Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine

What people wore

Shirtfronts Hidden Beneath Formal Wear

To maintain respectability when they could not afford an entire formal wardrobe, gentlemen often wore a separate shirtfront or dickey to conceal striped shirts.

Getting around

Faster and cheaper travel by rail

A journey from London to Liverpool by coach once took twenty-two hours and cost £4 inside, whereas by the mid-nineteenth century, the same journey by train could be completed in just six hours for £2 5s.

At the table

Affordable staple foods for families

Onions were a common, affordable staple, often costing about a halfpenny for a bunch of at least a dozen. Watercress was also a popular, cheap working-class staple available for a halfpenny for four bunches.

Music

Widespread Use of Concertinas and Accordions

In rural Norfolk around 1890, it was common for households to own a worn-out concertina or a broken-down accordion. These portable instruments became essential for entertainment in homes, pubs, and at village festivals throughout the mid-to-late nineteenth century.

Daily life

Winter Bed Warming and Iced Windows

With no central heating, families used warming pans filled with hot coals to heat beds during winter. It was not uncommon for ice to form on the inside of window panes on cold mornings.

What it cost

Cost of Boots and Daily Labor

A pair of Blucher boots cost one shilling and threepence, while a pair of Clarence boots cost two shillings and a penny. Making one pair of boots was considered roughly equivalent to a day's work for a moderate workman.