working class women

5.26.2008

1860s Stereoview - fisherwomen


I've been mildly obsessed with working class women from the mid 19th century lately. (You see how my interests are constantly changing?) In the last couple years I've really been getting more fascinated by the working class. I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps there is something I can relate to with the working class of the 19th century over upper class society. I do love silks and pretty dresses just as much as any other girl, but there's also something I can't quite point out that I love so much about lower class women and their wardrobe. The other day I tried about a million searches online for images of working class women. You know how incredibly HARD it is to find images of the working class from the 1840s-60s period? It's mad hard. So any little image I found I'd get slightly obsessed over, then I'd go back to more google searching. haha. I found a few images I am very interested in. I'm not sure their origin. One of them looks like it could be from Europe somewhere. And then there's genre paintings to study, but then you can never be totally sure of paintings. There's always that chance the artist decided to "adjust" the scene he was painting. So we can't always be sure it's totally realistic. Unfortunately, actual photographs from the period are rare of working women. Of course there are tons of occupational images of men. At least there are more than women. So it's kind of a rip for us women. Well I'm still searching and hopefully somewhere along the line I will hit a jackpot and find a ton more photographs. I can hope!

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Wednesday I'll be heading out for Georgia! I'm totally psyched! I'm just not too fond of ticks and scorpions. I know, I'm a total wimp, but they gross me out. I don't like the thought of small creatures crawling on me and drinking my blood. And then the thought of a scorpion biting me, even if it's not poisonous...YUCK. Or waking up one morning with a scorpion on me. ew. Now I don't even know why I should be even the slight bit worried. I've slept in many-a-creature-insect-bat-filled area several times before in my life. Most of those times I probably had no idea there were creatures walking around me and yet I'm still alive. :) I should be scared of larger animals, but somehow I'm not really scared too much by those. Am I weird or what? I guess so. But all that aside, I'm still totally excited for the week! Me and the bugs will have a grand ole time--I'm sure of it!

Milkmaid_FosterMilkmaid_MillnerPeeling Onions

Btw, thanks for the comments in my last post! I haven't had a chance to respond to them yet. I've been so crazy busy trying to get sewing projects completed before I head off for the week. I'm so excited to be having a break. I think it's MUCH needed!

3 comments :

  1. I randomly found your site searching for the lyrics to an old Greg Brown song called "Spring Wind". I don't exactly know how I happened upon your page- must have been thread upon thread (I tried to re-create it to tell you exactly, but I couldn't!) But, I am very glad to have found you. Please stop by my blog sometime. I love the working class, btw, hence my blog name!

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  2. Oh, I think I share your obsession....seeing these images really gives one a feel for how everyday people dressed, wore their hair....really 'looked'. I love that! :)

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  3. These are terrific images, thank you for posting them. good luck with your research.

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