Why the Victorian mansion is a horror icon

Summary

This video explores the eerie legacy of Victorian mansions, once symbols of wealth and excess during the Gilded Age. Through iconic examples like Edward Hopper’s 'House by the Railroad' and Alfred Hitchcock’s 'Psycho,' it examines how these decaying, imposing structures became associated with death and decay. The transformation from lavish homes to abandoned relics reflects societal shifts, with these houses eventually becoming the backdrop for horror in pop culture, notably in the Addams Family. By tracing this evolution, the video explains why the Victorian mansion remains an enduring symbol of dread.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Victorian mansion was a symbol of wealth for the 'nouveau riche' during the Gilded Age in America.
• 😀 These houses were designed to be imposing and were often mismatched in style, featuring towers, turrets, and ornate trim.
• 😀 Inside Victorian mansions, rooms were often unoccupied and the curtains were drawn to protect expensive furnishings.
• 😀 The Victorian mansion became associated with excess, political corruption, and the troubling legacy of the Gilded Age.
• 😀 After World War I, the American aesthetic shifted toward simplicity, leaving the Victorian mansion behind as an outdated symbol of excess.
• 😀 Critics in the early 20th century began calling Victorian homes 'grotesque' and 'mongrel types desecrating the landscape.'
• 😀 The Great Depression led to the abandonment of many Victorian mansions, further contributing to their decay and association with death.
• 😀 Charles Addams' *Addams Family* cartoons, starting in the late 1930s, helped cement the Victorian mansion's association with the macabre.
• 😀 The Addams Family's mansion, revealed in 1945, was designed in the Victorian style, a perfect fit for the dark, eccentric family.
• 😀 Alfred Hitchcock's *Psycho* (1960) drew heavily on the Victorian mansion's haunting presence, with its decaying structure symbolizing dread and unease.
• 😀 Both Edward Hopper's painting *House by the Railroad* and Hitchcock's *Psycho* feature Victorian-style mansions that represent decay and isolation.
• 😀 The Victorian mansion has become an enduring symbol in Gothic horror, with its eerie, abandoned appearance signaling something sinister.

Q & A

What architectural style is associated with the Victorian mansion?

The Victorian mansion is primarily associated with Gothic architecture, which was influenced by medieval European designs. This style featured towers, turrets, ornate trim, and steep, bloated roofs known as Mansard roofs, which were borrowed from French imperial architecture.

Why did the Victorian mansion become a symbol of dread over time?

The Victorian mansion transitioned from a symbol of wealth and excess during the Gilded Age to one of decay and obsolescence. By the 20th century, critics associated it with the corrupt, troubled past of the Gilded Age, and as these homes fell into disrepair, their eerie, decaying presence came to symbolize death and decline.

How did the Victorians' desire to emulate Europe influence American architecture?

Wealthy Americans during the Gilded Age sought to emulate European aristocratic lifestyles, which included adopting European architectural styles. The Victorian mansion was a reflection of this desire, combining elements of Gothic and medieval European designs to create imposing, extravagant homes that showcased their owners' wealth.

What role did the Great Depression play in the decline of the Victorian mansion?

During the Great Depression, many Victorian mansions were abandoned or converted into boarding houses for the working poor. Without wealthy owners to maintain them, the homes quickly deteriorated, deepening their association with decay and abandonment.

How did Charles Addams contribute to the association of the Victorian mansion with horror?

Charles Addams, the creator of the *Addams Family*, played a pivotal role in associating the Victorian mansion with horror. He chose to place his quirky, morbidly humorous family in a traditional Victorian house, reinforcing the idea of these homes as eerie, sinister spaces. His cartoons cemented the Victorian mansion as a symbol of the macabre.

Why did Hitchcock choose a Victorian mansion for the Bates house in *Psycho*?

Alfred Hitchcock chose a Victorian mansion for the Bates house in *Psycho* because its towering, isolated design was already associated with a sense of dread. The house's appearance, reminiscent of Hopper’s *House by the Railroad*, helped evoke an unsettling atmosphere, which Hitchcock used to enhance the psychological tension of the film.

How did the Victorian mansion reflect the social and economic conditions of the Gilded Age?

The Victorian mansion was a direct reflection of the social and economic conditions of the Gilded Age, a time marked by extreme wealth disparities, political corruption, and rapid industrialization. The elaborate and ostentatious design of these homes represented the new wealthy class's desire to display their financial success and power.

What was the cultural shift in architectural taste after World War I?

After World War I, there was a cultural shift toward modernist architecture, which valued simplicity, clean lines, and functional design over the excessive ornamentation of the Victorian style. Modernist architects viewed the Victorian mansion as an outdated symbol of the past, which was criticized for its 'grotesque' appearance.

What is the connection between Edward Hopper’s painting *House by the Railroad* and the Victorian mansion?

Edward Hopper's *House by the Railroad* is often cited as an influential image in the association of the Victorian mansion with isolation and decay. The painting depicts an abandoned, decaying Victorian house, echoing the sense of desolation and dread that would later be associated with these homes in pop culture, including in Hitchcock’s *Psycho*.

What does the presence of ghosts in Victorian houses symbolize?

The ghosts in Victorian houses symbolize the lingering presence of the past—both the literal decay of the physical structure and the historical baggage associated with the Gilded Age's excesses. As these homes fell into ruin, they became metaphorical reminders of a forgotten, troubled era, enhancing their connection with death and the supernatural.