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To contribute to this collective history project, send pictures and stories about the older women in your life to americanagefashion@gmail.com. The more information you can include (date, place, etc.), the better.-
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Tag Archives: Illinois
Eunice Johnson–Black Power Fashion
It is hard to overestimate the contribution of Eunice Johnson (1916-2010) to African American fashion in the United States. She and her husband were the founders of Ebony and Jet. Although she worked as secretary and treasurer for the Johnson … Continue reading
Meet Bricktop, International Star
Born in West Virginia in 1894, Ada “Bricktop” Smith gained her nickname because of her red hair. Her family soon moved to Chicago, a center of African American culture, where she started performing full time at age sixteen. She didn’t … Continue reading
Hats of Different Nations, 1946
More hats! Featured in the Chicago Sun Times in November 1946, this photo shows an election polling site at a hat shop on Rush St. in downtown Chicago. The owner, Mrs. Annette Conkey, took advantage of the occasion to show … Continue reading
In the Chicago Bus Station, 1943
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
My Family, Post War
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
Final Fitting, 1966
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
Posted in 1960s
Tagged African American, coats, hats/headcoverings, Illinois, sewing
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The Dog Days of Summer
When it’s hot out I tend to cover up in loose clothing, choosing baggy pants and long sleeved cotton shirts. The older woman above takes the opposite approach. She opens up her body to the breeze with a sleeveless top, … Continue reading
Sewing Classes in Chicago, ca. 1960
September is National Sewing Month, and I’m happily turning my attention away from our fraught political climate to find photos of older women practicing this craft. The American Sewing Guild, of which I’m a member, calls sewing “an art and … Continue reading
Posted in 1950s, 1960s
Tagged African American, aprons, Illinois, sewing, textile patterns
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Dressing for the Great Migration
As a historian, I find comfort in considering how earlier generations have dealt with times of great upheaval. The most obvious parallel to today is the flu epidemic of 1918, but the First World War and its aftermath caused massive … Continue reading
Rookwoods, 1907
Sometimes you find astonishing information on the back of old snapshots. This one turned out to be a treasure. It reads: “1907–Miss Helen Culver and Miss French at their home Rookwoods, Lake Forest, Ill. Back entrance.” Imagine my delight when … Continue reading