Victorians (1837–1901)
Highlights from our Victorian records reveal a time of rapid change. Innovations in transport saw millions travel on the railways and emigrate all over the world. Meanwhile patents and advertisements for new products were often as beautiful as they were practical.
Victorians (1837–1901) highlights in pictures
Stories from the collection
The story of Sophia Jex-Blake, pioneer of women's medicine
Read about Sophia Jex-Blake, pioneer of women's medicine
Sophia Jex-Blake (1840–1912) was a physician and campaigner who fought for women’s access to university education.
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The 1888 matchgirls' strike
In 1888, the women and girls employed by Bryant & May in the East End of London went out on strike. Why did these workers feel so driven to remove their labour?
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'Fallen' women of the real Albert Square
Who lived in the real Albert Square and what can their lives tell us about 19th-century London life?
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Registered design for an expanding travelling basket
In 1866, a British luggage manufacturer attempted to capitalise on the expansion of railway lines with a unique and royal travel bag.
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Copyright registration form for Bram Stoker’s Dracula
The Irish author completed this form to register ownership of a play titled ‘Dracula; or the Un-Dead’, and thus his seminal novel. It would prove important.
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Sophia Todd
Was a woman arrested for murder in Victorian Liverpool an unfortunate person caught up in a series of ill-fated events, or something much more sinister?
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William Cuffey
William Cuffey (1788–1870) was a disabled, working-class campaigner. He was a leading figure in the Chartism movement, famed for his powerful oratory.