1890s
Fin de siècle
The 1890s is the decade spanning 1890 to 1899.
Like other decade terms, it functions as both noun and adjective: the 1890s were a time of economic turmoil, 1890s fashion.
Often called the Gay Nineties in American usage, referencing the era's carefree spirit before that adjective shifted meaning.
Also written as 1890's.
Curvilinear decorative movement, 1890s
- ImpressionismArt movement emphasizing light
- ragtimeSyncopated piano genre
- vaudevilleTheatrical variety entertainment
- music hallVenue for live entertainment
Toulouse-Lautrec · gilded · ornate · curlicue · arabesque · Tiffany lamp · stained glass · wrought iron
Obvious, inescapable fate
- frontierEdge of settlement
- homesteadFamily farm and dwelling
- colonialismDomination through foreign settlement
- imperialismExtending dominion over others
annexation · settlers · pioneers · land rush · transcontinental railroad · Klondike · spheres of influence · American West
Boned waist-shaping undergarment
- bustleEnergetic noisy activity
- petticoatUndergarment beneath skirts
- parasolHandheld shade device
- top hatTall formal headwear
chaperone · debutante · etiquette · propriety · gentility · mores · morality · calling card
Late 1800s American prosperity
- Plessy v. FergusonRuling allowing racial separation
- Dreyfus AffairFrench antisemitic military injustice
- Spanish-American War1898 US-Spain territorial conflict
- Boxer RebellionChinese anti-imperialist uprising, 1900
Ellis Island · yellow journalism · Scramble for Africa · Oscar Wilde · Sigmund Freud · Sherlock Holmes · Lizzie Borden · Queen Liliuokalani
Reddish-brown pigment
- tintypePhotograph on metal sheet
- gramophoneDisc-playing sound machine
- phonographGrooved disc audio player
- gaslightDistort someone's reality
horse-drawn · penny-farthing · carriage · daguerreotype · antique · steamer trunk · telegram · quill pen
Industrial production facility
- smokestacksTall industrial exhaust pipes
- steel millAlloy production plant
- iron foundryMetalcasting manufacturing plant
- textile millFacility producing woven goods
machinery · assembly line · mass production · labor strike · unionization · manufacturing · Carnegie · telegraphy
Art Nouveau
Curvilinear decorative movement, 1890s
- ImpressionismArt movement emphasizing light
- ragtimeSyncopated piano genre
- vaudevilleTheatrical variety entertainment
music hall · Toulouse-Lautrec · gilded · ornate · curlicue · arabesque · Tiffany lamp · stained glass · wrought iron · lithograph
manifest destiny
Obvious, inescapable fate
- frontierEdge of settlement
- homesteadFamily farm and dwelling
- colonialismDomination through foreign settlement
imperialism · annexation · settlers · pioneers · land rush · transcontinental railroad · Klondike · spheres of influence · American West · Boer War
corset
Boned waist-shaping undergarment
top hat · chaperone · debutante · etiquette · propriety · gentility · mores · morality · calling card · parlor
Gilded Age
Late 1800s American prosperity
- Plessy v. FergusonRuling allowing racial separation
- Dreyfus AffairFrench antisemitic military injustice
- Spanish-American War1898 US-Spain territorial conflict
Boxer Rebellion · Ellis Island · yellow journalism · Scramble for Africa · Oscar Wilde · Sigmund Freud · Sherlock Holmes · Lizzie Borden · Queen Liliuokalani · Tsar Nicholas II
sepia
Reddish-brown pigment
- tintypePhotograph on metal sheet
- gramophoneDisc-playing sound machine
- phonographGrooved disc audio player
gaslight · horse-drawn · penny-farthing · carriage · daguerreotype · antique · steamer trunk · telegram · quill pen · pocket watch
factory
Industrial production facility
- smokestacksTall industrial exhaust pipes
- steel millAlloy production plant
- iron foundryMetalcasting manufacturing plant
textile mill · machinery · assembly line · mass production · labor strike · unionization · manufacturing · Carnegie · telegraphy · electricity
1890s2020s
Third decade, 21st century
21st century · modern era · 2000s · contemporary times · digital age
1890ssmartphone era
Period of ubiquitous handheld devices
digital age · information age · modern era · atomic age · jet age
1890s1900s
Century's inaugural decade
2000s · twentieth century · early 20th century · 1800s · 1910s