The Victorians prided themselves on their interest in technology and closely followed innovations in medicine and science. There was sometimes a fine line, however, between pseudo-science and academic knowledge and practices in the 19th century.

Historian Julie Taddeo examines such popular fads as mesmerism, phrenology, and spiritualism to show how broadly Victorians interpreted science and consumed it as entertainment. Their homes exhibited "trophies of empire"— exotic objects, artifacts, and specimens brought back from Britain’s colonies—in their cabinets of curiosities. Public shows featuring ethnographic exhibits and individuals with physical differences misused Darwin's theories to justify imperial expansion and Britain's "civilizing mission." Even Queen Victoria followed the latest scientific sensations, while ordinary Britons used them to make sense of their uncertain world. From mummy unveilings to traveling “Zulu exhibitions,” science, empire, and entertainment were inextricably connected in the Victorian world.

General Information

• View Common FAQs and Policies about our Online Programs on Zoom.