing suits. Flounces, peplums, ruffles and skirts (all in black, to show solidarity with Queen Victoria's 40 years of mourning) helped drown many a Victorian woman. Victoria's militant ignorance extended to the trial of Oscar Wilde. When told of his homosexuality, and asked if women should be penalized as well, the queen glowered and said, "Women do not do that " So only male homosexuals were jailed, or sentenced to "chemical castration", like Alan Turing. The skin coverup also killed many people by depriving them of sunlight, and vitamin-D, hobbling their immune systems. That's one of the main reasons Victorians seemed so pale and sickly, with epidemics ripping thru the cities like wildfire. Tuberculosis, influenza, croup, grippe, colds, typhoid, cholera, sepsis, scarlet fever, measles, mumps, etc. killed millions because SKIN=SIN. They wanted to look aristocratic, so they stayed out of the sun, because only POOR people who worked in the sun all day had a tan. So I don't buy your final claim that Victorians were not prudes just because they had prostitution. All cultures have it. The question is, how did they treat it? In Victorian England, prostitution was legal, but punished under other laws like public health codes, public drunkenness, or public gatherings. Since these women became prostitutes because they were poor, molested, sexually assaulted, seduced, infected, impregnated, or abandoned, the law punished victims of sex crime. As usual. Some things never change.

[@janetsworld9734]

Very good points!

[@LordMondegrene]

@@janetsworld9734 I like your smackdown on cultural appropriation, Janet. Keep on rockin'.

[@janetsworld9734]

@@LordMondegrene Thank you!!!

[@LordMondegrene]

@@janetsworld9734 Yer welcome, darlin'.

[@freefromthedark6784]

Yeah that's mostly myth. Sure were there people who took it too far? Yes but the mass majority of victorian's aren't represented by a couple pictures of royalty and some stories you heard on buzzfeed.

[@Ad_Astra2023]

Princess Beatrice was known as Queen Victoria’s favourite daughter and Prince Arthur was her favourite son out of all.

[@marlenesingleton8839]

That was very interesting. Thanks for showing the video.🌸

[@s.ilonahorvath2629]

For a history channel, even if it's weird, I find it hard to believe that you would include Downton Abbey in the Victorian Era since the series starts with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912...

[@pattycake8272]

I think the one about tear bottles. I just thought that was quite interesting to hear about them a while back and very believable, so do they really know?

[@nikkilee3106]

Victoria’s grandchildren’s decisions probably disappointed her too

[@wardreamonautopilot]

steampunk is alternative history its not incorrect its a what if history was different

[@mollymolohon6580]

I watch nearly all of your videos and I think you're one of the best and most honest of them ‼️ Good shit and I hope you keep up the good stuff ❣️🤓

[@peterdollins3610]

In 1948 my 80 year old Grandmother told me 'little pitchers are to be seen not heard.' Objecting to my 6 year old words. Many parts of our ideas of the Victorians are correct.

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Victorian era America was far more prudish than during the same time in the UK. In fact you were more likely to see table and piano legs covered in parts of the USA than in the UK!

[@peanutbutterjeff5364]

I’m new to this channel, but I’d love to see a video on myths about space travel or people’s experiences in space.

[@The_one_with_a_name]

"So why is the piercing named after Queen Victoria's husband? Neh... no one really knows." 😂 Lol

[@queenbratbracken]

When you said might as well throw a little brut in that hole and freshen things up I cackled not gonna lie. My mind went elsewhere. lol

[@briansullivan5908]

Shame on you 😂

[@adampatino5372]

That chair leg joke is pretty dam funny

[@kristenabardwell5274]

Clicked so fast love the videos all the way from Kansas. Thanks for the best educational and awesomely videos.😊💙

[@zachwilson5873]

9vhp

[@tomfrazier1103]

Around 1920 there was a huge backlash against the Victorian ethos, blamed for the pointless slaughter of the Great War. Dumps were often located near Graveyards, at least in the Western U.S.

[@davidbradley6040]

The no smiling photo went on well into the 1940s/50s

[@dtdimeflicks6708]

Is there proof that Prince Albert was in a can, though?

[@richardbenzler346]

Do you have Prince Albert in a can? Why yes we do… Well you better let him out! He can’t breathe!

[@grapeshot]

Yes I seen the opium den on the movie From Hell. Johnny Depp's character was a regular.

[@bobbybacon3478]

Facts? Debunked? I guess these days debunking is simply saying that A or B isn’t true. DeBuNkEd!

[@summerrose7910]

If you read Little Lord Fauntleroy, he’s not stuffy

[@davidlester1736]

You are the best of the best! You make history worth watching. The narrator's voice is worth every minute of Absolute History and Nutty History - many thanks!!!

[@CrazyCatMom11]

Sorry, but I have to disagree about Victoria's mothering. She was cold, controlling, and cruel. She insulted them (like calling Vicky a cow for daring to breastfeed), kept absolute control over some (specifically Beatrice), blatantly played favorites, downplayed the grief of one of her children whose own child had died ("it doesn't compare to losing a husband!"), blamed Bertie for Albert's death and never "forgave" him, wrote them all incessant letters and would have a fit if they took too long to reply or if they said something she disagreed with, and would give them the silent treatment for extended periods of time over the smallest imagined slight. Victoria clearly had mental issues and she took them out on her husband, children, and even some grandchildren.

[@bitch8205]

Didn't one of her daughters-in-law actually give Victoria the wrong due date when she was pregnant so Victoria couldn't be there during the birth of the child? I read something about that happening, but I don't remember the details.

[@Alex-zs7gw]

💯% I've never got the hype around her just cuz the wealthy bitch of privelage survived 🙄. Whilst i can empathise with her difficult relationship with her own mother and the psychologically toxic situation with Conroy growing up, i think this seems to have manifested something in her akin to Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Certainly today i think she'd be treated with the same animosity that Meghan Markle gets but with just cause.

[@susanmccormick6022]

Victoria had a pretty grim childhood.Maybe that's what shaped her own mothering.

[@amandamcdonough1256]

Can I get some topics on the Age of Exploration/Age of Discovery for my students and I? Love your channel!

[@larrybass370]

Is there the possibility of a crossover episode of Weird History/ Weird History Food about the history of the microwave?

[@roberw1912]

There were no slaves in the UK. There were slaves in the colonies. This was because of an 11th century law. There were black people in the 18th century in the UK, but these were servants and were a show of wealth. There were some black people in the UK prior to 1900, but it was not due to freed slaves. There was film footage in 1900 showing people and you did see a black man working in a mine, but that was out of 1000s of working class people in the films.

[@jonathanstempleton7864]

I would think everyone working in a coal mine would be black ⛏️🙄

[@tombombadilofficial]

A Modern Viking style wedding sounds like a Redditor’s wet dream.

[@HipnoDark]

We were happy. I miss that time. We should back to that exactly. Dismiss everything we have and back. And eat dirt.

[@russelljones9137]

I'm pretty sure the 'Prince Albert' piercing on male genitalia is a reference to the Prince Albert Cigars.... That's what the old folks told me when I was young

[@DoppelgangerShockwave]

Now do a video on Steam Punk. 😁

[@MrsShocoTaco]

My 3rd grade teacher told us that people didn't smile in old photographs because they all had bad teeth😅

[@andyginterblues2961]

I remember hearing about how Victoria supposedly died, something having to do with a horse suspended on a sling... this is probably a myth, however. Has anyone else heard this?

[@alannothnagle]

You‘re thinking of Catherine the Great of Russia, although that story is also pretty unbelievable.

[@CCoburn3]

OK. Victoria became queen when Andrew Jackson was president. She died when TR was president. That's such a long time that it really doesn't make sense to talk about the "Victorian Era" as if it didn't change over that time.

[@CartoonHistory]

OMG... I havent seen the new Downton Abbey film yet!

[@thegreencat9947]

Me too.... I gotta see that.! Maggie is my hero.

[@yurdp]

Pianos are percussion instruments! 😜

[@jorenbosmans8065]

Kind of surprised with the claim that the covering of pianolegs wasn't real. I had an anthropology professor declare it in class as real

[@moderatedoomer2945]

There was more opium in Victorian Britain, per capita, than there is opium consumption today consumption in Great Britain today. Victorian era people did not want to die of overdoses and they did not want to have their minds needlessly clouded by drugs; after all, part of a good life in the Victorian Era involved moderation in terms of alcohol consumptions. In bourgeoise and middle class social circles where excessive alcohol was frowned upon, heavy consumption of caffeine and tobacco was socially acceptable. Having a sharp mind that could conduct business, read and discuss the latest literary offerings (Novels were all the rage back then, they were the prestige TV of their day) and be able to understand and discuss the latest findings and theories from the world of science, both natural and social. If you were cool, you had read Karl Marx and Charles Darwin, for example. The desire for mental acuity had to be balanced against the need for pain relief. There were many painful health conditions, that today can be cured or treated effectively, that could not be cured or treated back then. So for severe, chronic pain, laudanum was usually the answer. Laudanum was made from dissolving dried (and therefore concentrated) Opium sap into strong neutral grain spirits. It was very strong and it needed to be carefully measured out to avoid a fatal overdose. Nevertheless, it was far and away the best treatment for chronic pain in the 19th century. Injectable morphine become widely available by the 1860's but it was intended for treating sudden and acute pain such as the pain caused by a major wound on the battle field. Injectable morphine became a drug of abuse in the latter half of the 19th century because its affects were so intense and fast acting. Meanwhile laudanum, though very potent, was taken by mouth and was slower acting and therefore better to treat chronic pain. While laudanum helped with severe pain, for mild to moderate aches and pains from over exertion of the muscles, menstrual cramps, headaches, toothaches, arthritis, mild burns, sore throat, sprained ankles, and soreness brough on by fever, there was opium tea. Whereas laudanum was made from the potent sap from the most potent poppies grown in the highlands of the Middle East and South Asia, opium tea was made from the whole opium pods harvested from the more mild British grown poppies. Opium poppies love the climate found in the uplands of Anatolia, Iran and the mountains in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. Hot summers full of overhead sunshine along with short but bitterly cold winters make for strong opium. Opium grown in those conditions were used for laudanum. Meanwhile, poppies growing in the wet and cool British countryside were mild and there bulbs yielded a mild tea. In short, Victorian people adjusted their dosage of opium to suit their needs. Like most people in History, they were rational actors who acted within the bounds of whatever knowledge was available to them and within the bounds set by technological and economic constraints that they faced at the time.

[@LordMondegrene]

There is less opium used in England today, thanks to heroin, codeine, morphine, Fentanyl, OxyNorm, Oxycontin, Vicodin, Percodan, Percocet, Methadone, Thebane, Tramadol, Pethidine, Carfentanil, alcohol, and of course, Damnitall.

[@cassieconn9063]

Damn she really loved him. Mourned for 40 years.

[@trueblueclue]

Lemme tell you... they had a ton of kids in the Victorian era... they weren't as prude as we thought.