Vampire Killing Kits

Since it's so close to Halloween, I thought I'd do a super spooky entry, which isn't hard to accomplish with Victorians. As you may know, vampire myths date back to early Mesopotamia and can be traced in the folklore of many cultures. The gothic-loving Victorians were no different. In 1897, Bram Stoker penned Dracula, probably the most well-known vampire novel, based on Vlad the Impaler. (I did a social studies project on this guy in middle school, and my teacher didn't even let me participate in the history fair because she didn't consider it pertinent... Pfft!)

There are other lesser known vampire tales of this era that came up in my research, including Varney the Vampire and a lesbian vampire story called Carmilla (1871), pictured beneath. When I have time to read outside of class, I'd like to take on some of these...

Who knows how long vampire killing kits have existed, but suffice it to say they were still in use in the 1800s. Usually homemade, these kits consisted of holy water, a crucifix, silver weapons, a prayer book, wooden stakes, and various vials. Vampire killing kits still show up for auction today, though many of them are fakes. This one looks pretty legit to me.

In 2008, this kit (circa 1800) below sold for nearly $15,000 in Natchez, MS.



It's pretty bizarre that vampires were still considered a threat at this time, but, considering the fact that there were few reliable news resources available to the masses, you can't blame really them.

Hair Art

Before photographs, there were cameos, miniature portraits, and... hair art. Yes, hair art. As a means of memento, hair art was often created from the hair of deceased loved ones. This hobby became popular in the Victorian period, and there are actually still artisans who specialize in creating keepsakes made from hair. Hair art varies from framed bouquet-like designs to intricate jewelry. There's not much else to say about it, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

A wreath (possibly prepared for a funeral) made from a girl's and and her mother's hair. (This is from a wonderful hair art entry on The Constant Gatherer blog.)



A page from a "hair album" dated 1865, found on hairworkssociety.org



Leila's Hair Museum in Independence, Missouri (picture from Atlas Obscura)



Page from 1875 hair art catalogue, listed on an antiques dealer's website



I know it's kind of creepy, but wouldn't it be cool to own a piece of art made from the hair of an ancestor?

Welcome to my blog!

Hello and welcome to my blog! As a fan of shows like American Pickers and Antiques Roadshow, I had an idea to make a blog about cultural artifacts, interesting people, and events pertaining to my favorite time period, the turn of the 19th century. In my blog, I will post things related to the Victorian and Edwardian eras in England as well as the Gilded Age in America. My goal is to amass an index of interesting and curious things of this era in order to provide a little something beyond what you would ordinarily find in history books. I hope that whoever stumbles upon this blog enjoys it as much as I will in making it. P.S. Know any obscure facts from 1850 to 1930? I'm open to suggestions!

Thanks!
Anna