From the moment I decided to build a miniature shop, I have been looking for design inspiration for all manner of things that I could include inside the store. Wall coverings, flooring, shelving and display units, and an endless list of possible stock. There is such an amazing range of miniature items available to purchase or make that I really didn’t want to limit myself to just one product type, hence my decision to make a general store with a bigger choice of fresh produce, dry goods and household items.
While searching the net for ideas, I noticed that there was one distinctive feature in all the examples of Victorian era shops. They all include multiple examples of product advertising. Victorian shop exteriors & interiors were covered in vivid and often beautifully illustrated advertisements.
To recreate a realistic Victorian setting, I needed to know more about the use of advertising…
In modern times we are surrounded by advertising in many forms. We are bombarded with images, catchy tunes and eye-catching videos on the TV, internet, social media, the radio, newspapers & magazines.
The Victorians were also exposed to a vast array of advertising. Newspaper advertisements, trade cards and notices to promote businesses had been common since the eighteen century. But in the Victorian period, advertising really took off as the demand for products increased hugely and a surge of producers rushed to meet the demand.
The expansion of the British Empire had created new markets for manufacturers to export their wares and resulted in new imported goods and ingredients for sale in Britain.
The tide of migration from rural areas to towns and cities also greatly affected the need for affordable and available goods. New machines and factories made mass production of a huge range of products possible. Food production became industrialised. Tinned and bottled preserved foods became commonly available.
Developments in the transport system also affected produce production and sales. Railways and steamships were an integral part of the supply chain.
Competition for trade was strong. Manufacturers really needed their goods to stand out compared to their competitors produce. Advertising posters and trade cards increased in quality and design as printing techniques helped to improve.
There are still a vast range of examples of advertising from the period which have survived. They are an excellent source of information about the range of produce available, eating habits, fashions, household cleaning regimes, hobbies.
Many adverts from the time strongly reflect Victorian values and attitudes to family life, health and appropriate behaviour.
One interesting fact regarding Victorian society and advertising relates to the sale of alcohol. Advertisements for alcohol were common despite the widely held belief that alcohol was a cause of many social problems. The Temperance movement was a group of individuals who sought to reform society through the control of alcohol. Alcoholism was a major cause of poverty. The movement scorned drunkenness and campaigned for harsher punishment of alcohol abusers. Despite this, many people thought it was safer to consume alcohol such as beer as it was cleaner than local drinking water and in some cases alcohol was actually used as a medicine to maintain health.
Many thanks to the following sources:
- Victorian food and drink – what do old adverts reveal?https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/victorian-food-and-drink/
- Selling the Victorians: Victorians for sale! Has advertising changed from Victorian times?https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/selling-the-victorians/
- http://www.victorianweb.org/
After all that research, the adverts had done their job. I couldn’t resist shopping for some advertising products for my own shop. I can’t wait for these to arrive.
Miniature vintage shop signs (29/30mm x 43/45mm) from https://www.mytinyworld.co.uk
Counter display boxes and a vintage sign at brilliant prices from https://www.aminiaturemarvel.com
Lindsay & Sons General Store 