Tech level in 1904 England

pangalactic · Jul 21, 2011

I'm struggling a bit with this. My novel is set in 1904-ish - no set dates are given, but I'd like to at least get the level of technology right, even though it's not important to the story. I'm trying to figure out a couple of things, and I'm hoping you'll oblige me;

I know electric lights were beginning to be used in houses round about the turn of the century, but I can't find dates. Would it strike anybody as odd if I stuck to gas lamps, or was there something else in use that I've missed?
I also know that cars were around, but I assume they weren't the main mode of transport. Does sticking to horse-and-carriage seem right?

I'm sure there are other things I'll need to know, but that's it for now. I'm also sure that these are very easily answerable questions, and I apologise if that's the case, but my Google-fu isn't strong today. Thanks in advance!

Buffysquirrel · Jul 21, 2011

Gas lamps wouldn't seem odd. Many people refused to have electricity at all, and others lived in areas where it wasn't available. Even people who had electricity may have only used it for specific purposes--like running a sewing machine. Horse and carriage, sure, or, in towns, trams.

mirandashell · Jul 21, 2011

What level of income are we talking here? Quite a lot of rich people would have had electric light and a car. But we are talking rich.

I think you should be ok with gas lights and horses. Just depends on where your story is set.

Buffysquirrel · Jul 21, 2011

Oh, and bicycles

.

pangalactic · Jul 21, 2011

We're not talking rich, so it's good to know that I'm on the right lines here. Thanks everybody

mirandashell · Jul 21, 2011

Oh yeah, bicycles. They were very popular.

Stlight · Jul 21, 2011

Are you sure there were electric sewing machines that early? I remember my grandmothers was a treadle machine and it dated to WWII.

mirandashell · Jul 21, 2011

The electric job was invented in 1889:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_invented_first_electric_sewing_machine

But women did use treadle machines in the home for a lot longer.

Drachen Jager · Jul 21, 2011

Here are some street shots of London in 1904

Xelebes · Jul 21, 2011

mirandashell said:
The electric job was invented in 1889:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_invented_first_electric_sewing_machine

But women did use treadle machines in the home for a lot longer.

My grandmother kept a treadle in her house until at least the 1990s.

DeleyanLee · Jul 21, 2011

There's a marvelous BBC series called "The 1900's House". It's rather old (dating to the turn of the century), but basically what they did was create a house that was "state of the art" for 1900, middle class, and had a modern family live there for about 3 months (IIRC). There's a DVD and a book available. Very eye-opening and educational.

You might want to check it out.

mirandashell · Jul 21, 2011

Birmingham Musuem and Art Gallery also had an exhibition of typical working class houses from the 1850s onwards.

Might be worth a look at their website.

mirandashell · Jul 21, 2011

You might want to check this out as well. Could be good for research and it's near you.

http://www.wcml.org.uk/contents/

mirandashell · Jul 21, 2011

And this site seems to have some useful info at the bottom.

http://www.edwardianera.org/

Linda Adams · Jul 21, 2011

This is for the US, but my great-great grandfather built the house in my avatar, completing it in 1887. The house had lights -- though I should note he was a millionaire at the time. It was electricity, hooked up to the company he owned. The switches look like big oven dials and metal coverings for the wires run up the outside of the walls.

whacko · Jul 21, 2011

Hey Linda,

Might be time for a rewire.

Regards

Whacko

Snick · Jul 21, 2011

Stlight said:
Are you sure there were electric sewing machines that early? I remember my grandmothers was a treadle machine and it dated to WWII.

There were several manufacturers making electric sewing machines by then, and some of the machines made had been converted. I have seen Singers made in 1904 or earlier that were in industrial use. They don't make them that good any more.

pdr · Jul 22, 2011

Manchester?

You're in Manchester. There are some excellent museums, and heritage sites in the city and near it.

Look at:

http://au.totaltravel.yahoo.com/dir...eyside-manchester/manchester/?filter=heritage

http://www.manchester.world-guides.com/manchester_museums.html

Lil · Jul 22, 2011

Bear in mind that the fact that something had been invented did not mean that it was in general use, and the fact that something was in general use did not mean that it was universal.

A friend had a great-uncle who did not believe in "modernizing," no matter what his wife and children thought. His house did not receive indoor plumbing until after his death c. 1960.

pangalactic · Jul 22, 2011

There's some fantastic information here, thank you everybody! Particular thanks to those of you who've pointed out things that I can actually go and look at - I had no idea some of those places were right on my doorstep. I know what I'll be doing with my next day off

pangalactic · Jul 27, 2011

Another question for you all. This is more a question of believability than anything else. Do you think it's likely that my main character would have had a telephone in the house at round about the turn of the century?

Maxx · Jul 27, 2011

pangalactic said:
Another question for you all. This is more a question of believability than anything else. Do you think it's likely that my main character would have had a telephone in the house at round about the turn of the century?

There's a phone in the 1944 musical about st. Louis just before the 1904 worlds fair:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_Me_in_St._Louis

pangalactic · Jul 27, 2011

Maxx said:
There's a phone in the 1944 musical about st. Louis just before the 1904 worlds fair:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_Me_in_St._Louis

Thanks. Any ideas how historically accurate that film is?

Priene · Jul 27, 2011

pangalactic said:
Another question for you all. This is more a question of believability than anything else. Do you think it's likely that my main character would have had a telephone in the house at round about the turn of the century?

My parents didn't have a telephone until 1975.

mirandashell · Jul 27, 2011

I'm no expert but I think a phone would be more of a business thing that early on. I know upper and middle class had phones in the 30s in England but that's quite a while later.

Tech level in 1904 England

pangalactic

Gargling blasters

Buffysquirrel

mirandashell

Buffysquirrel

pangalactic

Gargling blasters

mirandashell

Stlight

ideas are floating where they will

mirandashell

Drachen Jager

Professor of applied misanthropy

Xelebes

Delerium ex Ennui

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

mirandashell

mirandashell

mirandashell

Linda Adams

Soldier, Storyteller

whacko

Keeping up with the class

Snick

pdr

Lil

pangalactic

Gargling blasters

pangalactic

Gargling blasters

Maxx

Got the hang of it, here

pangalactic

Gargling blasters

Priene

Out to lunch

mirandashell