RESEARCH ARTICLES

In a time when technology was rapidly changing, shipping lines such as Cunard Line, White Star Line, Norddeutscer-Lloyd, and Hamburg-Amerika were competing to be the fastest and most elegant ships on the sea. From 1812 to 1912 the rate of sea travel nearly quadrupled- a trip across the north Atlantic that once took over a…

Do you ever wonder where some of our Christmas traditions come from? The Victorian period saw many changes to Christmas due to the massive influx of immigrants and industrialization which helped create our own American traditions. In 1890, Christmas became a national holiday and was celebrated by many Americans regardless of their religious background. At the Molly Brown House Museum we are swept up in the holiday spirit with our decorations, and our fun events such as our Candlelight tours and teas. The Germans brought over the idea of a Christmas tree, and it was widely accepted as a major decoration in the Victorian time period. Typically, a Nativity scene would be found underneath the Christmas tree. Where would they put their presents? The gifts would actually be tied to the branches, rather than hiding them underneath the tree. During…

It is hard for us to believe in an age with smartphones that “calling” once took on a different meaning. In the Victorian time period, calling meant to visit in person to express thanks or regrets. According to proper Victorian etiquette, this was the only acceptable means of communicating one’s social obligation. A personal visit…

This summer’s exhibit at the Molly Brown House Museum, following the 2010 memorialization of Judge Ben Lindsey as part of the dedication of the new Lindsey-Flannigan Courthouse in Denver, is The City and the Children: Denver’s Juvenile Justice System. This exhibit focuses on the work of Judge Ben Lindsey and his efforts to champion a…

At the Molly Brown House Museum we are decorated for Christmas and looking forward to fun events such as our Candlelight tours, Christmas Teas, and docent-led tours of the home.  To get everyone in the holiday spirit here is some interesting information on the roots of Christmas, especially in relation to Victorian traditions.  We hope…

Halloween, or some iteration of the holiday we celebrate today, has existed for approximately 2,500 years.  Our celebration stems mainly from Irish immigrants and the Victorian era. In that tradition, the Molly Brown House Museum observes the Victorian enthusiasm for Halloween through authentic decorations showcased in Ladies Home Journals of the time.  Halloween decorations, which…

The Molly Brown House Museum’s summer exhibit, Pieces of our Past: 40 years at the Molly Brown House Museum, explores the restoration of Margaret “Molly” Brown’s home. When the home was sold after Margaret’s death in 1932, it was converted from a single family residence to a boarding home.  The interior of the house experienced many changes such as the addition of bathrooms and kitchens, installation of coved ceilings to decrease the cost of heat, and the elimination of the back staircase.  In 1970, a group of concerned citizens organized and created a private non-profit Historic Denver, Inc. to save the home from the possibility of destruction.  Once Historic Denver owned the property restoration began through paint analysis, architectural investigation and with the help of photographs taken by Margaret in 1910, the home of the Unsinkable Molly Brown was returned…

The spring exhibit at the Molly Brown House Museum is Stitches and Scissors: the Importance of Victorian Craft.  Open until April 30th, this exhibit explores women’s roles, technology and popular crafts.  Most crafts during the Victorian Era were parlor crafts, a pastime for wealthy women with leisure time.  The market was flooded with machine made…