Lilly Ryan

Pioneering feminist and animal rights campaigner Anna Kingsford was one of the 19th century's most remarkable women. Then she was charged with using black magic to murder two vivisectionists. By Dee Cunning.

“The article of clothing which women ought only to wear in a figure of speech.” By Natasha Frost.

Georgiana Houghton claimed her artistic talent came from the dead. By Paul Gallagher.

A new book follows Joseph Lister as he ushers surgery into the modern age. By Sarah Zhang.

By satirising it in long, amusing letters, written to be circulated among her friends, according to Kathy Chamberlain. By Frances Wilson.

On Magic Tubes, Fecund Potions, and Making Feet for Baby Stockings. By Therese O'Neill.

The Victorian mums who disguised themselves as chairs, couches and curtains – to hold their children still for photographs

“No organist can manipulate the stops and keys of his instrument with more dexterity than the demagogue exhibits in playing upon the different weaknesses, errors, and absurdities of the untutored mind.” — Kent & Sussex Courier, 1874. By Mimi Matthews.

The Victorian Tale of a 13-year-old Boy Who Murdered His Mum. By Kate Summerscale

Spirit Drawings review – awe-inspiring visions of a Victorian medium. By Jonathan Jones.

The Steampunk Fashion Guide: Skirts and Dresses. Your guide to skirt and dress styles from the Victorian era, and their sexier incarnations in Steampunk cosplay.

The 1871 cat show ushered in a new era of appreciation for the furry rat-catchers.

For Victorians the octopus inspired terror and apocalyptic visions. By Justin Parkinson.

Christine L. Corton reminds us that England’s capital “has always been susceptible to mist and murk.” By Michael Dirda. (Nov. 16)

An anthropologist has found evidence on Victorian skeletons that calls into question the longstanding assumption that corseting was detrimental to women’s health. By Kristina Killgrove.