The Victorians called their age "modern" and thought it superior to all past centuries. It was an age that envisioned an indefinite future of progress with peace and plenty. Wages and working conditions steadily improved. Dividends from British industry and from foreign investments supported a leisure class.
Ornate objects and fancy moldings adorned most constructions, both inside and outside the buildings. Steep pitched roofs with bold flashings and molded guilds were on every home. Busts and carvings were used throughout the homes and in the gardens to accentuate the living spaces.