Magazines also offered accounts and biographies of noteworthy individuals of the past. American magazines like Harper's Monthly and The Century Magazine offer so many articles about George Washington that we've set aside a separate page for the first president. "The past" is also a relative term; many articles about pre-Victorian worthies were written by Victorians who knew and remembered them.

Assigning an individual to a "category" is not always easy. Eminent Victorians were often multifaceted - W.S. Gilbert of "Gilbert and Sullivan" fame, for example, was not only a dramatist and librettist but also a poet and illustrator. Where possible, we've listed individuals in the categories for which they are best known today; hence, while Mark Twain spent time as a journalist, we list him under "authors." However, many folks have been listed in multiple categories.

This section brings you an up-close-and-personal look at Victorian people. From everyday heroes to leading political figures, they're all here. So go ahead... meet the Victorians!

Special note for students and educators: We also have a huge collection of portraits of noteworthy Victorians and historic figures in our Clip Art section.