6 Inventions That Came Out of the Victorian Era
Queen Victoria ruled Britain from 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any of her predecessors, and was exceeded only by Elizabeth II’s time on the throne. This period, known as the Victorian era, saw the British Empire expand to become the first global industrial power.
Fueled by the industrial revolution that began the previous century — which reshaped almost every existing sector of human activity — the era saw many breakthroughs in the arts and sciences (perhaps most notably, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution) as well as great social change and political reforms. And, as people from the countryside began to move to urban industrial hubs in search of work, there was a rise in both education and affluence, further driving the wave of ideas and innovation.
Victorian-era Brits were avid inventors, and many of the creations from this time had a major impact not only in Britain but across the globe. That’s not to say that all Victorian innovations were a hit. The hat cigar holder, ventilating top hat, anti-garroting cravat, reversible trousers, and “corset with expansible busts” all rank among the less successful ideas. These failures, however, were far outweighed by the era’s many influential developments, some of which laid the foundation for our modern age, and are still used every day. Here are some of the greatest innovations of the Victorian era, from the telephone to the electric light bulb.
Telephone
Scottish-born inventor Alexander Graham Bell is considered the father of the telephone, but a degree of controversy remains over who exactly invented the world-changing device. The American electrical engineer Elisha Gray filed a patent on the exact same day as Bell, in Washington, D.C., on February 14, 1876. We’ll never quite know how things played out in the patent office, but Bell’s documents were filed first, and he was awarded the patent on March 7. A few days later, he made the first-ever telephone call. He called his assistant, Thomas Watson, with the now-famous words, “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you.”
Bell, who had lived in Boston since 1871, was keen to introduce his invention to Britain, where, as a young man, he had received an expansive Victorian education in Scotland and London, and where he first began his experiments in sound. In August 1877, he toured Britain with his wife Mabel (it was supposed to be their honeymoon), promoting his invention as he went. He even demonstrated the newly invented telephone to Queen Victoria herself, who was so impressed she asked to keep the temporary installation in place.
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Adhesive Postage Stamp
In 1837, English inventor Rowland Hill submitted a number of reforms to the British government regarding the existing postal system. Among his ideas was the use of an adhesive postage stamp. At the time, the postal service was unwieldy and rates were high — they were based on distance and the number of sheets in a letter, and the recipient paid for the delivery. Hill proposed a low-cost stamp based on weight, with the cost prepaid. This resulted in the Penny Black, the world’s first postage stamp, which cost a flat rate of one penny, regardless of distance. The idea was simple, but revolutionary. His adhesive stamp and associated reforms were soon adopted by other countries, and ultimately paved the way for modern postal systems around the world.
Underground Railway
On January 10, 1863, the Metropolitan Railway opened to the public, becoming the world's first underground railway. Now part of the extensive London Underground, the original line ran for 3.75 miles between Farringdon Street and Bishop’s Road, Paddington. Hailed by The Timesas “the great engineering triumph of the day,” it consisted of open wooden carriages pulled by steam locomotives. Between 30,000 and 40,000 people attempted to travel on the railway’s opening day, causing chaos on the fledgling underground system. Despite the initial bedlam — and the sulfurous fumes released by the locomotives — the line was a huge success. In its first year, it carried 9.5 million passengers, showing cities around the world that underground railways were an excellent solution to growing congestion problems.
Public Flush Toilets
Basic public toilets were part of the sanitation system of ancient Rome, but it wasn’t until the Victorian era that they became widespread — and flushable. This was all thanks to George Jennings, an English sanitary engineer who introduced his flushable public toilets — which he called “monkey closets” — at the Great Exhibition of 1851, held at London’s Crystal Palace. Visitors could spend one penny to use the facilities, and records show that 675,000 pennies were spent (this led to the expression “to spend a penny,” which Brits still use today to refer to a trip to the loo). Public toilets were soon installed in various cities across Britain. Typically, however, these facilities were designed only for men. Because of this, women were far more restricted than men when it came to traveling, something referred to as the “urinary leash.” But by the end of the era — thanks to campaigning and women’s role in the ever-growing economy — women’s amenities began opening in major cities.
Electric Light Bulb
Decades before Thomas Edison patented the first incandescent light bulb in 1879, British inventors had already been working on the problem. James Bowman Lindsay and Warren de la Rue both created early versions of the light bulb, in 1835 and 1840, respectively. Then, in 1841, Frederick de Moleyns was granted the first patent for an incandescent lamp, which used powdered charcoal heated between two platinum wires. Then came English physicist and chemist Joseph Swan, who produced a primitive electric light in 1860 and, 20 years later, a practical light bulb. Both Swan and Edison applied for patents for their incandescent lamps in 1880. Litigation ensued, but was resolved when the two men formed a joint company in 1883. From there, there was no looking back. By 1893, even the chandeliers in Queen Victoria’s residence, Osborne House, had been wired for electricity.
Pneumatic Tires
Robert William Thomson was a Scottish engineer who invented the pneumatic tire at the age of 23. He was granted the patent in 1846, for a hollow leather tire that enclosed a rubberized fabric tube filled with air. A set of his “aerial wheels” ran successfully for 1,200 miles on a horse-drawn carriage. At the time, however, the rubber required to make the inner tubes was prohibitively expensive, and so Thomson returned to solid tires. For 43 years, air-filled tires were all but forgotten.
Then came a second Scotsman, John Boyd Dunlop, who developed his own version of the pneumatic tire while trying to make his son’s bicycle more comfortable to ride. Dunlop patented his pneumatic bicycle tire in 1888. A year later, the competitive cyclist Willie Hume became the first man to fit his bike with Dunlop’s pneumatic tires, and he started winning races across Britain. Dunlop later lost his main patent when Thomson’s original patent was rediscovered. While Thomson is rightfully considered the inventor of the pneumatic tire, it’s Dunlop’s name that remains synonymous with tires today.
