By Tricia Kelly
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| The Carus children enjoying the outdoors on the west lawn of the Hegeler Carus Mansion. |
For Victorians in
Illinois, there was perhaps no better time of year than spring. Spring was a time of rebirth and renewal, a
time to see life peeking out from winter’s hard frost in the form of blue
Scilla, white Hepatica, and Spring Beauties.
Soon to follow come Trout Lilies, Yellow Bellworts, and Wild
Ginger. They are then replaced by
Trillium, Goldenseal, Buttercups, Jack-in-the-Pulpits, Dutchman’s Breeches, and
countless others until the whole land over is covered with Columbine, Jacob’s
Ladder, Bluebells, Doll’s Eyes, ferns, and Solomon’s Seal.
Amid this palette
of pastels, the Victorians found great delight.
Many adults who had spent the entire winter indoors were glad to step
out and get two lungs full of fresh air.
Picnics were for summer, but there were plenty of other things to do in
the spring. For instance, the nanny or
governess could now take their young charges on a walk to the park. Boys had always been encouraged to be
outdoors and active no matter what the season as it was believed to make them heartier. Girls, on the other hand, were perceived as
delicate and fragile. Their lungs were
smaller than boys, and thus weaker; therefore, taking a deep breath on a crisp
fall day was a sure-fire way for a young lady to “catch her death of
cold”. Spring was another story, and
many outdoor activities were arranged by women for their ‘sisters’ to
enjoy. There were wildflower walks,
where young ladies would canter about in fields and parks gathering flowers for
arrangements or pressed keepsakes. Some
of these girls were especially skilled, and knew how to keep a delicate bloom
preserved in gelatin beneath a glass cloche.
Many young Victorian ladies formed flower clubs, where flowers became
symbols for friendship, love, health, etc.
Arrangements would then be made and taken to people who were sick, or in
mourning, or who lost all they owned in a fire as a gesture of kindness. Emma Borden and her younger sister Lizzie
belonged to one such club.
Then there was the
bicycle, that bipedal rebel of the gilded age.
The popularity of bicycles really began around 1860 with the
Penny-farthing craze. Unfortunately,
because of its huge front wheel and tiny back wheel, there was very little
stability, and accidents were frequent.
Then there came the Boneshaker, a solid frame bike that literally shook
your entire body around as you rode it.
In 1885 the first “safety bicycle” was created, and the sport became
wildly popular…and controversial.
Doctors were adamant against ladies riding such contraptions. It was believed that they could be damaging
to a woman’s internal organs or, worse, stimulating. Young women, however, rallied for the cause
and rode the bicycles anyway. This
created a resurgence of the ladies’ bloomers that were originally a pre-Civil
War fashion.
Finally, visits to
the seaside began in the late spring and lasted until late summer, and were
enjoyed by boys and girls of all ages.
