Edwardian Era Facts: Daily Life of People, Society

What is Edwardian Era?

The Edwardian period has been named after King Edward VII who succeeded Queen Victoria in the year 1901. With the accession of King Edward on the throne, the glorious Victorian age of England came to a sharp end. Victorian age was a period of immense conservatism and mostly gender biases.

The Edwardian era is synonymous with prosperity, rich art, and fashion. King Edward VII in his reign between 1901 and 1910 brought about some noteworthy changes in the field of art and fashion.

See more historical information on England, see Victorian Era England Life

King Edward Vii

The Edwardian times were often referred to as the golden age. Life of the rich revolved around social parties, banquets. Those who attended these parties were elaborately dressed men and women with high society manners and a polished outlook towards like.

The Edwardian era is said to have set landmarks in the field of art and fashion.

Edwardian Corsets

Edwardian Era Facts about past times

In the absence of modern gadgets, both men and women entertained themselves with various sports in the Edwardian era. Hunting was one of the most popular of men’s sports. Special hunting trips were organized for the elites where they took the joy of hunting prey. Goose hunting and other bird shooting contests were also organized in this era.

Edwardian society facts

Fresh colours were in and dark shades of the Victorian era were no more a royalty. Complex designs also gave way to simpler yet trendy models. Edwardian women started getting an equal say in the socio-economic scenario of the United Kingdom, something which never had happened in its history. The demise of child labour was another feather in the cap of the Edwardian era. The Judiciary and the executive both started treating child labour as a severe offence.

Much has been said about the developments of the upper and middle-class society in this decade however the same does not apply to the working class people belonging to this generation. The grinding poverty of the working class met with negligible development during this era. Their situation as it appears worsened with the hour.

Edwardian facts about furniture & fashion

The Edwardian furniture which included wardrobes and cabinets served a dual purpose. Along with the obvious storage purpose, these also decorated the room where they were placed. Edwardian wardrobes and Edwardian cabinets were mainly made of wood, mahogany being the most frequently used wood.

The Edwardian times were such that beauty and fashion were given a lot of importance by both men as well as by women. But people were sensible in their styles and did not flaunt over the top dress codes.

Some things are timeless and hence find relevance in the modern world even after so much time. On a similar note, some of the finest craftsmen and their works arose in this period. Some of their works have found their way into modern times, with the elegant timeless designs becoming an inspiration for things that adorn the living rooms of the modern day.

These things range from modern fashion wear to utility products, lifestyle items right down to the furniture.

Here are 5 top Edwardian facts

Edwardian automobile facts: The speed of motorcars in the Edwardian times was 12 mph. Miss Dorothy Levitt drove at 91 mph and set a world record. In her day to day life, she had to pay fines many times for breaking the speed limit. She joined Automobile Association and she recommended other women to join also. The people of this association warned drivers near speed traps.

2. Therefore, the Automobile Association finally took place on 1903. the 1st president of the Automobile Association was Baroness Campbell de Laurentz.

Edwardian era facts about favourite sports: The women of the Edwardian times loved to engage themselves in many outdoor activities like skating, golf, playing tennis and cycling. Read more about bear and bull baiting.. Read more about bear and bull baiting..

Facts about Edwardian clothes: The Edwardian women wore several layers of clothes. The 1st layer consisted of her undergarment. The undergarment was a combination of vests and pants. It extended up to the knees. Then, on top of that, the corset was worn. Many of them wore silk pads near the hip region and also under the arms.

This enhanced the hourglass figure that everyone wanted to attain. The camisole was put on next. Knickers were worn which extended up till the knees. The silk stockings were worn on top of that. The stockings were either black or white or they were grey in color. Then a white petticoat was worn on top of it. Then the final piece of cloth was worn. It either was a dress, or it was a skirt or a blouse.

Another Edwardian fact was that most of the Edwardian houses had electricity. But some of the houses still thrived on gas lighting.