Victorian Visual Culture

After spending most of my life in a big city, I have found that people-watching those who pass me on the street has become second nature. Even if it’s just admiring their fashion choices, simply stepping onto a busy street means that you are viewed by others. In the present day, we can glimpse what it must have been like to view those in the Victorian era through Victorian street photography. Pictures like those of the covenant garden flower women (pictured) allow us to better understand the economic struggles of the time, while also presenting the photographs’ subjects for our judgment. 

This first-impression based way of thought is true even today, albeit with different expectations associated with appearance. Much of today’s person-focused street photography, which can be seen on social media platforms like Instagram, presents people at their most fashionable. This sets a difficult-to-achieve precedent for others, who may not be able to afford such fashion; they become something for others to aspire towards, and someone to admire. Similarly, however, both in the Victorian era and now, photography is rarely candid, but for different reasons. The time to take a photograph was longer due to exposure times in the Victorian era, which required thoughtful posing of the subjects. Meanwhile, in the present day, presenting your best self on social media requires a similar time commitment to getting your appearance and pose just right. The act of people-watching may never change, but the way in which we utilize photography as an art when taking pictures of pedestrians may continue to evolve with the times.