"The typical parlour, which, to our way of thinking, was a chaotic arrangement, was crammed to capacity with furniture and ornaments. Leaders of popular taste suggested that this room lent itself to ornamentation more than any other mainly because it offered hospitality and amusement. The objects which it contained advertised lifestyle and social status."
Victorian age literature was influenced by the 'information technology' of the time and became more picturesque.
"At the same time, developments in visual technology made it possible to see more and in new ways. Nineteenth century optical devices, creating illusions of various sorts, were invented near the beginning of the century: the thaumatrope, the phenakistoscope, the zoetrope, the stroboscope, the kaleidoscope, the diorama, and the stereoscope. Other inventions — such as the camera lucida, the graphic telescope, the binocular telescope, the binocular microscope, the stereopticon, and the kinetoscope — projected, recorded, or magnified images. Most important, the photographic camera provided an entirely new way of recording objects and people and transformed many areas of life and work."
The diorama provided people with new and more realistic ways of illustrating worlds many would not see personally. Site devoted to the collection of the victorian diorama.
International Committee for museums and collections of natural history
The Centre for Victorian Studies Resources on victorian age items
Showbooks and Optical Toys from EVE the virtual exhibition
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