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Anna Faszcza Altering Housing Standards

When thinking of a Victorian house, you might bear in mind a colourful, doll‑like building. This style is strictly associated with the time when Queen Victoria reigned in Great Britain, from 1837 to 1901. Not only was it used on a wide scaleon a wide scaleon a wide scale in Great Britain and in all former British colonies, but it is also a common sight in Australia, Malaysia, Canada and the U.S.A.

A.

In 19th‑century Great Britain, at the time of the Industrial Revolution, when hand production was exchanged for a mechanical one, more and more people arrived in towns and cities to find work. They were often given inexpensive shelter by the factory owners, but unfortunately, it was too small for the average Victorian family with four or five children. The living conditionsliving conditions were far from satisfactory, and several families had to share a couple of toilets and a water pump. Water was regularly polluted, which caused a drastic increase in the number of deaths of children.

On the contrary, the middle and higher classes led much more comfortable lives. Flushing toiletsflushing toilets [flushing toilet]Flushing toilets or gas lightinggas lightinggas lighting constituted a standardconstituted a standard [constitute a standard]constituted a standard. People would also enjoy heavy curtainsheavy curtains [heavy curtain]heavy curtains, flowery wallpaperflowery wallpaperflowery wallpaper, rugsrugs [rug]rugs, carpets, ornamentsornaments [ornament]ornaments, solid furnituresolid furnituresolid furniture, paintings, and plants. Middle and higher classes had water pumpswater pumps [water pump]water pumps in their kitchens, from which all the waste went away into underground sewersunderground sewers [underground sewer]underground sewers.

B.

Finally, in 1848, laws were passed and long awaited regulationslong awaited regulations [long awaited regulation]long awaited regulations concerning building rules were introduced by Parliament. Sanitation featuressanitation featuresSanitation features were of the greatest importance to average citizens. They could enjoy proper drainageproper drainageproper drainage, waste facilitieswaste facilities [waste facility]waste facilities, toilet facilitiestoilet facilities [toilet facility]toilet facilities including a water toilet. By the end of the century, almost everybody could take full advantage of them. Also, at that time, gas for lightning was widely available. The lives of factory workers were highly improved and as a further consequence of this, the slums were knocked down. Landowners were obliged to build houses to set a standardset a standardset a standard.

C.

Meanwhile, in the 1840s houses were still influenced by the classicism of Regency styles (related to George IV, Prince Regent in the UK, whose main traittraittrait was simplicity) which were replaced by the dominant ItalianateItalianateItalianate style and finally from the 1850s were under Gothic Revival influence. Gothic Revival introduced pointed, projecting porchesprojecting porches [projecting porch]projecting porches and bay windowsbay windows [bay window]bay windows. Houses were usually built on terraces or detached ones made of bricks or stones. The great popularity of this type of building was the consequence of the abolition of tax on glass and bricks,abolition of tax on glass and bricksabolition of tax on glass and bricks, which made it affordable for people to come into possession of a house. Vegetation and small gardens were common additions to Victorian homes.

D.

Victorian housing was spread all around the world, but with few differences. In eastern American cities, three‑stories houses are most common while in the west of the country; two storey houses or one storey cottages. They are not all the same, though. The use of wooden,  gingerbread trimgingerbread trimgingerbread trim used as decorative ornamentsdecorative ornaments [decorative ornament]decorative ornaments gained popularity in the USA and Canada. In Australia houses often have porchesporches [porch]porches and varied detailed ornamentation.

While the Victorian era officially ended in 1901, its architectural styles are still popular and easily recognisable. So, while travelling around the world, search for old‑looking houses from this time and remember the words said by Isabel La Howe: “He who loves an old house never loves in vain.”

1 Źródło: Anna Faszcza, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.