Victorian women in television

Ripper Street (BBC TV SERIES 2013)

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Ripper Street is a BBC TV Series, set in the late Victorian era; 1889, in Whitechapel. During the aftermath of Jack The Ripper murders. The infamous H Division, the police precinct is charged with keeping order in the district of White chapel- which is in a chaotic state after a tumultuous time for London and reported infamously worldwide.The streets of London's East End are awash with blood. But this is not the 19th Century; this is not Jack the Ripper - this is a copycat killer and once again the police remain clueless.

This Show is very male orientated, but the few women who are featured within this drama, i feel, reflect the late Victorian style in a very authentic way, with the exception of some aspects. The lead female; Long Susan 'Miss Susan', played by MyAnna Buring, has the classic hairstyle of the hair being piled on the top of the head with Marcel waves on the surface. The Parting at the front of the head, which is on the side, goes against the norm of normally having a middle centered parting. This could be because of her signature hate which she wears ff to the side, so they altered the style slightly. The makeup is very natural; as it was in that era, wit only a small amount of nude eye shadow and red/ purple shade on her lips.    

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Oliver Twist (FILM 2005) 

Based on another of Charles Dickens Novels, set in the late 1830's. It is the story of an Orphan boy, Oliver Twist, is sent to a workhouse, where the children are barely fed and mistreated. He moves to the house of an undertaker, but after an unfair severe spank, he starts a seven day runaway to London. He arrives exhausted and starving, and is welcomed by a gang of pickpockets leaded by the old crook Fagin. When he is mistakenly taken as a thief, the wealthy victim Mr. Brownlow brings Oliver to his home and shelters him. But Fagin and the dangerous Bill Sykes decide to kidnap Oliver to burglarize Mr. Brownlow's fancy house. Oliver is wounded, while Mr. Brownlow tries to save Oliver. 

The Lead Female Character; Nancy, is the lover of Bill sykes. She lives in poverty, and even though it is not outrightly said, it is highly suggested that she is a prostitute and thief. With this in mind, Women who wore makeup in that era  were widely thought of as prostitute, and the majority of them actually were. This would make perfect sense as her character, does have alot more visible makeup on then other women of a higher status in that era. She has rouge lips and cheeks, quite a pale skin tone, which are cleverly applied in a way that looks as if it is self applied by a non- experienced hand. The Hairstyle of nancy is stylised to fit in with the era; middle parting, ringlets covering the ears and the rest of the hair gathered back into a bun/ chignon.