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The Victorian Period 1830-1901
Scientific adventures become popular in the 19th century • Questions to think about • What specific technologies and social conditions allow early science fiction to become popular? • How did everyday people in the Victorian era learn about new technologies and scientific developments? • Describe some of the major inventions developed after the 1840s • What was different about the world Jules Verne lived in as compared to that of Mary Shelley? • Industrialization brought many benefits. Was there a dark side to all the changes?
A Time of Change • London becomes most important city in Europe • Population of London expands from two million to six million • Shift from ownership of land to modern urban economy • Impact of industrialism • Increase in wealth • Britain foremost imperial power • Victorian people suffered from anxiety, a sense of being displaced persons in an age of technological advances.
Elements of Science Fiction related to social change • Science fiction is closely related to fantasy • Imagining an alternative social order and society • Reflecting on the consequences of technological modernity • Reflecting on the consequences of techno-scientific progress • Imagining the limits of humanity and its dystopian futures • Imagining transcendent humanity and its utopian advancement
The Great International Exhibitions • With the advent of the industrial revolution exhibitions were conducted in several countries to display the new discoveries side by side and thus to facilitate their comparison and adoption. These exhibitions in turn accelerated the development of industries. These exhibitions offered opportunities for creative architecture. Two periods are noted in the history of exhibitions: • First period – 1798 to 1849 – they were conducted solely in Paris. • Second period – later half of the 19th century – they became international in scope.
The Early Victorian Period1830-1848 • In 1830, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened, the first public railway line in the world. • By 1850, railway lines connected England’s major cities • By 1900 , England had 15,195 lines of railroad and an underground rail system beneath London. • The train transformed England’s landscape, supported the growth of commerce, and shrank the distance between cities.
The Time of Troubles1830’s and 1840’s • Unemployment • Poverty • Rioting • Slums in large cities • Working conditions for women and children were terrible
Impact of economic and social change on Literature • European novelists of the 1840’s and the 1850’s responded to the industrial and political scene with realist novels that reflected social changes
Charles Dickens • Historical Novel: A Tale of Two Cities (1849) • A story of the French Revolution and events in London • Written partly with the purpose of improving social conditions
Challenges to Religious Belief • Darwin- the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man • Examination of the Bible as a mere text of history • Source studies • Geology • Astronomy
Inventions after 1840s • Communication • Samuel Morse 1844; telegraph • Alexander Graham Bell 1876; telephone • Guglielmo Marconi 1896; wireless telegraph radio • Manufacturing and transportation • Bessemer Process 1850s • Skyscrapers, suspension bridges, railroads • Transcontinental railroad allowed travel and business to operate on a continental level • 1884- time zones • Increased demand for finished products mass production using machine
Rising nationalism1848-1870 • A time of prosperity • A time of improvement • A time of stability • A time of optimism
The Crystal Palace • Erected to display the exhibits of modern industry and science at the 1851 Great Exhibition • One of the first buildings constructed according to modern architectural principles • The building symbolized the triumphs of Victorian industry
The Great exhibition , London 1851 • The crystal palace was designed by Joseph Paxton • The method of construction used was serial production • The structure was a combination of wood iron and glass • Ridge and Furrow construction was adopted • It was planned around the largest sheet of glass available at the time which was only 4 ft long • The whole building was made from a system of prefabricated units within a time frame of 6 months • Its length was 1848 feet • The area achieved was 800,000 square feet
The Universal Exhibition, Paris 1855 • The Palais des industries • A rectangular structure with high central aisle surrounded by double row of galleries • Low side aisles were supported by numerous cast iron pillars • Tie bars were avoided by the use of buttresses • Emphasis was on the opening up of space. Hence enormous areas of glass was used. This resulted in excessive lighting of the interior almost blinding the spectator • The other building was the Hall of machines
Second Industrial Revolution1870-1901 • Peak of British imperialism • Bismarck's Germany became a rival power • United States became a rival power • Economic depression led to mass immigration • Socialism
The Paris exhibition of 1867 • The main building was elliptical in shape • Inside the main building 7 concentric galleries were placed which increased in size towards the outside • The gallery of machines was twice the height and width of others • Hydraulic lifts were used for vertical commutation The Paris exhibition of 1878 • Consisted of two buildings – A monumental building in stone and a main exhibition building • The main building comprised of a series of galleries placed parallel flanked by the hall of machines
The Paris exhibition of 1889 • This saw new conceptions in construction and new advances in industry • Centered around the Eiffel tower - constructed in 17 months • All other buildings were spread out behind the tower
The Eiffel tower • Height 1000 feet designed as 3 stages • Support were four pylons anchored to separate foundations • Elevators used to reach the various stages of the tower apart from a series of spiral staircases. • Aesthetic reaction – It was considered an ugly monster initially but gained acceptance and appreciation over a period of time
Literacy, Publication, and Reading • By the end of the century, literacy was almost universal. • Compulsory national education required to the age of ten. • Due to technological advances, an explosion of things to read, including newspapers, periodicals, and books. • Growth of the periodical • Novels and short fiction were published in serial form. • The reading public expected literature to illuminate social problems.
Educational Opportunities for Women • First women’s college established in 1848 in London. • By the end of 1900, women could take degrees at twelve university colleges.
The Victorian Novel • The novel was the dominant form in Victorian literature. • Victorian novels seek to represent a large and comprehensive social world, with a variety of classes. • Victorian novels were realistic. • Major theme is the place of the individual in society, the aspiration of the hero or heroine for love or social position.
Questions • What specific technologies and social conditions allow early science fiction to become popular? • How did everyday people in the Victorian era learn about new technologies and scientific developments? • Describe some of the major inventions developed after the 1840s • What was different about the world Jules Verne lived in as compared to that of Mary Shelley? • Industrialization brought many benefits. Was there a dark side to all the changes?
