Chapter 1
Ancient empires on the silver screen
Chapter 2
Medieval and Renaissance mix-ups
Chapter 3
The wild West and Victorian eras
Chapter 4
Modern history and the retro rewind
Ch 3 · The wild West and Victorian eras
schopenhauer Wild West and Victorian Eras
We sailed across the ocean with our horses, to ride them through the heart of London town.
schopenhauer Victorian dramas incorrectly show male characters wearing modern wristwatches.
schopenhauer Many Westerns set in the 1860s show characters using the famous Colt Peacemaker before its invention.
Fun Fact
Django's cool shades: Django wears round sunglasses in 1858, but modern sunglasses weren't mass-produced until 1929.
schopenhauer A promotional photo for the 2019 film Little Women accidentally included a modern plastic water bottle.
Glossary
zipper (noun)
A fastening device consisting of two parallel tracks of teeth joined by a sliding tab. Although patented in 1913, zippers frequently appear on costumes in movies set during the late nineteenth century.
A fastening device consisting of two parallel tracks of teeth joined by a sliding tab. Although patented in 1913, zippers frequently appear on costumes in movies set during the late nineteenth century.
Quiz
What type of lighting, patented by Thomas Edison in 1879, is often shown in homes set in the early 1800s?
BETA
schopenhauer Spot historical errors in movie scenes to discover when everyday objects were actually invented.
schopenhauer Django wears stylish sunglasses in Quentin Tarantino's film Django Unchained
Quiz
Which famous classic Western film features 1880s characters riding past modern telephone poles in the background?
Quiz
Why is a Victorian man wearing a wristwatch in a 19th-century film anachronistic?
Quiz
In the movie Glory, set during the Civil War, what modern accessory can be seen on a soldier's wrist during a battle?
Quiz
The 1990 film Tombstone features what modern street surface that didn't exist in 1881 Tombstone, Arizona?
Quiz
Which modern beverage container was accidentally left in a promotional image for the 2019 film Little Women?
Quiz
In Django Unchained, set in 1858, what accessory does Django wear that wasn't mass-produced until 1929?
Quiz
What year was the iconic Colt Peacemaker revolver introduced, making its appearance in Civil War films anachronistic?