Bizarre Facts About The Victorian Era

The Victorians Brought The World To London

In 1851, Londoners flocked to the Crystal Palace to marvel at luxuries from around the world.

The Victorian obsession with nature extended beyond insects as jewelry. At the height of the British Empire, Victorians brought the world to London.

Starting in the 1850s, the Crystal Palace showcased exotica from around the world, from gardens to luxury goods. Initially built for the first World's Fair in 1851, the glass building was meant to serve not only as an exhibition for intriguing objects but also as a way to get more of a cultural education.

So the structure featured many artifacts and historical architecture, as well as dioramas of unique flora and fauna found all over the world. Unfortunately, there was also a "human zoo" that featured 60 Somalis — transported to London just so British people could gawk at them.

But Londoners were especially fascinated with Egypt. Travelers brought back mummies as souvenirs and held parties to unwrap them. Thomas Pettigrew personally unwrapped at least 40 mummies. He also embalmed the 10th Duke of Hamilton in the ancient Egyptian method. The duke's body was later buried in an actual ancient sarcophagus that he had purchased 30 years earlier — and even chiseled out to fit his frame.

Many Victorians — especially wealthy ones — saw Britain as the most powerful nation in the world. But even power couldn't protect Victorians from the ever-present reality of death. Cholera swept England multiple times during Victoria's reign, and high mortality rates led to increasingly elaborate mourning rituals.

Take, for example, these Victorian era facts about death: Nearly 60 percent of children born to working-class families died before their fifth birthday. In the decade that Victoria became queen, the life expectancy for tradesmen was 25 years, and for laborers it was 22 years. Queen Victoria herself spent 40 years in mourning for her husband Prince Albert.

For grieving Victorians, post-mortem photographs helped them remember their deceased loved ones. For people who were paranoid about being buried alive, safety coffins promised to save them from "premature burial." And in one of London's first homeless shelters, men slept in open beds that were shaped like coffins. All in all, Victorian life made it almost impossible to escape death.