Myth 1: Everyone was blundering around in the fog

In this video our experts explore some of the possible limitations in our knowledge around the Victorians and the Victorian age.

While Ian Christie encourages us to reconsider the term ‘Victorian’, Bryony Dixon, John Plunkett and Joe Kember all highlight preconceptions about the age.

Do you agree with these assumptions? Do any of them match up to ideas or images you associate with the Victorians? Why do you think we develop assumptions or stereotypes about something?

Please use the comments section to share your thoughts.

As Bryony discusses in the video, depictions of the Victorian age on film, TV and the web can both influence our understanding and reinforce certain perspectives of what it was like to live during this period. At the same time, the BFI’s collection actually enables us to view this world for ourselves and make our own judgements about what we see.