Browse Items (716 total)

Christina Rossetti's book of verse, "Goblin Market", alludes to various interpretations of culture that was immensely popular in the Victorian area; consumerism and female sexuality. The text revolves around two sisters encompassed by the temptation…

This is an article which describes, criticizes, and provides accounts from the book called “Diary of H.M. the Shah of Persia During his Tour Through Europe in A.D. 1873,” translated by J.W. Redhouse. The statements from this diary that are…

M.R. James's "The Diary of Mr. Poynter" was not the earliest occurrence of a story in which somebody mistakes an intruder in their home for their own pet. In "The Diary of Mr. Poynter," James Denton reaches down to pet his dog, but he places his hand…

This newspaper article, titled, "The Practice of Etching" gives a specific, technical account of how Mezzotints are made. With precise detailing of the how the images are etched and crafted, this article provides a quick background for someone who…

Though it has likely evolved in terms of practice from when Mr. Podgers was reading palms (or being a "cheiromantist," as the book calls it), palm reading is still considered a fairly popular practice among people who engage in spiritual practices,…

This satirical article from Punch discusses several new book releases, including selections from Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories. One of the stories discussed is the titular one of "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime," which the reviewer finds…

These images are taken from the guided journal of Oscar Wilde. It is a rather odd format because it is not unlike the human interest pieces that contemporary magazines make regarding celebrities today. In fact, some of the same questions are asked,…

Fortune-telling became increasingly popular in the 19th century. These two paintings show how cartomancy, that is, fortune-telling by deck of playing cards, was both a business opportunity or form of peddling as well as an increasingly fashionable…

In Édouard Bisson’s “A Question to the Cards” (1889), we find a different scene entirely. Two wealthy, fashionable young women, surrounded by rich furnishings, appear to be reading a deck of cards. Here, cartomancy has become a fashionable…

The essay "London Beyond the Pale" lies within the book and photo journal, "Living London: Its Work and Its Play, Its Humour and Its Pathos, Its Sights and Its Scenes," which functions as something of a travel guide, attempting to capture every…