19th Century

19th Century · 16 June 2025

The Dollar Princesses

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an era named 'Gilded Age' by Mark Twain, scores of daughters of new money US American families were sent across the Atlantic to the UK, not merely for educational purposes but for a more permanent establishment: to marry into the British aristocracy. Referred to as the 'Dollar Princesses', these women were heiresses of newly-minted American industrial-era fortunes, often made in railroads, steel, or oil.

The Giraffe Mania of 1827 London - Animals in Fashion

In August 1827, a giraffe calf arrived on the shores of England as a diplomatic gift by Muhammad Ali of Egypt to King George IV. It was housed in George IV's menagerie and the giraffe quickly became the talk of the town, igniting a fascination that influenced everything from fashion to hairstyles.

Women in 19th Century Publishing – La Mode Illustrée

Women in 19th Century Publishing – La Mode Illustrée, Magazine Owner Emmeline Raymond and Her Illustrators Héloïse and Adele-Anaïs Colin