What do Historians mean when they called the Victorians ‘Janus Faced’?

by Faja-Curti

Hi there,

I was wondering, when historians refer to Victorians as ‘Janus Faced’, is this in the same way as the Roman deity, as in having two faces and having differing and contrasting characteristics. Does anyone have any examples of where this would be applicable in Victorian history?

kingconani

I'd like a little more context to this question. Which historian(s) are you referring to, specifically? Can you give me the source and the page where they use this expression? I've seen it used in a few different places and in different contexts.