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Salon Convention
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As previous posts in this blog illustrate, those with an interest in the character of the Victorian era are hardly in the minority. The widespread popularity of "Victorian Cool" is such that there are organized meetups of enthusiasts, the largest of which being Salon Convention. Advertised as "The Victorian Era for the 21st Century," it is a gathering of self proclaimed Neo-Victorians dressed in their finest. The convention holds a strict dress code but is quick to point out that this is not a place for historical recreationists, a notable distinction to make. It's interesting that this aesthetic brand of Victorian enthusiasts differentiate themselves so strongly from traditional recreationists, when to an outside observer the two would appear to be quite similar. The difference between the two, according to the organizers of Salon Convention at least, is that Neo-Victorians "embrace the ideals of the Victorian era, but seek to bring them into a modern context."
Even within a modern context however, these modern dandies have within their society the same social and economic elitism that their late Victorian counterparts did. The convention, for all its boasts of being "a space for artists, thinkers, and dreamers to express themselves" is still an experiance reserved for those with "money and class privileges." Such constraints mean an atmosphere at the convention which is likely more accurate to the upper middle class society they seek to emulate, however distasteful that is to modern sentiments.
Posted by Alison
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The Blog:
Created by five SFU students for Dr. Stephen Ogden's English 206 class, this blog is, simply put, just for show. We are interested in the idea of "Victorian Cool," or more specifically how Victorian aesthetics are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. The posts in this blog are materialism at its finest; fashion, architecture, jewelry, furniture, and whatever else catches our eye. Why has this brand of Victorianism re-entered mass culture? Read the blog and find out!
The Contributors:
Jill
Melissa
Alison
Jennifer
Sarah
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March 29, 2008
posted at 6:52 PM -
