The Victorian era produced not one style but many. Most of them evoked the romance of the past and exotic cultures as an antidote to the press of the modern age: the stately Italianate, recalling Tuscan hill towns; the regal Second Empire, its tall mansard roofs borrowed from the reign of Napoleon III; the picturesque Gothic, a relic of the middle ages; and colorful examples from the Near East and Egypt, perfect choices for monuments as well as mausoleums. Early Victorian encapsulates this age of change and romance in a richly illustrated guide, describing its history, architecture, designers, furnishings, fashions, arts, and key buildings in the major styles that enchanted the Victorians more than a century ago.