CAT HISTORY
The cat victorious
The reign of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1837 to 1901, was an explosion of inventions, progress and reforms. The Industrial Revolution saw people flock from the countryside to live in cities. The catchwords of the age could have been ‘advancement’ and ‘curiosity’.

Travelling was no longer only for explorers. The burgeoning wealth of the middle classes and the expansion of the railways, along with British colonialism, bred generations of intrepid tourists. Egypt, with all its magic and mysticism, was a popular destination and an enthusiasm for archaeology brought about a renewed interest in the goddess Bastet.

For those who could not travel, new museums, public aquariums and exhibitions brought the world to them.

In fact, Victorians loved the exotic so much that they brought it into their homes. Cabinets of curiosities became popular items in Victorian drawing rooms, and no parlour was complete without a rare orchid snatched by flower-hunters willing to risk venomous snakes, tigers and angry natives to bring treasures home.