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The Tragic 1897 Charity Bazaar Fire of Paris
An annual charity event known as the Bazar de la Charité was organized by the French Catholic aristocracy in Paris from 1885 onward. However, the best known or infamous of these charitable events was the tragic 1897 charity bazaar fire that occurred in May. It had been organized by Henry Blount, the son of Sir…
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The Despard Plot, Trial, and Execution
The Despard Plot involves Colonel Edward Marcus Despard who was an Irish soldier who served in the British Army. He was also involved in the American Revolutionary War where he and his troops proved victorious at the Battle of the Black River. His success was part of the reason that he was later appointed Superintendent…
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Masturbation Among Victorian Youth in Boarding Schools
The term masturbation was first introduced in the 18th century. At the time, however, the terms onanism or self-pollution were more frequently used to describe masturbation, terms that Victorians also used. Additionally, in the 19th century, masturbation was more politely referred to as self-abuse or sometimes manualization, as it was done by hand.
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Nicknames of Napoleon: Twenty-one Names
Nicknames have always been popular. They serve as substitute for a person’s proper name and are sometimes used affectionately or at other times as a form of ridicule. Napoleon Bonaparte, the famous French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution, was the recipient of both types of nicknames. One of…
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Wife Selling in the 1700s and 1800s
Wife selling began in the late 1600s when divorce was an impossibility. The practice continued into the 1700s and 1800s and generated the belief that if a man and his wife agreed to separate, the parting was valid if he sold her at public auction. However, if the wife protested the sale, it was said…
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Ideas of Female Beauty in the 1700 and 1800s
Beauty was important to women, but, perhaps, it was even more important to men, because it was a man who noted in the late 1700s that a woman’s “first merit is that of beauty.”[1] People seemed to have particular ideas of what beauty entailed and wrote about it. André Félibien, a French chronicler of the…
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Victorian Surnames in England and Wales
The idea of surnames, or last names, is not a common nor universal practice. Victorian surnames in England and Wales supposedly evolved from a medieval naming practice known as “byname,” where a person’s occupation, locality, or nickname would be added to distinguish two people with the same Christian name. The fifty most common Victorian surnames…
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Condoms: Its History and Use in the 1700 and 1800s
The earliest written description of condoms is from the sixteenth century, although it seems they were probably in use before that time. The name “condom” alleged was coined by Charles II when Dr. Condom or Conton gave him an oiled sheep intestines to use. However, other people believe the name came from the Latin word…
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