The Chiltern Open Air Museum is fast becoming a favourite place to visit and the ‘Ragged Victorians’ weekend didn’t disappoint. It was one of the museum’s living history events and involved Victorian enthusiasts wandering around the site as if we had been transported back to the 1870s or thereabouts.
We were very impressed by how far the Victorian enthusiasts went in striving for authenticity. We spotted quite a few sitting under the village green tree and remarked to each other how they’d even brought a few dolls to pretend they had ragged children but as we got closer, we realised they were real children, dressed to look like Victorians and with realistic props – one child’s dummy had a dirty rag attached to it to make it look authentic!
The enthusiasts were happy to chat, flashing their rotten teeth at you as they told their story and we had fun learning about their lives. We hope these pictures give you a flavour of the day and how seriously they took it. One had even come from America! You can read more about the museum in our blog post Chiltern Open Air Museum.