Category Archives: 1910s

New Year’s Day at Ocean Beach in San Diego, 1918

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Lynn

Greeting the New Year with a dive into water is a tradition in many parts of the world.  In South America the water might be warm, while in Russia it is surely icy.  Although temperatures usually hover in the sixties … Continue reading →

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A Trio in Hats, 1910s

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Lynn

“Freddy seems to have some misgivings, but my expression is certainly hopeful,” it reads on the front of this photo post card.  I’m thinking that Freddy is the one in the striped suit in the front.  The writer must be … Continue reading →

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Labor Day Race, 1917

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Lynn

I thought it might be hard to find photos of women on Labor Day doing anything but dishing up potato salad, but I was wrong.  The Digital Pubic Library of America, one of my favorite sources, had many pictures of … Continue reading →

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Mrs. Gibson in a Corset, 1911

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Lynn

Looking at this picture, it is easy to see why women were so happy to abandon corsets after the First World War.  The woman in the dark dress, Mrs. Francis M. Gibson, appears to be stuffed into her dress.  She … Continue reading →

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Meet Tish

Posted on December 9, 2022 by Lynn

Since the early twentieth century author Mary Roberts Rinehart made the Washington Post this morning, I thought I would do a reprise of my favorite character of hers, the single older woman, Tish. When I hear the old-fashioned word spinster, … Continue reading →

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Maggie Walker and the St. Luke’s Penny Saving Bank

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Lynn

Maggie Lena Walker (1864-1934) is not a household name, but she made a huge difference in the lives of African Americans in the Richmond, Virginia area.  In 1903, she was the first woman of any race to found a bank.  … Continue reading →

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Burning the Mortgage, 1915

Posted on November 4, 2021 by Lynn

Photographs often document big moments in life—the wedding, the baby, the new house.  A tradition in Black churches is to mark the end of mortgage payments, the moment when property finally belongs to the residents, with a mortgage burning ceremony.  … Continue reading →

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Flowers and the Older Women—Violets, Yes; Daisies, No

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Lynn

Did you know that flowers can carry messages far behind the beauty of the blossoms? I was reminded of the language of flowers in an excellent exhibit of vintage clothes at my university. The graduate student curator, Ayrika Johnson, assembled … Continue reading →

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Mother and Daughter on a Windy Day

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Lynn

What a difference in style between mother and daughter!  The mother wears either a shirtwaist dress or a shirt and skirt combination in a conservative polka dot pattern.  From this angle her boots look almost flat.  Maybe she had problem … Continue reading →

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Grandmother Smith with Ting and Ling

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Lynn

There’s a short, short story wrapped around the side of this snapshot—“Grandmother Smith with May’s two Pekes Ting and Ling.” Although the Pekinese aren’t hers, Grandmother Smith really looks like a dog lover, don’t you think?  Maybe she’s the one … Continue reading →

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