Tag Archives: hats/headcoverings

At the Beach, 1930s

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Lynn

Since summer has officially arrived, it’s time to take a look at older women in the swim. Are these two women wearing skirted bathing suits?  Or do they have on short play dresses, designed for fun and sun but not … Continue reading →

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In the Chicago Bus Station, 1943

Posted on May 30, 2023 by Lynn

In 1943, the Office of War Information sent the young photographer Esther Bubley on a six week bus tour of the United States to document how people were living in wartime. Many of her photos show soldiers on the move, … Continue reading →

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My Family, Post War

Posted on April 24, 2023 by Lynn

I discovered this treasure while cleaning out my mother’s house in preparation for her move to a board and care home. It features my mother’s family on the steps of their house in South Chicago. If asked, I think I … Continue reading →

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Fashion Commentary from Life Magazine, 1970

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Lynn

Women often get ridiculed for following fashion trends, even though lowly consumers are hardly the ones who think them up.  In 1970, pretty much everyone was confused.  It was the time of the great “maxi” versus “mini” confrontation, and even … Continue reading →

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Easter Hat, 1959

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Lynn

Photos by the street photographer Angelo Abruzzo show New York in the fifties and sixties.  Similar to the Chicago photographer Vivian Maier, his work was unknown during his lifetime.  Later studies stress the fact that the people in his photos … Continue reading →

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Considering Sportswear–Golfing, 1937

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Lynn

By 1937, some young women were wearing pants to play golf—but not these two.  It looks like their mother had brought for a day on the course. Did she play as well?  If so, she has on the wrong shoes. … Continue reading →

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What to Wear to a Picnic, 1969

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Lynn

So much information on this snapshot—enough to make any historian’s heart beat faster!  We have not only the names of the picnickers and the place they were meeting, but also the exact date.  If I’m not mistaken, this is an … Continue reading →

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Final Fitting, 1966

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Lynn

This photograph from the Chicago Tribune shows the sewing instructor Essie Cannon, on the right, checking the fit on a coat made by Mary Davis, on the left.  Cannon was a teacher at the Midwest Senior Center in Chicago where … Continue reading →

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High Jinks at the Tupperware Party, 1950s

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Lynn

Wouldn’t you like to know how these happy ladies constructed their hats?  Did they make them at home or did the host bring supplies? Was it a contest?  If so, surely the woman with the many layered confection topped by … 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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