EZ
Content Blueprint
The
Victorian House Loses Favor
STANDARDS:
The
material in this unit may be used to address the following Social
Studies Standards:
TIMEFRAME:
Attacks
on the Victorian home started well before the turn of the twentieth
century and increased as that century progressed.
By
about 1915 numerous critics advocating different goals had all focused
upon the home as the solution to their problems and had merged into
a loose but powerful movement calling for radical changes in the
middle class home and family. These reformers believed a modern
home would lead to other desired aesthetic, political and social
changes.
CRITICISMS
OF THE VICTORIAN HOUSE
Over
time, the most important criticism of the Victorian house was that,
because it was composed of elaborate and ornate dust catching woodwork
and fabrics and filled with clutter, it was an unhealthy environment
full of dirt and germs.
Reformers
also complained that the Victorian house was too large and too specialized,
i.e., had too many rooms for individual activities. The parlor was
singled out for special disdain as a useless and wasted space because
it was so seldom used.
Twentieth
century attackers called Victorian houses everything from old fashioned,
impractical and inefficient, to "architectural atrocities"
and "hideous landmarks".
UNDERLYING
ATTITUDES/CAUSES OF ATTACKS:
Changes
in taste and social values made people uncomfortable and caused
them to question the old social order. These changes included:
