Do you think they were good times?
There seemed to be a lot of nostalgia for that decade, including this cartoon:

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The 1890s were like the decade of hell (and boredom) to me. Yeah, there was the invention of motion pictures, but there was too many poor people roaming around the cities of the U.S. Not to mention that the apartments weren't really as sanitary as the ones we have now (not that I live in an urbanized area of New York).

Well the 1890s ended in 1899.....so exactly 100 years before I was born (1999). From what I've learned about the 1890s, it's a decade I definetly would not want to have lived in. Urban cities in the US were compltely filthy. The 1890s was during the Robber Barons era (concurrent with "The Gilded Age") and so guys like J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew W. Mellon Jay Gould, Cornelius Vanderbilt, etc ruled business and had a lot of influence in the US federal government. Yes, some of those men were philanthropic but they still held way too much power. You had ineffective Presidents like Benjamin Harrison (Prez for the early 1890s), Grover Cleveland (Prez for most of the 1890s, 1893-1897). You did have William McKinley (Prez during the late 1890s, 1897-1901) and he went to war with Spain with the Spanish-American War (1898) in which we won easily and got control over The Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico. Cuba technically gained its independence, but United States soldiers remained in the country for years, commonly intervening in Cuban politics until 1959. In the 1890s, racism and slavery was rampant THROUGHOUT the US and in 1896, you had one of the WORST U.S. Supreme Court rulings of ALL-TIME with Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). Plessy v. Ferguson allowed segregation to be practiced in the US as long as it was "separate BUT equal", which we all know segregation was NEVER equal. One thing that was good about the 1890s was that it birthed the Progressive Movement that lasted until the 1920s. So, the 1890s are not for me.

Fun fact, there is still a person born in the 1890s (1899) that is still alive, Italian woman Emma Morano age 117.  :)

It was a weird time! Some of it sounds fun, but some of it sounds dry and boring. And some of it was racist as hell!

Well the 1890s ended in 1899.....so exactly 100 years before I was born (1999). From what I've learned about the 1890s, it's a decade I definetly would not want to have lived in. Urban cities in the US were compltely filthy. The 1890s was during the Robber Barons era (concurrent with "The Gilded Age") and so guys like J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew W. Mellon Jay Gould, Cornelius Vanderbilt, etc ruled business and had a lot of influence in the US federal government. Yes, some of those men were philanthropic but they still held way too much power. You had ineffective Presidents like Benjamin Harrison (Prez for the early 1890s), Grover Cleveland (Prez for most of the 1890s, 1893-1897). You did have William McKinley (Prez during the late 1890s, 1897-1901) and he went to war with Spain with the Spanish-American War (1898) in which we won easily and got control over The Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico. Cuba technically gained its independence, but United States soldiers remained in the country for years, commonly intervening in Cuban politics until 1959. In the 1890s, racism and slavery was rampant THROUGHOUT the US and in 1896, you had one of the WORST U.S. Supreme Court rulings of ALL-TIME with Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). Plessy v. Ferguson allowed segregation to be practiced in the US as long as it was "separate BUT equal", which we all know segregation was NEVER equal. One thing that was good about the 1890s was that it birthed the Progressive Movement that lasted until the 1920s. So, the 1890s are not for me.


I don't think the 1890s are for anybody in the modern era. The fact that we live in a diverse era makes the 1890s look more darker than before.

I don't think the 1890s are for anybody in the modern era. The fact that we live in a diverse era makes the 1890s look more darker than before.

Correct.

The 1890s were like the decade of hell (and boredom) to me. Yeah, there was the invention of motion pictures, but there was too many poor people roaming around the cities of the U.S. Not to mention that the apartments weren't really as sanitary as the ones we have now (not that I live in an urbanized area of New York).
Compared to the other decades of the 1800s the 1890s were a better time to live in. Especially since slavery was outlawed all over the world by then and indoor lighting and indoor bathrooms were starting to become a thing by then.

Compared to the other decades of the 1800s the 1890s were a better time to live in. Especially since slavery was outlawed all over the world by then and indoor lighting and indoor bathrooms were starting to become a thing by then.


There was officially no 'slavery', but indentured servitude was still rampant in European colonies.

There was officially no 'slavery', but indentured servitude was still rampant in European colonies.
In fact still rampant today, which authorities are trying to stop.

Compared to the other decades of the 1800s the 1890s were a better time to live in. Especially since slavery was outlawed all over the world by then and indoor lighting and indoor bathrooms were starting to become a thing by then.


How was the weather back then? ???

Hey Phillip Why is that nobody wanted to smile in those photographs back in the 1890's? They looked too serious during the Victorian Era.

Hey Phillip Why is that nobody wanted to smile in those photographs back in the 1890's? They looked too serious during the Victorian Era.



When photographs were taken, the camera lens needed a long exposure for the photographic film/cell. So the subject had to keep still by not moving for a while, two or three minutes, may be longer.  It can be hard to keep a smile on the face, so a more natural look was adopted.

When photographs were taken, the camera lens needed a long exposure for the photographic film/cell. So the subject had to keep still by not moving for a while, two or three minutes, may be longer.  It can be hard to keep a smile on the face, so a more natural look was adopted.


When did smiling come about?

When did smiling come about?
I would guess when photographs became an instant matter with trigger and exposure.

Hey Phillip Why is that nobody wanted to smile in those photographs back in the 1890's? They looked too serious during the Victorian Era.

It took a long time to take photos back then.

Compared to the other decades of the 1800s the 1890s were a better time to live in. Especially since slavery was outlawed all over the world by then and indoor lighting and indoor bathrooms were starting to become a thing by then.

Your first sentence may be true but the 1800s as a whole is still not a great time to have lived in.

Also, in the 1890s, European powers had complete control over the world due to their colonization of Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Colonization was essentially a  different form of slavery.

How was the weather back then? ???
At times It was very smoggy in the Uk. It was so bad one could get lung problems from it and worse case scenario die from it.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_soup_fog

It took a long time to take photos back then.


I remember they used those flash cameras.

At times It was very smoggy in the Uk. It was so bad one could get lung problems from it and worse case scenario die from it.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_soup_fog


How about New York during The 1890's?

How about New York during The 1890's?

All the big cities like New York were by the 1890s already having problems with smog.

All the big cities like New York were by the 1890s already having problems with smog.


Why was it so smoggy? Wasn't there any sunny days in New York during The 1890's? ???

Why was it so smoggy? Wasn't there any sunny days in New York during The 1890's? ???
Smog is a mixture of smoke and fog, which can easily clover a sunny day.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/4c/29/bf/4c29bfa769ab677e8d54c5ad2167c772.jpg

Men's fashion back in The 1890's, men looked sharp.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/4c/29/bf/4c29bfa769ab677e8d54c5ad2167c772.jpg

Men's fashion back in The 1890's, men looked sharp.
Dapper is the keyword here.

Dapper is the keyword here.


They probably went out to eat looking like that.

They probably went out to eat looking like that.
Back then they would dress up for dinner at home.

Back then they would dress up for dinner at home.


for me it would be on occasions.

It'd be a terrible decade to go back to now, but it was a pretty progressive decade overall, technology in particular advanced a lot that decade.

It'd be a terrible decade to go back to now, but it was a pretty progressive decade overall, technology in particular advanced a lot that decade.



What could you have used to communicate with during those times?

What could you have used to communicate with during those times?
The telephone had been invented, telegrams, mail and newspapers were up and running. Also word of mouth.

The telephone had been invented, telegrams, mail and newspapers were up and running. Also word of mouth.


Were there any supermarkets at that time?

Were there any supermarkets at that time?
Individual shops yes, The first supermarket appeared in 1930.

Individual shops yes, The first supermarket appeared in 1930.


No Stop N Shops at that time?

No Stop N Shops at that time?
I do not think so, though department stores Selfridge's in London was founded in 1909.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/6c/0b/5d/6c0b5de9bc00a1c02e2e4e7247a082ac.jpg

This supermarket from 1890 doesn't look hustling and bustling.

Were there any supermarkets at that time?


No. There were no refrigerators or trucks back then. Most food had to be bought locally and seasonally, and shopping needed to be done daily. Most people lived on farms so there was a lot of subsistence farming too. People grew their own food, had their own animals for meat etc.

No. There were no refrigerators or trucks back then. Most food had to be bought locally and seasonally, and shopping needed to be done daily. Most people lived on farms so there was a lot of subsistence farming too. People grew their own food, had their own animals for meat etc.



Did supermarkets have specials at that time?

Did supermarkets have specials at that time?


There weren't any 'supermarkets' where you could do all your shopping in one place. There were grocers/general stores that stocked the basics like flour, canned foods, nuts and beans, spices etc. Then you had to go to the butcher's for meat, the dairy/bakery for bread, the milkman would deliver milk etc. Vegetables and eggs were almost always home grown, and if not they could be bought at a farmer's market or from a neighbour who did grow them.

Like I said, there were no refrigerators back then, so people ate their food fresh and in-season. Meat had to be salted or smoked if you wanted to preserve it. You couldn't store it for as long as you can today. Food shopping and preparation had to be done daily, usually by the housewife.

I liked the type of American houses during this era.  :)

I liked the type of American houses during this era.  :)

Really? You like those poorly insulated, cramped, and unsanitary houses?

Really? You like those poorly insulated, cramped, and unsanitary houses?


They could use some cleaning up, but I like this style. 

http://www.buffaloah.com/a/archsty/4/98tilling.jpg

Really? You like those poorly insulated, cramped, and unsanitary houses?


I'm pretty sure they had hired maids at the time.

I'm pretty sure they had hired maids at the time.

Only if you were rich...which 99% of Americans were and still aren't rich.

I'm pretty sure they had hired maids at the time.
The upper classes back then most certainly had maids,, etc.

Only if you were rich...which 99% of Americans were and still aren't rich.


How much would you have charged a maid back then?

The upper classes back then most certainly had maids,, etc.



middle class not so much.

middle class not so much.
The upper classes were/are richer.

The upper classes were/are richer.


and they had good jobs.

and they had good jobs.
True, but some had titles to their name.

How much would you have charged a maid back then?

Nothing. I would be too poor to have a maid.

How much would you have charged a maid back then?
The wages would be cheaper than you think, because most maids lived in.

True, but some had titles to their name.


Would a cart attendant have a title? ???

The wages would be cheaper than you think, because most maids lived in.


Was that odd to have a maid live with you back then?

Well Emma Morano passed away just a couple weeks after someone posted about it, which makes this decade honestly to God just history now (except for a few animals like a few tortises). The closing of Bill's Gay Nineties in 2012, a New York restaurant and piano joint that had served up nostalgists since 1924. Nostalgia for the decade peaked between the two World Wars (in particular following the passage of the 18th amendement in the US with prohibition, with some of the speakeasies having a nostalgic theme built into it), and remained residual decent until the 1960s, aftewards just becoming like it has been for the last 50 years in its historical version. It was a time of transition, with lots of new inventions pointing at the future of life in the 20th century and beyond (Electricity, automobiles, and telephones), but of course most middle class people wouldn't start to enjoy these until the 1920s. Streetcars and stagecoach, along with bicycles were popular forms of transportation then, and the railroad and steamship was king for long-distance travel. Skycrapers, which emerged in the mid-1880s, were now starting to become more practically available, culminating with New York's 30-story Park Row Building at decade's end. It was exciting at the time, but of course, although newspapers spread fairly quickly thanks to pretty sophisticated telegraph technology by then, most of the world seemed foreign to most, leading to a lot of myths that are no longer present today.

A crowned sized coin ($1 in the US/Canada, 2 Marks in Germany, 5 shillings (1/4 pound sterling in the UK) was a typical daily wage for the average person at the time, and inequality was higher back then for all but the extreme rich (Rockefellers, Carnegies, Vanderbilts). Ragtime was the beginnings of American pop music and the genesis of jazz, with Scott Joplin rising to stardom. Orchestral music was in the tail of the Romantic period, with Tchaikovsky's final few works and Nationalism another popular movement, including Finland's Jean Sibelius, Norway's Edvard Grieg, and the US's John Phillip Sousa. Giacomo Puccini was the outstanding opera composer of the time. Asia westernized quite a bit around this time around this time. However, the roots of anti-semitism that would climax in WWII was starting to spread in parts of Europe. It was an interesting blend of moderness with vestiges of the past as there were 40 monarchs ruling in Europe as the decade ended.

That said, it was "fair for its day", as outside the short Spanish-American War and Sino-Japanese Wars, the decade has been described as overall a "Veneer of Stability".

Was that odd to have a maid live with you back then?
It was odd at all, the servants have their rooms of their own, usually higher most storey or the basement of a house.

Would a cart attendant have a title? ???
Usually titles are inherited.

It was odd at all, the servants have their rooms of their own, usually higher most storey or the basement of a house.


and places to sleep too? ???

It was a lot better and more modern than the rest of the 19th century. A bit proto-20th century in many ways with the manufacture of the automobiles, electricity in homes, train tracks being laid down everywhere etc.

and places to sleep too? ???
In their own shared rooms.

In their own shared rooms.


So it would be improper to have a maid sleep with you in the same bed with you? ???

So it would be improper to have a maid sleep with you in the same bed with you? ???
Scandal!!!!!!!

Scandal!!!!!!!



Yeah you wouldn't want that to happen. :o

Yeah you wouldn't want that to happen. :o
Hopefully not in "Downton Abbey"?

Hopefully not in "Downton Abbey"?



They did that on the show and got away with it?  :o

They did that on the show and got away with it?  :o
I cannot say, I have not watched it, that was why I put the question mark there.

I cannot say, I have not watched it, that was why I put the question mark there.


It would kind of feel creepy if a maid was sleeping in another room, hopefully with the door locked.

It would kind of feel creepy if a maid was sleeping in another room, hopefully with the door locked.
Can I please refer you to a previous reply of mine in this same thread.


...the servants have their rooms of their own, usually higher most storey or the basement of a house.

Can I please refer you to a previous reply of mine in this same thread.



Would the servants have to pay for the room? ???

Would the servants have to pay for the room? ???
The position held was usually live-in, so lose the job, lose the room.

The position held was usually live-in, so lose the job, lose the room.


Could you have servants still live with you in 2018? ???

Could you have servants still live with you in 2018? ???

Of course...if you have the money.

Of course...if you have the money.


A person today would have to hold down at least 2 jobs.

A person today would have to hold down at least 2 jobs.


In most of Asia it's normal for middle class/wealthy people to have live-in servants.

Let's not romanticize the 1890's, it sucked in many ways. And it was difficult to live in, in many ways.  ;D

In most of Asia it's normal for middle class/wealthy people to have live-in servants.


And how do they get paid?

And how do they get paid?
In cash, probably at the end of the working week.

In cash, probably at the end of the working week.


I think they go by minimum wage? ???

I think they go by minimum wage? ???
Completely minimal, the staff were/are already bed and fed.

I think they go by minimum wage? ???


Minimum wage is non-existent in most those countries. It's not such a bad deal: your housing, food and other cost of living (heating, electricity, water etc.) are paid for, so most money you get paid is disposable income.

Completely minimal, the staff were/are already bed and fed.


Did they have enough money to go out to have fun?

Did they have enough money to go out to have fun?

...get paid is disposable income.

What does that mean by "disposable income"? ???