GCSE English Literature Presentation for Sign of the Four Context

1. Victorian Era
By Leah Ava and Millie
Month
20XX

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Year
Invention
1838- First photograph
1839- Photographic paper to develop pictures
1839- Invention of the first pedal bicycle
1839- The first paddle steamship
1840- First postage stamps introduced
1843- First Christmas card
1844- Invention of Morse Code message
1845- Invention of rubber tyres
1845- London Road in Nottingham covered with tarmac (tarmacadam) making roads smoother
1846- Sewing Machine invented
1849- Concrete development helped further construction
18490- First glider flown by a pilot
1850s- Invention of post boxes
1850- Petrol
1850- Sewing machine with possible home use
1851- Invention of ice cream in the USA
1852- Opening of first public flushing toilet in London
1854- Iron converted to steel, giving strength and making buildings and shipbuilding possible
1855- Safety matches
1856- Pasteurizing process
1859- Discovery of oil
1860- Horse-drawn tram
1863- The world’s first underground steam powered railway becomes operational in London
1864- First jelly babies made
1872- Invention of the penny-farthing bicycle with huge front wheels and no breaks
1873- Typewriter invention
1875- The first chocolate Easter eggs
1876- Invention of telephone on 7 March 1876
1877- Voice recording
1878- Electric street lighting starts in London
1879- Invention of the electric light bulb
1885- Safety Bicycle with chain, driven rear wheel and same size wheels
1883- Electric railway started
1884- Blackpool has first British electric tram network
1885- Invention of first petrol motorcar
1887-Invention of the gramophone
1888- Pneumatic tyres by Dunlop
1888- Kodak box camera
1894- Moving pictures invented
Dec 18 1890- The first electric public rail / underground train in London
1890- First comic book
1891- The first hydro-electric power station which generated electricity from water flow
1895- X-rays which revolutionised modern medicine
1895- Wireless radio

3. Living
conditions• The living places for workers lacked all the basic facilities
like proper water, clean sewage and availability of fresh air
through ventilation and more importantly, food. Despite
toiling hard for hours, the wages paid to these workers were
insufficient for their survival.
• The sewages were not clean and thus made it made the air
filthy. The things dumped into the sewage directly joined
the Thames River and it was not long before the river was
polluted by these wastes.
• River Thames was an essential source of drinking water for
the city and its pollution resulted in the spread of numerous
diseases and also affected the supply of water. Joseph
Bazalgette an engineer, built several kilometers of tunnels
and pipes which enabled the diversion of sewage outside
the city.
• London was also famous for the Great Exhibition of 1851
which was held at Crystal Palace in Hyde Park. Prince
Albert played a crucial in the happening of the Great
Exhibition. It was the first fair in the world which displayed
the technologies and products of various countries.
• The exhibition received tremendous response from the
people, many of whom had come there from across the
world making it immediately successful. The Big Ben or the
clock tower of the Houses of Parliament was built in
London in 1859.
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Theft
In the Victorian Era theft was rife on the streets of the cities and towns. Children
would often pick pocket and take food and goods from the street markets. Men
and women would also be found shoplifting in the same way people do today.
Gangs of thieves would be formed to make the thefts from shops, warehouses
and homes easier and the spoils would be shared amongst them or sold on. As
with today, theft was linked to poverty and with so many adults and children
either on the streets or struggling to make ends meet, theft was one of the top
crimes found in the built up areas.
Violence
Much of the violence was associated with the thefts and waves of crime that was
happening throughout the built up areas. Garrotting was wide spread and
causing public fear in the mid-19th century. People would be strangled by one
gang member while the other would rob them of all their possessions from
behind. Some robbers would use chloroform to carry out attacks or pull clothing
over the fact of the victim.
There were many attacks being carried out which could easily extend to murder.
Many of the higher class women would fear walking outside at any times after
dark due to the attacks and the terrifying media reports on murderers such as
Jack the Ripper who was never caught. Some of the violence would even drive
away the police, with attackers throwing acid in their face or in the late 1880s
even being armed with guns.
Drunkenness
One of the best ways for Victorians to deal with the struggles of day to day life
was through alcohol abuse. Life was very hard for the average Victorian and
many people used drink as a way of making life easier to deal with. This in turn
caused high levels of disorder in the streets and homes of Victorian Britain, with
drink causing fights and accidents.

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