XIII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2021

Аннотация: В статье описывается общество Англии в период правления короля Эдуарда VII. Рассматривается как культура, так и экономические реалии того времени, а также технические достижения. Описаны тенденции развития моды, как женской, так и мужской. Затронуты основные проблемы женщин того времени и их положение в обществе.

Abstract:The article describes the society of England during the reign of King Edward VII. It considers both the culture and the economic realities of that time, as well as technical achievements. The trends in the development of fashion, both female and male, are described. The main problems of women of that time and their position in the society are touched.

Ключевые слова: Эдвардианская эпоха в Англии, культура, технологический прогресс, искусство, общество.

Keywords: Edwardian era in England, culture, technological progress, art, society.

The Edwardian era is the period of English history from the beginning of reign of King Edward VII in the United Kingdom until the outbreak of the First World War which was even later than King Edward's death. At this time, English culture was influenced by the French culture, largely due to the fact that King Edward often visited France and enthusiastically brought back the experience gained in France to his homeland [1].

It was a peaceful time in the history of England and European countries. England remained the leader in financial relations and shipbuilding, although factory production was inferior to the production in the United States or Germany [2]. As for the political sphere within the country, there was a growing political awareness among the working class, leading to a rise in trade unions, the Labor movement and demands for better working conditions [4].

As J. B. Priestley used to say “That time was not ideal, but it seemed to be such nice days because of the way people, during whose age the First World War fell, describe it since any tragedy makes you value peacetime more than before that” [5]. Another tragedy of the Edwardian era that sorely dented the national pride was the wreck of the Titanic in April 1912 [3].

However, the Titanic was only the tip of the iceberg of the engineering of that time. Technology evolved faster than ever. The car turned into a full-fledged vehicle, which, however, still not everyone could afford. The early British cars of the late 19th century were based mainly on the achievements of Germany and France. However, by 1900, Herbert Austin, the managing director of the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company, had designed and produced the first all-British four-wheel drive car [10]. Railways covered the net of England and its colonies. Stanley Spencer built the first British airship. This was also the time of the first Nobel laureates in England. Ronald Ross received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his research on malaria [6].

Having improved methods of recording and playing music, in 1914, the company Barnett Samuel and Sons headquartered in London began to produce a portable gramophone [7]. In addition to music, newspapers and books have become incredibly accessible, art ceased to exist exclusively for the upper strata of society.

The 1908 Summer Olympic Games were held in London. Popularity of sports tended to conform to class divisions, with tennis and yachting popular among the very wealthy and football favoured by the working class [13].

Compared with the Victorian era, fashion changed. The so-called Gibson Girls became the ideal of beauty of that time: the hourglass silhouette became relevant again, the colors in women's clothing became more cheerful, the hairstyles were made lush, hats were often decorated with flowers [8] [9]. The Edwardian era was characterized by idleness and a penchant for luxury. Many British beautiful ladies were the Americans, who successfully married a British court noble, which brought them public recognition and fame.

Fashion in its indescribable luxury was included in all areas of everyday life and was formalized to the smallest detail. Correspondence of the outfit to circumstances was an absolute indisputable condition. During traditional country trips, which were an integral part of the life of British nobility in the early 20th century, a fashionable respected and self-respecting lady had to change her outfit 5-6 times a day, under the strict condition that no image element be repeated during the weekend.

For men, an elongated, slender, athletic silhouette remained relevant, short haircuts predominated, beards were less sharp, it became fashionable to curl a mustache.

In Edwardian England there was a large social class of servants who often received modest maintenance, but were provided with food and shelter, living in closed communities for years and not communicating much with the outside world. The situation of women not from high society remained rather difficult. Abortions were banned, female workers and women from the working class were relatively disenfranchised. Due to the fact that the first man was perceived by society as the first man, the fight against female poverty was difficult, and this poverty itself was often invisible [11]. Sewing machines allowed housewives to make ready-made clothes and made it easier for women to sew their own clothes. Increased literacy in the middle-class gave women wider access to information and ideas. Numerous new magazines appealed to her tastes and helped define femininity [12].

The Edwardian era was rather short, but at the same time it was one of the brightest eras in the history of Great Britain, rich in discoveries and having its own trends in fashion and worldview. This was the last time of elegant antiquity and its life ended irrevocably with the onset of the First World War.

Список используемой литературы:

1. Hattersley R. The Edwardians. London, 2004.

2. Dormois J.-P. and Dintenfass M. The British Industrial Decline. 1999.

3. Jenkins S. A Short History of England. 2012 https://graycity.net/simon-jenkins/page,1,439586-a_short_history_of_england.html

4. Brooks D. The age of upheaval: Edwardian politics, 1899–1914. Manchester University PressENDTARGET, 1995.

5. Priestley J. B. The Edwardians. 1970.

6. The Nobel Prize. Ronald Ross Biographical. [Электронный ресурс], – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1902/ross/biographical/

7. Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History. Barnett Samuel and Sons. https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Barnett_Samuel_and_Sons

8. Laver J. The Concise History of Costume and Fashion. Abrams, 1979.

9. Эдвардианская мода. [Электронный ресурс], – https://old-new-england.livejournal.com/15653.html

10. Church R. The rise and decline of the British motor industry. Cambridge University Press, 1995.

11. Marwick A. British Society and the First World War. 1991.

12. Beetham M. A magazine of her own: domesticity and desire in the woman's magazine. 1800–1914. Routledge, 2003.

13. Mangan J. A. A sport-loving society: Victorian and Edwardian middle-class England at play. Routledge, 2004.