Cover of Ms. Murdoch’s Book

From imaginings of the “Angel in the House” to falsely attributed accounts of the Queen’s advice to “lie back and think of England,” popular representations of Victorian women tend to fall into overly simplified gender distinctions. Current society perceives Victorian women as corseted and caged in crinolines, protected from the worlds of politics, business and war within their domestic sphere. By exploring the lives of three Victorian women—Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Hannah Cullwick and Mary Seacole—Lydia Murdoch, professor of history at Vassar College and author of Daily Life of Victorian Women (Greenwood, 2013), will unravel the myths and contradictions of Victorian femininity.\

The Victorian Society New York sponsors a series of free lectures at The English Speaking Union, 144 E. 39th St., between Lexington and Third Avenues in Manhattan. No reservations are required. Attendees are invited to post-lecture receptions.