--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Then years back, when I moved to…" description: "\"Then years back, when I moved to California, I happened to see a book about fashions of 19th-century Victorian England, only four pages of which was de..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/anonymous-1_19th-century_then-years-back-when-i-moved-to-californ_36546.jpg" --- # Then years back, when I moved to California, I happened to… ![“Then years back, when I moved to California, I happened to see a book about fashions of 19th-century Victorian England, only four pages of which was devoted to the dress of the working class.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/anonymous-1_19th-century_then-years-back-when-i-moved-to-californ_36546.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/anonymous-1_19th-century_then-years-back-when-i-moved-to-californ_36546.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/anonymous-1_19th-century_then-years-back-when-i-moved-to-californ_36546.jpg) > “Then years back, when I moved to California, I happened to see a book about fashions of 19th-century Victorian England, only four pages of which was devoted to the dress of the working class.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The observation highlights how historical narratives often prioritize elite culture, marginalizing the everyday lives of lower‑class people. **In simple terms:** History often overlooks common people. Key Takeaway Elite focus skews historical understanding. Themes historical bias class representation cultural documentation social hierarchy marginalization Mood thoughtful critical Type observational historical When to use this quote - academic research - museum curation - educational curricula - media storytelling Key Concepts historical narrative social class fashion history Practical Applications - critical analysis of sources - inclusive exhibit design Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on elites affect our view of the past? - What methods can reveal hidden histories? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [19th century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/19th-century/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Fashions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-fashions-442937/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [California](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Devoted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devoted/) [England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/england/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four/) [Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Moved California](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved-california-442938/) [Pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pages/) [Victorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victorian/) [Victorian England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victorian-england-442936/) [Working class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-class/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [Like sex in Victorian England, the reality of Big Business today is our big dirty secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/like-sex-in-victorian-england-the-reality-of-big-business-today-is/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [“The term railway was to Victorian England what atomic or aerodynamic were to be after World War II, and network and virtual are today.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bookstaber/the-term-railway-was-to-victorian-england-what-atomic-or-aerodynamic/) [Richard Bookstaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bookstaber/) > [People always imagine that the whole of Victorian England was sitting around reading Alice in Wonderland - in fact only a tiny minority ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/people-always-imagine-that-the-whole-of-victorian-england-was-sitting/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [In California we froze property taxes, school size increased, test scores declined, and there was a massive middle-class white flight to private schools. We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/in-california-we-froze-property-taxes-school-size-increased-test/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [In Victorian England, people were told they should discourage their wives from reading because it would lead them into all sorts of devilish wickedness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-bailey/in-victorian-england-people-were-told-they-should-discourage-their/) [Marion Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-bailey/) > [The Indian education system, like the Indian bureaucratic system, is Victorian and still in the 19th century. Our schools are still designed to produce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/the-indian-education-system-like-the-indian-bureaucratic-system-is/) [Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/) > [I'd signed up not just for Christianity but the established Church of England. That has a particular history and I think we rather lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-green/i-d-signed-up-not-just-for-christianity-but-the-established-church-of/) [Alan Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-green/) > [I had never read Victorian novels before going overseas. I read a handful of authors, but I had not immersed myself in the literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/i-had-never-read-victorian-novels-before-going-overseas-i-read-a/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [I try to find a style that matches the book. In the Baroque Cycle, I got infected with the prose style of the late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-try-to-find-a-style-that-matches-the-book-in-the-baroque-cycle-i/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Victorian era was an age of superlatives and larger-than-life characters, and as far as that goes, Dr. Wildman Whitehouse fit right in: what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-victorian-era-was-an-age-of-superlatives-and-larger-than-life/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“If we were in Victorian England I would have called him dashing;but, since we lived in the 21st century I would have to settle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-reid/if-we-were-in-victorian-england-i-would-have-called-him-dashing-but/) [Penny Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-reid/) > [“Even Karl Marx, who spent more than three decades living in Victorian England, acknowledged the rise in British workers' living standards between the 1840s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/even-karl-marx-who-spent-more-than-three-decades-living-in-victorian/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“She didn't want to encourage me by asking questions. She didn't want me to go deeper into that other world. She worried she would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-jones/she-didn-t-want-to-encourage-me-by-asking-questions-she-didn-t-want/) [Lloyd Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-jones/) > [“James and the other eight children of 'Superior Dosset,' of whom there are still five alive, may be said to have represented Victorian England,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-galsworthy/james-and-the-other-eight-children-of-superior-dosset-of-whom-there/) [John Galsworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-galsworthy/) > [“Yet there was always in me, even when I was very small, the sense that I ought to be somewhere else. And wander I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/yet-there-was-always-in-me-even-when-i-was-very-small-the-sense-that/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More 19th century quotes > [Though my grandmother had picked up modern ideas in America, she still had some conflicting 19th-century Irish notions. She believed that daughters, educated though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-mahoney/though-my-grandmother-had-picked-up-modern-ideas-in-america-she-still/) [Rosemary Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemary-mahoney/) > [Nineteenth-century English literature I know; 19th-century sewage systems, not so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/nineteenth-century-english-literature-i-know-19th-century-sewage/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [“Washington was no politician as we understand the word," replied Ratcliffe abruptly. "He stood outside of politics. The thing couldn't be done today. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/washington-was-no-politician-as-we-understand-the-word-replied/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Like the railroads that brought us together in the 19th century, these trails will bring us together in the 20th and 21st centuries. (at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/like-the-railroads-that-brought-us-together-in-the-19th-century-these/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [By tracing the careers of the four members of the Philosophical Breakfast Club, Laura Snyder has found a wonderful way not just to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/by-tracing-the-careers-of-the-four-members-of-the-philosophical/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [If you look back on the history of the 20th century, the 19th century or even to the ancien régime of the 18th, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/if-you-look-back-on-the-history-of-the-20th-century-the-19th-century/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [If you look at that incredible burst of fantastic characters that emerged in the late 19th century/early 20th century, you can see so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/if-you-look-at-that-incredible-burst-of-fantastic-characters-that/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [ . . . Luddites were those frenzied traditionalists of the early 19th century who toured \[England\] wrecking new weaving machines on the theory that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-michener/luddites-were-those-frenzied-traditionalists-of-the-early-19th/) [James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-michener/) > [“The Victorian era was an age of superlatives and larger-than-life characters, and as far as that goes, Dr. Wildman Whitehouse fit right in: what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-victorian-era-was-an-age-of-superlatives-and-larger-than-life/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Take any writer you want in the 19th century: they wrote with quill pens, dipping a piece of goose feather in ink and writing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/take-any-writer-you-want-in-the-19th-century-they-wrote-with-quill/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) > [There are real issues that the president Donald Trump and particularly Steve Bannon, his political adviser, are pushing. It's a vision, a rather dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franklin-jeffrey/there-are-real-issues-that-the-president-donald-trump-and/) [James Franklin Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franklin-jeffrey/) > [While every historical era has its unique appeal as a setting for tales of crime and detection, the 19th century is exceptional - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-weinman/while-every-historical-era-has-its-unique-appeal-as-a-setting-for/) [Sarah Weinman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-weinman/) > [Adolescence was invented in the 19th century to enable middle-class families to keep their children out of sweatshops. But it has degenerated into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/adolescence-was-invented-in-the-19th-century-to-enable-middle-class/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [An ethic of maternalism was central to the utopianism of 19th century feminists. I don't think that today's women see motherhood as a source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-wright/an-ethic-of-maternalism-was-central-to-the-utopianism-of-19th-century/) [Clare Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-wright/) > [In the 19th century China dominated the manufacture of porcelain. Then European factories discovered a cheaper method of making pottery of equal quality, demolishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/in-the-19th-century-china-dominated-the-manufacture-of-porcelain-then/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) [Browse all 383 19th century quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/19th-century/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Then years back, when I moved to California, I happened to see a book about fashions of 19th-century Victorian England, only four pages of which was devoted to the dress of the working class.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/then-years-back-when-i-moved-to-california-i-happened-to-see-a-book/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "19th century" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/then-years-back-when-i-moved-to-california-i-happened-to-see-a-book/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/anonymous-1_19th-century_then-years-back-when-i-moved-to-californ_36546.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/anonymous-1_19th-century_then-years-back-when-i-moved-to-californ_36546.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/anonymous-1_19th-century_then-years-back-when-i-moved-to-californ_36546.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Then years back, when I moved to California, I happened to see a book about fashions of 19th-century…” — Anonymous", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Then years back, when I moved...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/then-years-back-when-i-moved-to-california-i-happened-to-see-a-book/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/then-years-back-when-i-moved-to-california-i-happened-to-see-a-book/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```