Smiling Victorians

Retronaut is one of those sites (like Pinterest, oh dear..) where I can easily spend half an hour browsing through without even noticing time has passed. It is basically an archive of wonderful photographs of the past. One of the first galleries I saw, and one that remains my favourite, is the Smiling Victorians collection.

Photographs of Victorians are so often conjured up in the mind as very stern and formal, as this picture of Queen Vic attests:

(photo from the V&A)

But even she had something to smile about:

Doesn't she look a thousand times better?

Now, these following photos seem to be more Edwardian, rather than Victorian, judging by their clothes/hair/hats.. and part of me thinks that some, if not all of the photos are American, as well.. What do you think?

Regardless, it is the smiles that are so striking:

(all photos from Retronaut)

E xxx

P.S. Aren't these two the sweetest couple?