The Victorians Since 1901: Histories, Representations and Revisions

Over a century after the death of Queen Victoria, historians are busy re-appraising her age and achievements. However, our understanding of the Victorian era is itself a part of history, shaped by changing political, cultural and intellectual fashions. From widespread reaction against Victorian values led by the Bloomsbury set, through to the rehabilitation of Victorian literature and architecture in the 1950s and 1960s, down to the present enthusiasm for film and television adaptations of Charles Dickens and George Eliot, our image of the Victorians has changed a great deal. The Victorians since 1901 provides a much-needed survey of these trends in modern historiography. Bringing together a group of international scholars from the disciplines of history, English literature, art history and cultural studies, it identifies and assesses the principal influences on twentieth-century attitudes towards the Victorians. Developments in academia, popular culture, public history and the internet are covered in this important and stimulating collection, and the final chapters anticipate future global trends in interpretations of the Victorian era, making an essential volume for students of Victorian Studies.