Our Lady of the Parrots, 1941

Click to enlarge

“Touch and feed the animals at your own risk,” it says on the plaque behind this intrepid parrot lover.  The picture was taken somewhere in Florida in 1941.  Does anyone have any idea where?

I don’t think I would be so calm with a parrot on my head, but our birder looks very comfortable.  She wears a belted dress in a drapey fabric—maybe rayon—with an appropriate skirt length for the era.  You could buy a similar “Trimline Success Dress” offered in larger sizes in the Sears catalog for $5 in 1941. The bodice has some kind of decoration, maybe embroidery or couching, which is matched on the skirt.  Maybe it was better in person, but in the skirt details remind me of baggy pockets used too much.

Click to enlarge

Here’s another photo of the same woman with only two parrots as accessories. Apparently she came wearing a hat and glasses, both of which she took off for her main-parrot pose.  From this angle it is clear that her dress has puffy sleeves, another common style feature of the time. And take a look at her sensible shoes, just the thing to stroll around a parrot park.

 

This entry was posted in 1940s and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to Our Lady of the Parrots, 1941

  1. eimear says:

    Its a flattering bodice, its a pity the skirt does not have the same considerate cut in some way. Shes a brave lady, I cant imagine bird claws on your arm are very comfortable!

  2. eimear says:

    Its a flattering bodice, its a pity the skirt does not have the same considerate cut in some way. Shes a brave lady, I cant imagine bird claws on your arm are very comfortable!

  3. The decoration looks like trapunto to me. An odd choice of decoration for a woman with a few excess pounds. She’s wearing the typical old lady oxfords, I see!

Leave a Reply to eimear Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.