This is a portrait of a young African American woman. The photograph was taken in 1899. So many of the pictures of African Americans from this era are in the context of sharecropping and other more unfortunate circumstances. While we don't have any other details on this photograph, it appears that this woman, and her family have done better than what was typical for African Americans of this time.Thursday, February 14, 2008
African American Woman
This is a portrait of a young African American woman. The photograph was taken in 1899. So many of the pictures of African Americans from this era are in the context of sharecropping and other more unfortunate circumstances. While we don't have any other details on this photograph, it appears that this woman, and her family have done better than what was typical for African Americans of this time.
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3 comments:
She looks like a showgirl to me. Bare arms and a hint of cleavage seem a bit much for 1899. The pretty clothes might belie some unpretty duties...
That may not be necessarily true. Ladies evening fashions at the time involved cleavage and bare arms, as well as extremely corseted waists. You can check some pictures of period clothing at http://www.marquise.de/en/1800/pics/1800f.shtml
There are two evening dresses listed, and if you pull them up and look closely you can see they are not unlike what this beautiful lady is wearing. I don't find the idea that she was a lady of means to be entirely impossible.
Certainly it's not impossible. It's the feathers especially that make me think of burlesque.
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