Leopold II of Belgium

Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.

The blue sarrau work blouse

Ordinary working-class and agricultural men commonly wore a sarrau, a loose, knee-length blue blouse made of linen or hemp, often over other garments. It served as a protective outer layer, sometimes worn with a black cotton cap and a red scarf with white polka dots.

Women's festive and daily dress

Women typically wore a solid-colored bodice, a long skirt made of thick cotton, and a white cotton petticoat with lace. For feast days and Sundays, they enhanced this ensemble with a black silk apron and black or brown buttoned boots.

Festivities rewarded with small coins

Lacemakers celebrated Saint Anne’s Day with singing, dancing, and picnics, often earning a small reward of five centimes from their teachers for the occasion.

Lacemakers sang rhythmic work songs

Flemish lacemakers in the mid-19th century sang rhythmic work songs called tellingen to coordinate their stitches, which also functioned as social and storytelling tools.

Tow barges for reliable canal travel

Before the railway, tow barges drawn by horses were a primary, reliable, and punctual way to travel between towns along waterways. They moved at a slow speed of 3 to 4 km per hour, but maintained a strict schedule that did not wait for latecomers.

Steam trains replaced longer road journeys

By 1838, steam trains revolutionized travel, covering distances in minutes that previously took hours of travel on foot or by horse-drawn coach. A journey from Antwerp to Brussels took about 2.5 hours by train, while the same distance was considered an 8-hour journey by older methods.

Access to household water via wells

Water for households was typically drawn from private wells on farms or communal wells found within the villages.

Lighting homes with oil and water carafes

Homes were often illuminated by oil lamps (lamponnette) or candles placed in glass lanterns, while on dark days, workers used a spherical water carafe to concentrate candlelight.

A Simple Diet of Potatoes and Rye

Ordinary workers relied on a simple diet primarily consisting of potatoes and rye bread, with meat, butter, and fish being rare luxuries. During times of crisis, families struggled to afford even these basics, sometimes spending three-quarters of their income just on food.

Cheap Mussels as a Staple Food

In poor neighborhoods, raw mussels were an exceptionally cheap source of protein, costing only two and a half centimes for a hundred. Some families, like those in the Blandijnberg area, relied on this affordable food and deep-pumped well water to survive.

Typical daily wages for workers

Between 1830 and 1850, a textile worker typically earned about 1.5 francs per day, while their spouse often earned half that amount.

Children at work and unusual trade

Children as young as 10 or 11 worked in weeding gangs or textile factories to supplement meager family incomes. Verviers textile workers often lived in cramped conditions, where families sold their urine to collectors to be used for degreasing wool.

Long working days in factories

Factory workers typically endured working days of 12 to 14 hours, six days a week, often starting at 5 a.m. and finishing as late as 7 or 8 p.m. In some industrial plants, shifts reached as long as 15 to 16 hours.