Many of the products that were commonplace in the Victorian world of Britain and American had their origins in much more distant lands. For example, the Victorian craze for "japanned" wares - furnishings and decor made to appear Japanese in style - actually relied upon the "lac" industry of India, which provided the lacquer for such items. Many of the toys enjoyed by British children were made in Germany and Austria. Japan exported millions of the fans so beloved by the Victorian lady. And tea, of course, had to be imported from India or China. This section looks at industries around the world that sustained and supported the Victorian way of life.

The German Toy Manufacture: Fleischmann of Sonnenberg (Art Journal, 1859)

The Bamboo and Its Multitudinous Uses (Leisure Hour, 1860)

Cork and Cork-Cutting (Cassell's Family Paper, 1860)

Mahogany (Leisure Hour, 1860)

How mahogany is harvested and brought to market.

Needlework in Germany (Leisure Hour, 1860)

Gathering Edible Birdnests in Bagelea [Java] (Illustrated London Almanack, 1865)

Coral (Godey's, 1868)

How coral is harvested.

Coral and the Coral Fishery (Leisure Hour, 1868)

Fishing for coral in the South Seas, Pacific Islands and Australia.

What I Saw of the Amber Trade (Leisure Hour, 1868)

How amber is gathered and processed in Königsburg, Prussia.

Japanese Fans, by James Mason (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1877)

In 1875, Japan exported new fewer than 3 million fans around the world; here's a look at their design and manufacture.

Dresden China at Home (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1879)

Tea-Growing in India (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1879)

Toy-Land (Demorest, 1879)

The Art of Wood-Weaving, by Selina Gaye (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

Spartarie work in Austria.

Mother-of-Pearl Work, by Selina Gaye (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

A look at the pearl fisheries of Voigtland, Saxony.

A Town of Coral Fishers (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

The town of Torre del Greco in Italy, along with a look at how coral is prepared for jewelry.

Ancient and Modern Venetian Glass of Murano (Harper's Monthly, 1882A)

How They Make Beads, by Selina Gaye (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1882)

The Revival of Burano [Venice] Lace (Century Magazine, 1882A)

The Tincal Trade of Asia (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1882)

How borax is collected and exported.

The Lac Industry of India, by Eliot James (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1883)

"Lac" is the first stage in the making of lacquer.

The Making of Genoese Filigree-Work (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1883)

Flemish Lace and Lacemakers (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1885)

Toydonia, or, The Land of Toys, by Emma Brewer (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

Visits to toy factories throughout Europe, but primarily in Germany.

Venetian Glass, by George E. Fox (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

Lace-Making [in Europe] (Demorest, 1886)

Lace-Making in the Erzegebirge, by Emma Brewer (Girl's Own Paper, 1887)

Manufacturing Industry in Ireland, by Mr. Commissioner Mac Carthy, Dublin (Harper's Monthly, 1889A)

Violins and Mittenwald, by Emma Brewer (Girl's Own Paper, 1889)

Lacemaking in Ireland, by Alan S. Cole (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890A)

Potters in Rhineland, by William Woodall, MP (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890A)

The Carved Woodwork of Brittany, by Helen Marion Burnside (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

German Pottery, by Ardern Holt (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1891)

Spanish, Greek, Maltese, Russian and Polish Laces; Irish Laces; English Laces by Mrs. Ernest Hart (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

A lavishly illustrated article on lacemaking around the world.

Modern Pearl-Fishing, by H. Phelps Whitmarsh (The Strand, 1896B)

Deep-sea diving for pearls.

On Pottery-Making, by Gertrude Harraden (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

A visit to a pottery workshop on the French Riviera.

France's Sea-Fishing, by F.G. Aflalo (English Illustrated Magazine, 1899A)

Sponges, by Fred Westbury (The Strand, 1900B)

A look at the sponge-diving trade in various countries.

A Harvest of Ice, by Ward Muir (Windsor Magazine, 1902A)

How ice is harvested in Switzerland, to ensure a steady supply of ice cream and other frozen treats at the tables of Europe.