When thinking of the Victorian era, it’s easy to picture fancy dresses, dinner parties, and elaborate hairdos. But after digging a little deeper, we’ve discovered a world that was both bizarre and slightly terrifying. From dentures made from human teeth to fashion that could literally shorten your life, the Victorian era was certainly a time of wild occurrences and some pretty mind-boggling practices. In this list, we’ve gathered 28 strange, unsettling, and even downright shocking facts about the Victorian era that may surprise or horrify you.
#1 Beer Was Safer To Drink Than Water
Because clean water was hard to come by during the Victorian era, “small beer” was often the safer alternative. Its brewing process and alcohol content were just enough to rid contaminated water of harmful bacteria and pathogens. While drinking this instead of water doesn’t seem like the best idea now, it was the safer option for people of all ages back then.
Report
14points
#2 Dentures Were Sometimes Made From Human Teeth
Dentistry has come a long way since the Victorian era; back then, the best dentures were made from actual human teeth. After the battle of Waterloo in 1815, which left thousands of soldiers with good teeth deceased, people jumped at the chance to pull them from their mouths. These looted teeth then made their way to dental technicians, who boiled, cut, and shaped them onto ivory dentures.
Report
13points
#3 About One Million People Were Servants To The Rich In 1851
With over one million people employed as domestic servants in 19th-century Britain, it clearly was an attractive employment opportunity for most. Despite the many demands and long working hours, being a domestic servant came with a ton of perks, like free housing, clothing, and food. Servants also had access to leftover food and resources, which they could trade for other items.
12points
#4 Women Preferred To Wear Large Dresses
When cage crinolines were introduced as women’s undergarments in the 1850s, dresses got bigger than they’d ever been before. Although they were lightweight, these steel-hooped undergarments made navigating through rooms quite challenging, and also made completing simple everyday tasks nearly impossible. Despite this, women would wear them anyway since voluminous dresses were a symbol of wealth and status.
Report
10points
#5 Medical Instruments Weren't Sterilized Between Patients
In the early 1800s, before germ theory and antiseptic practices became the norm, it was common practice for doctors and surgeons to use unsterilized equipment between patients. As such, many would lose their lives due to sepsis, gangrene, and other serious infections. Luckily, proper hygiene standards and antiseptic practices were finally discovered in the late 1800s.
Report
10points
#6 Post-Mortem Photography Was Popular
During this era, taking post-mortem photos was a popular tradition for grieving families after a loved one’s passing. Infant and child photography was in demand due to the high mortality rates at the time. To create the cherished keepsakes, deceased loved ones would be dressed in their finest clothing and posed as if they were still alive or just asleep.
Report
9points
#7 Corsets Caused Health Complications In Women
Corsets did way more than just accentuate women’s waists and busts in the Victorian era. As it turns out, the garment was the cause of at least 97 different diseases and led to negative symptoms ranging from breathing problems to organ damage. The effects of wearing corsets weren’t just physical; they also caused heightened hysteria and even melancholy.
9points
#8 Women Basically Had No Rights
For much of the Victorian era, women’s rights, particularly married women’s rights, were virtually nonexistent. While women didn’t have the right to vote or sue, married women also lost all control over their own properties and earnings, which automatically became their husbands’. Some legal progress was made when the Married Women's Property Acts of 1870 and 1882 were passed, but it would be a long time before women’s rights were greatly improved.
Report
9points
#9 Some Girls Identified As “Fasting Girls”
Several pre-adolescent girls in the Victorian era called themselves “fasting girls,” claiming they could survive extended periods of time without eating. Oddly, in addition to not eating food, the girls also claimed to have supernatural powers. But as it turns out, they may have been suffering from anorexia nervosa.
Report
8points
#10 People Thought Eating In The Dark Would Help With Digestion
Surprisingly, Victorians were on the right track when choosing to use low-light areas within their homes as dining rooms. Scientists today say eating in the dark stops the body from salivating and producing stomach juices, which makes one eat less because food becomes harder to consume.
Report
8points
#11 Infants Had High Mortality Rates
Tragically, most infants during the Victorian era didn’t live long after birth. That’s why parents held off on naming their children until after they turned one year old. While this may seem strange, parents allegedly used this practice as a way to distance themselves emotionally from the potential loss of their children.
Report
8points
#12 Mourning Practices Were Strict
Queen Victoria set an extremely high standard when she mourned Prince Albert’s passing for decades, so much so that mourning practices during that time became quite strict. Widows were often expected to wear black for at least two years, and the higher their social status, the more elaborate their mourning periods had to be.
8points
#13 Many Women Used Raw Meat As Facial Masks
While the practice of using raw meat as a facial mask seems unhygienic and slightly gross now, some women during the Victorian era couldn’t live without doing it. Often using thin slices of beef or veal, they were convinced that the meat would keep their skin supple, glowing beautifully, and even prevent premature wrinkles.
Report
6points
#14 Toxic Arsenic Was Widely Consumed
Before the full extent of its toxicity was discovered, arsenic was used in everyday household items like food, wallpaper, dyes, and even medicines. The chemical element was exceptionally popular for use in women’s cosmetics and as a men’s supplement, too. Sadly, this extensive use of arsenic led to widespread chronic poisoning, illness, and multiple fatalities.
Report
6points
#15 Mental Illness Was "Treated" Using Inhumane Methods
Although mental healthcare became more institutional in the Victorian era, with patients being sent to asylums, treatments for mental illness just got more inhumane. Extreme methods such as cold water immersions and electrotherapy were used as part of treatment programs, and patients would often be chained or confined while receiving them.
Report
6points
#16 Women Could Be Institutionalized For "Hysteria"
In the Victorian Era, “hysteria” was a term used to describe a “disease” applied to women whose behaviors were considered unconventional at the time. From disobeying their husbands to deviating from societal norms, these acts would be classified as hysteria and would get them institutionalized in asylums for mental illness.
Report
6points
#17 Child Labor Was Rampant
Due to the rise of the Industrial Revolution, the demand for cheap labor was higher than ever during the Victorian era. For much of it, child labor was common and legal, which is why children as young as 4 years old from poor families were expected to work. Shockingly, they would work in mines, factories, and other dangerous jobs just to help support their families.
Report
6points
#18 Lead And Mercury Were In Many Everyday Products
Lead and mercury were popular ingredients in several products that were used during the Victorian era. A lack of safety regulations and knowledge of the risks these elements posed led to their use in children’s toys, beauty tonics, and even face powders. As a result, people were silently being poisoned from a very young age.
Report
6points
#19 The "Freak Show" Industry Used Disabled People For Entertainment
“Freak shows” were a form of entertainment in the Victorian era that involved showcasing people with physical, mental, and behavioral disabilities to the public in an exploitative manner. While the shows were popular, and some of the performers managed to improve their quality of life through employment, others sadly fell victim to mistreatment.
Report
6points
#20 People Poisoned Themselves While Using Dye
Dyeing dresses and other items using a popular dye called Scheele’s green gained popularity during the Victorian Era. While these items were certainly fashionable, the arsenic used in the dye was toxic and caused serious health issues for anyone who handled it. It wasn’t until 19-year-old Matilda Scheurer, an artificial flower maker, tragically passed away from arsenic poisoning that people became aware of the dangers.
Report
6points