Victorian Trading Co. | The Official Blog
Victorian History
The “Gibson Girl” was a pen-and-ink drawing by New York artist Charles Dana Gibson that first appeared in the 1890s. Characterized by her hourglass figure and soft hair piled into a chignon, the Gibson Girl represented the ideal American girl.
The silhouette, sometimes referred to as the Poor Man’s Portrait, was a popular form of portraiture in Victorian England. Prior to the introduction of the photograph, painted portraits were reserved for the wealthy, requiring money and hours of sitting. Continue reading “The Poor Man’s Portrait”
“It is to be all out of doors, a table spread in the shade, you know. Everything as natural and simple as possible.” –Jane Austen
While a picnic in Jane Austen’s time may have been a simpler affair, simplicity was certainly not the Victorians’ strong point. Continue reading “A Picnic in the Park”