Who did the Victorians look up to? Why? What does it take to be a hero today?

In 1859 John Murray III published the book 'Self Help' by Samuel Smiles. It was a Victorian blockbuster and sold millions of copies worldwide, but is now not so well known. In 2008 the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery held an exhibition which highlighted some of the people Samuel Smiles thought had what it took to be self-help heroes.

Have a look at some of them and see why they were inspirational to Smiles.