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Victorian lifestyle, Lore and GoreAn intriguing lecture series about the dark side of the Victorian Era. These lectures focus on people or events that were so renown, they became icons of the era...
for better or for worse! |
Choose from the following topics...
Lizzie Borden: The Cutting Edge
Do you think you know all there is about Lizzie Borden? Or maybe you don't know much more than her name and 'that song'. Join in for an entertaining event that sheds light on new evidence that just might change your mind... or at least teach you more accurate lyrics.
Lizzie Borden: The Cutting Edge
Do you think you know all there is about Lizzie Borden? Or maybe you don't know much more than her name and 'that song'. Join in for an entertaining event that sheds light on new evidence that just might change your mind... or at least teach you more accurate lyrics.
Christiana Edmunds: Death by Chocolate
'Sweet revenge' got a little too literal when this jilted lady decided to poison her lover's wife with strychnine-laced chocolates. This presentation includes a brief history of the medical and mental health industries as well as law enforcement structures of the time.
'Sweet revenge' got a little too literal when this jilted lady decided to poison her lover's wife with strychnine-laced chocolates. This presentation includes a brief history of the medical and mental health industries as well as law enforcement structures of the time.
Death Becomes Her
The Victorians are known for their obsession with death and the ‘here after’. Although some of that is our misinterpretation, there was absolutely a ‘hearty’ interest in all things deadly. Rampant arsenic poisonings, bored upper class wives attending murder trials just for the entertainment, photographing their dearly departed, demanding newspaper articles with all the gory (and sometimes fictional) crime scene details... the Victorians reveled in the macabre.
The Victorians are known for their obsession with death and the ‘here after’. Although some of that is our misinterpretation, there was absolutely a ‘hearty’ interest in all things deadly. Rampant arsenic poisonings, bored upper class wives attending murder trials just for the entertainment, photographing their dearly departed, demanding newspaper articles with all the gory (and sometimes fictional) crime scene details... the Victorians reveled in the macabre.
Sweeney Todd and other Penny Dreadfuls
Decades before Dracula terrorized the night or Jack the Ripper ruled the streets of Whitechapel, Sweeney Todd paved the catacombs of London with the bones of his victims. Was he real or just a creation to sell papers? Sweeney Todd was one of the most memorable Penny Dreadfuls in Victorian publication. Penny Dreadfuls were cheap newspaper publications that offered entertainment by printing stories of characters larger than life: the wilder, fantastical and gorier the better. Think the Victorian Era version of the modern tabloids.
Decades before Dracula terrorized the night or Jack the Ripper ruled the streets of Whitechapel, Sweeney Todd paved the catacombs of London with the bones of his victims. Was he real or just a creation to sell papers? Sweeney Todd was one of the most memorable Penny Dreadfuls in Victorian publication. Penny Dreadfuls were cheap newspaper publications that offered entertainment by printing stories of characters larger than life: the wilder, fantastical and gorier the better. Think the Victorian Era version of the modern tabloids.
Constance Kent: Above the Law
When 3-year-old Frances Kent was found murdered in his own home, suspicion first fell to the nursemaid then quickly shifted to the child's 16-year-old half-sister, Constance. Because of a great public outcry (How dare a working class detective accuse an upper class young lady!) Constance walked away. The reputation of the police force and the main detective inspector was badly tarnished and took decades to recover. It was this case specifically that changed the face of literature forever. (By the way, 5 years later Constance actually confessed!)
Jack and Dr. J: The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Jack the Ripper
Two years after Robert Louis Stevenson's story was published, it opened as a stage production in the Lyceum Theatre in London. Two nights after the play opened, the first victim of Jack the Ripper was found. Audiences were stunned at the transformation of actor Richard Mansfield from the evil Mr. Hyde to the upstanding Dr. Jekyll... stunned to the degree of actually accusing him of being Jack the Ripper!
Typhoid Mary: Victorian child, Edwardian epidemic
Mary Mallon will forever be blamed for a typhoid epidemic in 1906. But was she really guilty? How many people did she (actually or supposedly) kill? Did she deserve to be locked away for over 20 years? How could she have chosen to work in a maternity hospital as a cook knowing she might be a carrier of typhoid?! Examining her Victorian era childhood might shed some light on her choices but does it excuse her behavior?
Nellie Bly: Ten Days in a Madhouse
The original ‘undercover journalist’ Nellie Bly (born Elizabeth Jane Cochran) is perhaps best known for her explosive expose' on the abusive treatment behind closed cell doors of mental institutions. But this brave young lady did not just report on the issues, she witnessed them first hand by feigning insanity and getting herself locked up! She also bested the fictional Phileas Fogg by taking a real life journey around the world in 72 days! Amazing woman!!
When 3-year-old Frances Kent was found murdered in his own home, suspicion first fell to the nursemaid then quickly shifted to the child's 16-year-old half-sister, Constance. Because of a great public outcry (How dare a working class detective accuse an upper class young lady!) Constance walked away. The reputation of the police force and the main detective inspector was badly tarnished and took decades to recover. It was this case specifically that changed the face of literature forever. (By the way, 5 years later Constance actually confessed!)
Jack and Dr. J: The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Jack the Ripper
Two years after Robert Louis Stevenson's story was published, it opened as a stage production in the Lyceum Theatre in London. Two nights after the play opened, the first victim of Jack the Ripper was found. Audiences were stunned at the transformation of actor Richard Mansfield from the evil Mr. Hyde to the upstanding Dr. Jekyll... stunned to the degree of actually accusing him of being Jack the Ripper!
Typhoid Mary: Victorian child, Edwardian epidemic
Mary Mallon will forever be blamed for a typhoid epidemic in 1906. But was she really guilty? How many people did she (actually or supposedly) kill? Did she deserve to be locked away for over 20 years? How could she have chosen to work in a maternity hospital as a cook knowing she might be a carrier of typhoid?! Examining her Victorian era childhood might shed some light on her choices but does it excuse her behavior?
Nellie Bly: Ten Days in a Madhouse
The original ‘undercover journalist’ Nellie Bly (born Elizabeth Jane Cochran) is perhaps best known for her explosive expose' on the abusive treatment behind closed cell doors of mental institutions. But this brave young lady did not just report on the issues, she witnessed them first hand by feigning insanity and getting herself locked up! She also bested the fictional Phileas Fogg by taking a real life journey around the world in 72 days! Amazing woman!!
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Naughty Women, Lovely TeaA wonderful combination of Literature and Lore! Enjoy the setting of a lovely Victorian tea served with a juicy presentation of two notorious Victorian women: one from real life and one from literature! This is your opportunity to play dress-up and revel in the company of your lovely (and maybe a little naughty) friends. Approximately an hour long, the presentation includes a brief history of the Victorian era followed by a description of the two chosen Victorian women and what made them so naughty. Be sure to prepare lots of tasty treats to eat. Scandal does seem to make one hungry!
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Choose from the following naughty pairings or request a special combination to fit your occasion.
"Pick Your Poison"
Miss Christiana Edmunds: 'Death by chocolate' got a little too literal when this jilted lady decided to poison her lover's wife with strychnine-laced chocolates.
Emma Bovary (from Madame Bovary): When all of her delusions of grandeur turned to disappointments, Emma decided to end it all by taking a mouthful of arsenic.
"Chopped"
Lizzie Borden: We all know the song... Lizzie Borden took an axe... or did she?
Mrs. Lovette (from Sweeney Todd or The String of Pearls): As the 'business partner' of the barbaric barber, Mrs. Lovette chopped up his victims and served them with a smile!
"Imitation of Life"
Lucy Audley (from Lady Audley's Secret): When George Talboys returns after 3 years in Australia, he learns his wife has died in his absence. Mourning, he goes to visit a friend, Robert Audley, who has recently wed a beautiful young lady... George Talboys' supposedly dead wife! Oops! And for some reason, pushing hubby #1 down a well doesn't fix all her problems. Go figure!
The 'real life' pairing to this book is its own author, Mary Elizabeth Braddon! In 1862, when Lady Audley's Secret was published, Mary Elizabeth had moved in with John Maxwell, her publisher. Too bad he was still married to his 1st wife. Oops! Naughty naughty!!
"Arsenic and Old Lace"
We all know the beloved Hollywood movie. But did you know it was inspired by a true story? Amy Archer-Gilligan ran a home for the elderly and infirmed. You could say she loved her residents to death!
The Woman of the World is an absolute Victorian melodrama jewel! First published as a Penny Dreadful, it was adapted for the stage in 1859 And featured the naughty antics of Lisa Selby, a young lady who had deadly high ambitions.
As a bonus, we will also learn about Madeleine Smith, a beautiful Scottish socialite who was accused of murdering her lover with arsenic!
"Pick Your Poison"
Miss Christiana Edmunds: 'Death by chocolate' got a little too literal when this jilted lady decided to poison her lover's wife with strychnine-laced chocolates.
Emma Bovary (from Madame Bovary): When all of her delusions of grandeur turned to disappointments, Emma decided to end it all by taking a mouthful of arsenic.
"Chopped"
Lizzie Borden: We all know the song... Lizzie Borden took an axe... or did she?
Mrs. Lovette (from Sweeney Todd or The String of Pearls): As the 'business partner' of the barbaric barber, Mrs. Lovette chopped up his victims and served them with a smile!
"Imitation of Life"
Lucy Audley (from Lady Audley's Secret): When George Talboys returns after 3 years in Australia, he learns his wife has died in his absence. Mourning, he goes to visit a friend, Robert Audley, who has recently wed a beautiful young lady... George Talboys' supposedly dead wife! Oops! And for some reason, pushing hubby #1 down a well doesn't fix all her problems. Go figure!
The 'real life' pairing to this book is its own author, Mary Elizabeth Braddon! In 1862, when Lady Audley's Secret was published, Mary Elizabeth had moved in with John Maxwell, her publisher. Too bad he was still married to his 1st wife. Oops! Naughty naughty!!
"Arsenic and Old Lace"
We all know the beloved Hollywood movie. But did you know it was inspired by a true story? Amy Archer-Gilligan ran a home for the elderly and infirmed. You could say she loved her residents to death!
The Woman of the World is an absolute Victorian melodrama jewel! First published as a Penny Dreadful, it was adapted for the stage in 1859 And featured the naughty antics of Lisa Selby, a young lady who had deadly high ambitions.
As a bonus, we will also learn about Madeleine Smith, a beautiful Scottish socialite who was accused of murdering her lover with arsenic!
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Victorian Women
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Steampunk 101
Goggles, gears and handlebar moustaches!! We have been invaded, my friends! The Steampunk Invasion! Celebrating its origin in Victorian Sci-Fi literature, the counter-culture of Steampunk allows you to step into the past and the future in the same breath. In Steampunk 101, we will cover the basics of the Steampunk world and help you on your way to creating an amazing costume for your next party, your own character for COSPLAY / LARP, or just a step in the direction of understanding why a Victorian corset and a space gun go together.
(In case you were wondering, the word 'steampunk' is supposed to refer to the steam engines which were the hottest technology available at the time - no pun intended - and anything that goes against mainstream society- aka punk.)
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This special feature could be a costume party and every attendee is dressed as their favorite character. Or it could be an art exhibit with each student choosing his or her own medium to express a scene from the novel: dioramas, paintings, collages, paper dolls, fashion sketches, whatever each student prefers. The possibilities are endless! What an exciting way to encourage and celebrate a love of reading!
(Due to the nature of this is a special program, availability is somewhat limited. Please send request for more information.) literature2life@yahoo.com
(Due to the nature of this is a special program, availability is somewhat limited. Please send request for more information.) literature2life@yahoo.com
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classic monsters from classic literatureWe know them. We love them. Those classic horror movie monsters that go bump in the night. Hollywood has embedded iconic images of Frankenstein, Dracula, and others into our pop-culture minds. But how far off the path have these creatures crawled from their literary beginnings?
STEP 1: Pick your monsters! STEP 2: How many classes? STEP 3: Book your series and enjoy! Frankenstein Dracula Sweeney Todd Picture of Dorien Grey Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Wicked Witch of the West Phantom of the Opera |
(Due to the nature of this is a special program, availability is somewhat limited. Please send request for more information.) literature2life@yahoo.com