The new National Portrait Gallery opened to the public on 4 April 1896, and #onthisday that year Linley Sambourne greeted it warmly in this Punch #cartoon: "Welcome! Come in, Ladies and Gentlemen! Glad to give you a decent roof over your heads at last!" victorianweb.org/periodicals/...

Plaster relief, "Bluebell," 1836, by Richard Westmacott, Jr (1799-1872)--praised in The Art Journal for its "flowing wavy grace" victorianweb.org/sculpture/we... #sculpture #flowers #spring Bluebells are just coming out into full flower now!

This is a very interesting read, and the story of horses and politics continues with our own 19th century take: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2023/02/10/t...

Did you know? In the Victorian era, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson became Britain’s first qualified female doctor by exploiting a loophole in the medical system. Women were barred from attending medical schools, so she pursued her education privately. #Victorian #history

Born in Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey #OnThisDay 1830, Eadweard James Muybridge, famous for having captured the earliest scenes of horses and other animals (including humans) in motion. victorianweb.org/photos/muybr... #photography #film

Can't let the day go without remembering that #Wordsworth was born #OTD 1770. One of the flowers carved on his memorial stone would be the celandine, which is out now: "There is a flower that shall be mine, / 'Tis the little Celandine." victorianweb.org/sculpture/wo...

James Jebusa Shannon's touching portrait of a flower-girl with her baby--he'd spotted her on the sea-front at Eastbourne. The picture, of 1900, caused a sensation at the Academy; it was bought by the Chantrey Bequest, and hung in the Tate victorianweb.org/painting/sha...

Wishing a Happy #Easter to all who celebrate, with this lovely Noli Me Tangere window (attributed to) Jean-Baptiste Capronnier, after 1884, at St Paul's, Heslington, Yorkshire (photo: Rita Wood). victorianweb.org/art/stainedg... #stainedglass

The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Sulphur: London: Smith, Elder, 1844 [i.e. 1843-1846] (source: http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40020102) #nature #illustration #art

A.W. N Pugin intended St Giles church in Cheadle to be 'a perfect revival of an English church of the time of Edward I.' In the east end of the church is the ‘Easter Sepulchre’ inspired by the Mediaeval founder's tomb at Hawton in Nottinghamshire. Photo: Michael Garlick, CC by SA 2.0 #Easter

Also: The atmosphere inside these events could feel almost theatrical. Music played, vendors sold refreshments, and spectators watched for signs of collapse or sudden bursts of energy. The conditions were punishing. #Victorian #walking #history

🧚 Are you interested in Irish Folklore, and Fairy tales in the Work of #WBYeats? This #downloadable resource introduces students to primary and secondary sources from the #Yeats collection at the @NLIreland: https://www.nli.ie/learn/downloadable-resource-irish-folklore-and-fairy-tales-work-wb-yeats

Charles and Catherine Dickens (formerly, Hogarth) spent their week-long honeymoon here at Chalk House, Kent, immediately after their wedding at St Luke's, Chelsea #Onthisday 1836 victorianweb.org/painting/has...

It seemed like fantasy once! A rocket making for the moon, an illustration from Simon Cooke's essay on early "science romance" victorianweb.org/art/illustra... #MoonMission

Died #OTD 1949, the sculptor Margaret Giles, whose bas-relief, "Labourers in the Vineyard," can be seen in Regent's University, London. As with faith, so with studies: it's never too late to reap the rewards of labour! victorianweb.org/sculpture/gi... #sculpture

"A Spring Nosegay" by Margaret Sarah Carpenter (1793-1872) "Recognition was ever-present during her life, but has been sadly absent since her death." victorianweb.org/painting/car... #womensart #painting

An illustration by the artist Jemima Blackburn: "The High Hills are a refuge for the Wild Goats; and the Rocks for the Conies" (Psalm CIV, 18). Among Blackburn's friends were Landseer, Ruskin & Millais victorianweb.org/art/illustra... #womensart #illustration #animalart

If you're in the UK, don't forget to change your clocks tonight #BST !! This is the Law Courts clock in London, and news coverage of it being set in motion for the first time in 1883! victorianweb.org/art/architec...

The month's nearly over! Do take a peek at our What's New page to see what's come into our site lately—from essays shared with the Pre-Raphaelite Society, to Victorian #sculpture in Australia, & George Meredith & androgyny. And who's this handsome young man?! www.victorianweb.org/misc/whatsne...

The letters included in Gordon Haight's magisterial nine-volume edition of George Eliot's correspondence--almost 4,000 in all--are now freely searchable online, thanks to Dr. Beverley Park Rilett and her team at the GE Archive project. tinyurl.com/48hwzu7z #Victorian

Delighted to announce the publication of my review of John MacNeill Miller's The Ecological Plot: How Stories Gave Rise to a Science (2024) in @victorianweb.bsky.social. Here's the link to the review: victorianweb.org/science/envi....

What do you know about Adam Bede's dog? Apparently, even without a tail to wag, he plays an important part in George Eliot's novel! Do read Dipyaman Bhowmick's review of John MacNeill Miller's "The Ecological Plot: How Stories Gave Rise to a Science" victorianweb.org/science/envi...

Designed by William Morris, John Henry Dearle and Philip Webb, "The Forest," a woven silk and wool tapestry (1887). This comes from a review of a past exhibition at the V&A. Can you spot the fox and the hare. Anything else (besides the lion!)? victorianweb.org/art/design/a...

"Spring" (1864) by Frederick Walker shows a girl with (probably) her brother, gathering primroses at just this time of year. Walker was a painter and illustrator associated with the Idyllic School and the St John's Wood Clique. victorianweb.org/painting/wal... #painting

Did you know? In the Victorian era, not everyone could read, but that did not mean they were cut off from the news. In busy streets and public gathering places, enterprising individuals would purchase a newspaper and read it aloud to a crowd, charging a penny per listener. #Victorian #history

A recce around Halifax for my Victorian Society walking tour on Saturday week and one of the obvious highlights: the Town Hall of 1863 by Charles Barry and son E. H. Barry. @thevicsoc.bsky.social #halifax #architecture #westyorkshire #history #heritage

Under the trees the imagination plays unchecked. Sit down on the root of this oak and on that very spot it is quite possible a knight fresh home from the Crusades may have rested and feasted his eyes on the lovely green glades of his own unsurpassed England - Richard Jefferies, 'Forest' #BookWormSat

Harold H. Piffard gives a rather optimistic idea of space travel in this cosy cabin in a "sea-liner of the stars": Simon Cooke examines illustrators of the early days of #sci-fi (be warned: others had scarier takes on the subject!!). www.victorianweb.org/art/illustra... #illustration

Did you know? In the Victorian era, lead was commonly used in household water systems, including pipes, storage cisterns, and indoor plumbing. Its softness and durability made it ideal for shaping and installation, and it became a standard material in homes across Britain. #Victorian #history

"A Hymn to Spring," an oil-painting by Cecil Gordon Lawson (1849-1882), from 1871-72. Daffs, blossom, a single dove flying... looks like a March day in the home counties (it was painted in Berkshire). victorianweb.org/victorian/pa... #painting

Enjoyed this--do listen!

"I’m very worried about what is being destroyed. We’re all extremely worried, because what we’re seeing is the ad hoc closure and drastic cutting of many, many departments across the country." Historian Lyndal Roper in today's THE: bit.ly/4sqsfJ2 #Skystorians 1/2

Built for a saintly medieval women and saved from dereliction by a generous Victorian lady, St Oudoceus's, Llandawke is a charming little church with a colourful history. 1/8

Join us April 17 for our next #RSVPDigiEvent, a talk by Graham Law on "Commissioned Letters to the Editor for The Times." Dr. Law will present on The Times's occasional, surreptitious practice of commissioning pseudo-letters to the editor from professional agents. Register here: buff.ly/gYSyn0H

St. Patrick in the brightest of emerald robes, in a #stainedglass window by Harry Clarke in the Honan Chapel, St. Fin Barre's Cathedral (photos by Robert Freidus . Hope you're having/have had a very good #StPatricksDay! victorianweb.org/art/stainedg...

French artist Rosa Bonheur widely considered the most famous female painter of the 19th century. Also a sculptor, she is best known for her realistic depictions of animals (animalière). She was born #OTD in 1822. #art #artsky #WomensHistoryMonth

The Black Cape, pen & ink drawing 1894, for Oscar Wilde’s play Salome; by Aubrey Beardsley, English Art Nouveau decadent artist & aesthete; died #OTD 1898. Co-founder & art editor of The Yellow Book, with a distinctive style shaped by Japanese woodblock prints & Parisian posters of Toulouse-Lautrec.

#OnThisDay 1835 the Commons approved a pension of £300 per annum for the Cambridge mathematician and astronomer Professor George Biddell Airy. He became Astronomer Royal later that year; best known for establishing Greenwich as location of the prime meridian. api.parliament.uk/historic-han...

#onthisday, 16 March 1876, Le Hammam Bains Turco-Romains, the Victorian #TurkishBaths in #Paris modelled on the London Hammam, opened at 18 Rue Neuve des Mathurins. Bathers included the Prince of Wales, Toulouse-Lautrec, Oscar Wilde, & Paul Verlaine. Closed in 1954; only its façade remains. 🗃️ #C19th

Elizabeth Forbes died #OTD 1912, Newlyn artist currently on show @penleehousegallery.bsky.social in their collection exhibition of portraits 'Face to Face' penleehouse.org.uk/wp-content/u...

Walter Crane's waterolour "A Herald of #Spring" is perfect for the season but rather sad today because he died #OnThisDay 1915, after creating so much inspired work in so many media. The #stainedglass of "The Rising Sun of Righteousness" was also designed by him. victorianweb.org/art/stainedg...

It’s official: Victorian homes are the nation’s favourite period properties! Data from Rightmove, a UK leading property website, shows that Victorian was the most-searched era. The Vic Soc is delighted to see our period recognised for its character, charm & desirability.

Thinking of travelling at Easter? Here are some possibilities if you're going to India, some still available. Not sure about the top right.... victorianweb.org/history/empi...

Have you seen our section on suburbs, garden cities etc? The first stage of the "escape to the country" movement! Enjoyable to take a tour here: victorianweb.org/art/architec...

George Faithfull, one of Brighton’s first MPs (1832-5), died #OnThisDay 1863. For #WomensHistoryMonth, find out more about his valiant but unsuccessful efforts to defend the rights of women to vote in Brighton’s local elections. victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/m...

The Sleeping Princess, one of a number of paintings inspired by The Legend of the Briar Rose, which Edward Burne-Jones painted between c1871 & 1894... interesting that so many artists of that time painted sleeping women. They were about to wake up though! victorianweb.org/painting/bj/...

#OnThisDay many moons ago.... bright lights, crowds and flags for a celebration: "London Bridge,Night of the Marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales, March 10th 1863" by W. Holman Hunt www.victorianweb.org/painting/whh... #painting

The periodicals "revolution" in the 19c was such an amazing phenomenon. No wonder it's spawning so much interest!. Two experts in the field are Martin Hewitt and Graham Law: here's one reviewing the other--& Emily Faithfull's printing office on the side! www.victorianweb.org/periodicals/...

CFP: Two MLA 2027 Panels Sponsored by the William Morris Society in the United States (Submission Deadlines: 3/15/26) navsa.org/News/13606795

Just started @nationaltrust.org.uk Wightwick Manor exhibition about extended Rossetti family including newly acquired portrait of Christina. Wightwick's a beautiful house anyway and has permanent @demorganfoundation.bsky.social display www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/birmin...