It's a little while since we've had a fiction review, and this week I've been reading The Palace of Curiosities by Rosie Garland.



The Story & Characters

The Palace of Curiosities opens with a line that is sure to already have you hooked after the rather delectable cover: 'Before I am born, my mother goes to the circus'. The first chapter is dedicated to recounting her experience in 1831 and is a heady journey of the senses as the mother revels in a rare nervous night out with the man of her desires, the release from 'ladylike' sensibilities into the braying joy of the crowd and the stink and sensation of the circus and its acts, that are equally thrilling and oddly tragic. The thrill of the circus is soon kicked into horror as an act goes wrong that will affect the mother very personally for the rest of her life.

The chapter is stand alone, but it does a good job of setting the tone for the rest of the book as we move to follow the fortunes of her daughter Eve the 'Lion-faced girl' as she seeks out her independence and belonging. In turn we follow the story of Abel, a man washed out of the mud of the Thames, confused, forgetful and groping for his memories each day. As the two are brought together Garland builds a picture of the Victorian underworld and the profitable and at times brutal world of the Freak Show.

The story moves along their lives, switching between each protagonist at an easygoing pace that shrugs off a more rigid plot in favour of creating a series of scenes and the tone of a dark fairytale. Plot certainly happens, and you are never left adrift, and this style allows you to more easily occupy the moments of each character's lives and their inner worlds as they each gradually grow out their roots and inch towards control of their own lives, purpose and a sense of belonging. The style has been compared to Angela Carter and the comparison is one I could certainly see - there is a lot in the mix of brutality and dreamy description that reminded me of Angela carter's 'the Bloody Chamber' and Eve's mentions of the story of Bluebeard throughout the book is surely not an accident. When you click into the style of writing, it's an enjoyably gothic read.

The supporting characters are all very well realised, from Abel's difficult relationship with his best friend Alfred, and Eve's conflicted relationship with her husband and freak-show owner Josiah Arroner. My personal favourite was Lizzie, the voluptous, fierce and comforting figure who took on the role of the Whore of Babylon at the performances.


Does This Work As a Historical Novel?


Since this blog is effectively one that looks at history, I couldn't finish a review here without looking at how this fares as a historical novel. For me, it's a difficult assessment to make as I don't really think that this is a particular goal of the book, nor should it really be judged on it's historical accuracy. The Carter-esque fairy story style of the book tends to creep into the languages and characteristics, and works very well to create a certain dreamy tone, but fails to create the same sharp sense of authenticity of language and character that I find in the CJ Sansom books, for example. The language, while Victorian of course, is a little too showy and flowery at times to feel authentic, though it should be said that when characters are in their darker moments and angry this improves.
That said, the book does excel in certain scenes and themes. Eve's navigation of subservience to her husband and of respectability vs her own aching sexual awakening and need for power and independence and how she classifies this within what it means to be a 'good wife' all ring very true to the time. Abel's early life living in a crowded stinking cellar as an abattoir 'slaughter-man' and his peer's contentments and frustrations at this life also paint a brilliantly real picture of slum life. A particularly raw and tragic scene with his friend Alfred and how Alfred deals with the situation also rings painfully authentic for how many men must have coped in the harsher times. Finally the Freak-Show itself and the way the audiences are written and the downtimes in the house that all the freaks occupy feel very real.

Is It Worth a Read?

All in all I enjoyed the book and the journey it took me through. For those looking for a historical novel it holds enough good scenes in it as to be attractive, so long as you slip yourself into the frame of mind of this being a fairytale story. For those looking for tight plot, instead you would do better to relax yourselves into their fairytale tone, enjoy the slow build of the characters and be taken down the story of love and belonging. Definitely worth picking up if you'd like a change.




For more posts on freak shows....

- The Human Marvels: 'Circus Freaks and Human Oddities'
- Interpretation, Taboo and Climbing Mountains: The Problem of Frieda Pushnick's Obituary

Note: If you haven't already noticed from the title, there's a fair bit of Victorian nipples on this blog post. I toyed with the idea of censoring the images but, frankly, I don't much agree with the weighting of female chests as inherently unacceptable and it seemed ethically off as soon as I opened up photoshop to do it.
That said, take note that the images here are NSFW, rightly or wrongly.

~*~

They say there's nothing new under the sun...

Heck, in a way, this post isn't entirely new; I in fact looked into piercings as the very first post on this humble blog. But you would be forgiven for thinking that some of the edgier elements of body modification are quite modern inventions, at least in the European-American 'west'. 

Victorian nipple piercing is a controversial slice of history, namely because it's difficult to verify. As with any of the more curious elements of history, typically very little is written about them and, when it comes to controversy, most things are hidden (as with the 'he's at home') or entirely destroyed after the owner's retirement or death for the sake of decency.

The story is that from the 1890s through to the 1900s there was a short lived fashion fad of Victorians piercing their nipples, with references to this fad appearing in several history books on body adornment. 
Some of the benefits of nipple piercings were for fashion's sake, with the practice originating in Paris, or were thought to maintain a pleasant bust shape and even improve their size. For many, as now, the boost of sexual confidence and titillation was also an important factor in their choice. However, in a time before antibiotics there were serious risks of infection and some doctors even associated nipple piercings and the resultant scabs with the development of cancer. Nevertheless, this didn't necessarily deter people and the practice was increasingly fashionable.

But is there any evidence to back up the rumours?

As mentioned, primary sources are hard to come by and certainly there does not seem to be enough to justify a very widespread fashion trend as some historians are excited to suggest. There are several detailed references to nipple rings specifically though, and you can find the most extensive description in Charles la Fave's brilliant three-part article on the BodyArtforms blog. This source was also highlighted in Anatomy and Destiny  by Stephen Kern. 
Here, they tracked down the Victorian magazine English Mechanic and the World of Science, which outlines the whole piercing experience of two sisters who were headed out to the "World's fair" in Paris in may 1889. They entered into a long correspondence with other readers of the magazine who openly and frankly discussed their own experiences with nipple piercings. But for a doctor's warnings of cancer and possible impairment of breastfeeding, the responses they received were overwhelmingly matter-of-fact and positive. There was no outrage or even stunned curiosity, and women who also wore piercings were happy to frankly tell them about their own successes with breastfeeding their children while wearing the piercings. They, as now, simply advised that they seek out someone experienced and skillful. The sisters decided to go ahead and when they went to Paris they immediately sought out the services of a Madame Beaumont to make an appointment.

“We found her occupying an elegantly-furnished apartment in a street leading from the Rue de Rivoli…Madame B’s business is to minister to the little wants and requirements of ladies, such as hair-dyeing, enamelling, corn doctoring, piercing their ears, and occasionally their nipples. She has quite an assortment of gold rings made expressly for this purpose, and she showed us that both herself and her daughter were at the time wearing them

…Madame B has invented an instrument for the purpose of insuring that the perforation is made in the proper direction through the nipple, and without any chance of failure. It is something like sugar tongs in form, but instead of spoons at the ends of the legs there is a pair of small tubes about 1 inch long, and in a straight line with each other, so that when the nipple is grasped between the inner ends of the tubes by means of a screw in the handle, a piercer can be passed through the whole without any chance of deviating from its proper course…

I partially undressed and seated myself on a couch by the side of Madame B, who passed her arm round my neck and held me steadily. Madame B then bathed my right breast for a few minutes with something which smelt like benzoline, and seemed almost to freeze it. She then adjusted the instrument to the niple, and screwed it up securely, and then, almost before I was aware of her insertion, she plunged the piercer through the tubes…

She then unscrewed and removed the tongs, leaving the piercer still sticking through the nipple, the point of the ring being then put into a hollow in the base of the piercer, the ring was passed through the nipple and closed…we spent the next few hours bathing our breasts with camphorated water, which Madame B had recommended us to use…after a time subsided we were able to dress and go about.“

Clearly Madame Beaumont was an experienced professional, working to keep the ladies sanitary and in comfort. Overall, it was a very positive experience for the two of them.


So was this truly a fashion trend?

It's unlikely that this was a widespread fad and is more likely to have been at least as niche as it's regarded now, though well understood in the right circles and very fashionable. In the end, the fact that it exists at all, and that many 'prim and proper' Victorians may have enjoyed it is really quite the eye opener. As we've often said around here, throughout history people are people and are just as creative and 'naughty' as we are nowadays.

If you're interested in the wilder side of victorians and don't mind adult NSFW content, the tumblr blog 'Those Naughty Victorians' is a fantastic archive of Victorian porn that is sure to put a smile on your face. In fact, all the images I've used are from the blog

Sources

-Stuff mom never told you: Were nipple rings really a Victorian fad?

-Bodyart Forums: Victorian Nipple Rings

-10 truly weird Victorian facts

-Modern notion; victorian women wee not not opposed to the nipple piercings

-Victorian Sex factoids

-Punk Rock Edwardians

I love York.

It's the ancient capital of the North and has always been a brilliant spot for a tourist who loves a bit of history. From the city walls to the Shambles to the minster, you can really breathe in the layers of age in this place, so it's of no surprise that the city's museums are also excellent. When I visited recently I decided to check out the biggest and most eclectic example: York Castle Museum.

The Clue's in the Name

York Castle Museum is a large Georgian style building that sits at the base of Clifford's Tower and has a significant amount of history of its own. It sits on the grounds of York castle, which was built as a timber structure by William the Conquerer in 1066 and included a prison. in 1244 it was converted to stone and was used until it fell into disrepair in the 1340s and recieved a further battering in 1644 during the civil war. By 1705 all but Clifford's tower was demolished of the old castle and in its place a new debter's prison had been built in its place. 1780 saw the expansion of a whole new women's prison alongside it and by 1835 it was modernised into a large 'model' prison with new buildings. Come 1929 the victorian 'model' prison was demolished, leaving the older buildings to be creatively used for the new museum.

So What's On Offer?

York Castle Museum is probably the biggest and most eclectic museum I've visited. (Though I've got my eye on you, British Museum. Soon, my precious, soon...) The museum itself is divided into two wings - the women's prison building and the debtor's prison building - but otherwise takes you on a relatively linear journey through several fascinating exhibits.

The Period Rooms

York castle museum has a brilliant attention to detail when it comes to the exhibits, and this is shown off to it's fullest in the period rooms. As you move through the exhibits you can peek inside full scale rooms set up from different time periods: the 1870s, rural 1850s (including the fascinating witch ball ornament), 1780s (including a dummy houseguest used to deter burglars), and the 1600s. Each section looks well lived in and has it's own curious features that are worth investigating.

Toy Stories

From the darker fussy period interiors you are suddenly pulled into a land of colour with the toy story exhibit which showcases toys from 150 years of history. It's a mixed bag: while there are some beautiful objects like the punch and judy dolls and 'Gilligan's Galloping' miniature carousel, the exhibit is bogged down in being cluttered with a mis-match of donated toys from the general public all dumped together in one place, which looks to be honest rather like a car boot sale. However, in here there is also another period room set up like a 1950s birthday party which is definitely worth a look for it's authenticity.

Gilligan's Galloping Carousel

From Cradle to Grave

As you move from the bright world of toys you head downstairs to a more traditional museum exhibit that shows the development of midwifery and of funeral culture. Here the mix between donated items and public testimony and more formal exhibits is more balanced and you get a real sense of the personal journeys of new mothers. Sat in the centre of the room is an imposing wax sculpture of a victorian funeral carriage alongside examples of the development of victorian mourning culture and all the curious layers of etiquette that came alongside it. Things brighten up again with a display on marriage and a series of wedding dresses through the ages. i was most interested by the 1940s example that stuck out like a sore thumb among the finer gowns, showing the humility and creativity needed from brides in the war years when rationing was at its height.

Part of the wedding display

The Hearth Gallery

Similar to the period rooms, this exhibit recreates a series of kitchens, showing how this centre of the home developed over the years with each new bit of technology. It's a perfect display for anyone looking for a bit of nostalgia, taking you through the 1940s and 1980s kitchens that so many of us will remember before guiding you through to older examples. look out for the absolutely massive taxidermy bull's head of 'Pat the Giant' in the farmhouse kitchen - he was a beast, weighting in at 254 stone back in his glory days.

One of the excellent storefronts of the Victorian Street

'Kirkgate' - The Victorian Street

This is easily one of the best museum exhibits in the country and is a really magical experience. Kirkgate was originally designed by the museum founder Dr.Kirk to perfectly replicate a real victorian street, filed with shop businesses that actually existed in York at some time or another. 
I came to York castle Museum as a very young kid and Kirkgate is the only vague memory i have of it: i remembered being completely blown away by the dark moodily lit streets, beautiful shop fronts and the fantastic real examples of horses and carriages that stood there. now as an adult revisiting the place it was everything I remembered and more. The street is surprisingly large with it's main street, back allies and several shops and homes that you can step inside and explore. It would honestly make even the most established movie set feel a little envious. The shop windows are authentic examples filled with original items and give you a real sense of the variety of items that were available for the casual victorian shopper, and these are supported by copies of real posters and adverts on the walls of the streets. What's more, there's a neat day-to-night transition that takes place, giving a real moodiness to the streets as darkness falls and a fresh optimism as day breaks. It's a brilliant experience that is a must for adults and kids.

A recreated apothecary

1914: When the World Changed Forever

Head across into the debtor's prison and you can enjoy a new exhibit that deals with the first world war. We've recently had the centenary of WW1 so you're no doubt familiar with the period of history, however for me it's always interesting to learn more about the 'less famous' world war: the one where there wasn't a simple good vs evil narrative and it was really just a load of allies clustering on top of one another because of a confused sense of political duty. The exhibit is as creative and varied as ever, with trenches recreated, train carriages set up, painted murals of the battlefield, as well as a whole series of interesting artifacts, such as the papier mache 'dummy head' that was used to draw fire in trench warfare. Towards the end of the exhibit things get a little naff with community project pieces, but that's my personal taste.

A Dummy Head to draw enemy fire

The Sixties

From the austerity of war you're booted into another street-eque exhibit that is set in the 1960s. the bright colours and classic icons are certainly engaging, but in my opinion it doesn't really tell you very much of substance about the 60s and seems more like a collection of common pop art that they've now got an excuse to sell you replicas of in the gift shop. but again, I've never been a fan so it's very much my opinion. the design of the exhibit itself is certainly pretty, though.

Sixties flower power

York Castle Prison

The final prison exhibit gives you a rather grim but interesting glimpse into the history of the museum itself, as you are taken down into the debtor's prison cells and the corrupt prison life of the 1700s is put on show. I like that it doesn't go full on York Dungeon on you and become an exploitative bit of tripe. Instead it speaks unflinchingly of life there while also catering to your natural curiosity. Interestingly Dick turpin himself was held at york prison in 1738 where is gaoler used to make £100 from selling liquor to Turpin's visitors while the famous highwayman entertained the crowds by recounting stories of his daring deeds. Elsewhere in the museum, the most interesting items for me were the preserved slabs of stone that held prisoner's graffiti from hundreds of years ago. there isn't a whole lot to look at down here in items, but you can really appreciate the architecture. In each cell there are projections of the usual am-dram actors recounting the stories of people who lived there. If you can get past the often iffy acting (let's be honest, it's a museum. the acting is always bad!) their stories are on the whole quite interesting.



So Should You Visit?

Definately! In my opinion York castle Museum is worth a visit for the fantastic Victorian street alone, but it also offers a very varied experience that's definitely worth checking out. Two thumbs up.

It's Hard to Resist a good Country House.

If you've been following this blog for a while now you've probably heard me waxing lyrical about Chatsworth House and the treasures inside, so when I popped across to the Isle of Wight as part of my holiday I was eager to seek out Osborne house - the family home of Queen Victoria for 55 years.

Victoria has always been an unusual character and while she is still perhaps England's most famous queen, at the time she was a figure of controversy and unpopularity. This was largely due to her extensive period of 'self-indulgent' mourning following her husband Albert's death and her stubborn seclusion from the public sphere: Osborne house is perfectly set to illustrate this, as well as the deep closeness of the family which would be the root of her subsequent sadness.

On the Isle of Man you can find Osborne house at East Cowes (PO32 6JX): it's an unusual building, seemingly plucked out of another country with its Italian/Mediterranean styling, and is situated on a huge sprawling estate. The key features aside from the main house is a private beach right at the bottom of the estate, where the Queen herself used to go swimming, and an adorable 'Swiss cottage' -where the nine children used to be educated-that features its own little allotment and miniature fort mimicking the trenches and barracks of the Crimean war that the children used to play in. The key theme of the house is family life and it offers an intimate insight to the balance between the domestic and the courtly duties.

Annoyingly for any tourists, there is no photography (even non-flash photography) permitted inside the house. When you walk through you are kept to an often narrow walkway that doubles back on itself, weaves up stairs and takes you on a fairly restrictive tour, but despite this there is plenty to see here. Osborne house has perhaps less charm than somewhere like Chatsworth that holds layers of differing types of history as the house has been built up over 500 years, but instead Osborne house acts as a time capsule for the Victorian fashion and sensibilities in both domestic life and courtly life. Queen Victoria's room reflects this the most keenly as it was quite literally locked up behind an iron gate after her death until Queen Elizabeth II granted permission for the chamber to be opened to the public.

The Victorian often dark, cluttered pattern-laden style tends to make rooms look smaller and less grand than they are, but this does in itself make the house seem more believably domestic. The nursery is charming with its display of old cots and toys (along with a very unsettling collection of porcelain baby-limbs that Victoria has cast). Similarly Queen Victoria's sitting room where both she and her husband Albert sat side by side to answer letters and the like shows beautifully how united the couple were in both the home and in their work. Despite all this, perhaps the most impressive room is the remarkable Durbar room which is a stunning white room utterly covered in Indian plaster-castings and mouldings, along with displays of exquisitely intricate gifts given to the queen from the people of India. This, combined with the Durbar corridor which holds a collection of portraits of Indian people by Rudolf Swoboda, shows that Osborne house was still a very stately place and that within it resided the leader of an Empire that, while she could never travel to it all, still impressed its duties and wonders upon her.

The Durbar Room (English Heritage)

In the end Osborne house will never be one of my favourites, but it is certainly worth an explore of the busy rooms and sprawling grounds if you ever find yourself on the Isle of Wight.

I don't often review historical fiction here, but this one is worth a closer look for anyone interested in the history of prisons.

I've been a fan of the Oscar Wilde Murder mysteries by Gyles Brandreth for quite some time now, with all six of the series cheering up my bookshelf with their colourful covers. I enjoy Oscar Wilde as an author and for the legendary personality that history has attributed to him, so it's always a joy to see an author slip on the outfit of his memory and send him off on fanciful adventures
.
The whole series is a success for delivering the fun of reading about Oscar and his friends' personalities at close quarters and for putting Oscar into the role of Sherlockian sleuth and delivers some entertaining murder-mysteries. What really makes the books special, however, are the real passion that the author delivers when it comes to historical authenticity in the details. He cares about being as faithful as the subject matter allows to Oscar's life and the lives of his friends and he works hard to give you the kind of flavour of late-Victorian life that stays on your tongue long after.

This latest book in the series is, in my opinion, the weakest when it comes to the actual murder-mystery itself. It never quite hangs together as well as its predecessors, nor does it excite or entertain to the same level. But for this book this is not what the main focus is about, instead the book works hard to give the readers a real view into the most difficult part of Oscar's life - his time incarcerated in Reading Gaol for 2 years for 'indecency'. From a narrative perspective seeing Oscar cut off from the hedonistic life of fame he previously enjoyed is fascinating and saddening, but the author takes especial care to make sure that the setting is pitch-perfect. Clearly he had painstakingly researched the prison life of the 1890s and this book is a great success in showing it in a way that we can all relate to the horrors and loneliness that prisoners were expected to endure.

As with all the books in the series, the author adds on appendixes to showcase some of the historical facts behind the historical fiction. For example, we see that Oscar -like the other prisoners - would have been placed in solitary confinement over his time, lived under the threat of beatings for even the smallest of misdemeanours, was expected to work hard labour (often alongside children) and, even when walking about the prison, was not permitted to speak and was forced to wear a hood that restricted his identity and his eyesight. As with every institution these rules encouraged both viciousness and kindness from the wardens who oversaw the running of the place.

The book is worth picking up if you're interested in viewing the Victorian prison system through a historical figure's eyes and would certainly be a good starting point to dive deeper into the subject.

Prisoners in 1860s wearing official hoods

If you fancy reading the series in order they are:

-Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders
-Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death
-Oscar Wilde and the Dead Man's Smile
-Oscar Wilde and the Nest of Vipers
-Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders
-Oscar Wilde and the Murders at Reading Gaol

Whether you know him from his famous stories or as simply a Doctor Who character, there is no denying that Charles Dickens was a fascinating man.

 Personally, my relationship with Mr. Dickens is one that was formed on his second (or third, or fourth)-hand works. I had hoovered my way through at least six different variations of A Christmas Carol before I actually sat down and read the book. I adored the witty writing and the engaging narrative of the story when I finally did, but one can't help but feel that it was a little lacking in Muppets.
Oliver Twist brought bile to my throat with it's overuse of dodgy cockney accents to the point where I couldn't face reading it, and I found it almost impossible to think of David Copperfield without imagining bipedal cats as all of the characters.
In short then, I had a lot of catching up to do in order to learn about the great writer.

Claire Tomalin's biography Chalres Dickens: A Life promised to give a full account of the life and work of Dickens. Having previously won awards for biographies like The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft  and Jane Austen: A Life, the large task has been placed in good hands.

The book itself is a hefty object at some four and a half centimetres thick in it's hardback form. It's gorgeous to look at, with a low dust sheet with a gold title, which wraps a beautifully rendered full-cover portrait of the man himself. On the inside cover we are treated to a collection of coloured illustrations of some of the famous characters in his books and throughout there are glossy images of his dwellings and friends as well as charmingly drawn maps of his favourite haunts. It's a pleasure to look at and certainly a book you'd want to use to dress your booksheld, quite apart from the content inside.

It's a happy thing, then, that the content of the biography is every part as compelling as it's cover. 

Tomalin takes us through Charles Dicken's life in chunks of years. 'The Sins of the Fathers', 'A London Education', 'Becoming Boz'  deal with his early life as a young man who struggled with a father who was constantly in debt. As a result, Chalres had to work what he viewed as a humiliating role in a blacking factory alone as a child. It moves on to how he found his niche in writing and starts to reveal the hard work which would become the foundation of his success. We are taken through his life and celebrity, his philanthropy, his travels in America and how his growing brood of children affected him. Towards the end chapters Secrets Mysteries and Lies and beyond, we see the great man turn flinching and cruel in equal parts to his charm as he cast out his wife, entered into a secretive affair and how - in the chapter Pickswick, Pecknicks, Pickwicks - his health declined.

Tomalin is an excellent biographer well worth the praise that has been given to her before and after this work. She handles Dickens' life with a factual attention to detail yet with a skilful use of conjecture and narrative colour to really make the reader feel at one with the personality of her subject. There is no hero worship here: Tomalin praises his talent and hard work but also remains critical to his failings as a family man and as a product of Victorian prejudices. Though showing with transparency and care both his strengths and his weaknesses, we walk away feeling as if we truly know the man, which is surely the best compliment to give any biographer.

If you are also inclined to research further into his life (as I'm sure almost anyone would be after this book), Tomalin leaves a brilliant list of recommended works and notes for you to refer to.For example, I found Charles Dicken's philanthropic work in founding a house to care for (and re-educate) prostitutes fascinating, so will be seeking out Tomalin's reccomendation: Charles Dickens and the House of Fallen Women by Jenny Hartley (2008).


In short, this is an excellent work of history and writing well worth a read.