1907 actress.
This is from The Education of Women, by Marion Talbot, 1910. Talbot was a prominent women’s scholar who was especially interested in home sanitation, which was a big issue in 1910 as I have written.
“The changes which have taken place during the past century in the activities and position of women are the object of an interest which is widespread. These changes have been so striking that the period during which they occurred is frequently called “the women’s century.” Nor is the movement a completed one; there is every reason to believe that equally marked changes will take place in the century to come. The time has passed when women were on the whole content to drift the current of life and accept without question or demur the lot which tradition, custom, and public opinion might dictate. The little band of leaders who did pioneer work in the last century in claiming and making new opportunties for women did brave service; in no respect did they do better service than in showing the value of ideals as a positive social force. The record of their lives will always be a source of courage to increasing numbers of women who will be eager to take an active part in controlling and directing the stream of women’s activities.
She then describes the life of a little girl in 1771, Anna Green Winslow, sent from Nova Scotia to finishing school in Boston. “The little girl thought first of how she should be clothed; the subject second in importance was her soul’s welfare – she was a pious little person, a member of the Old South Church. She was industrioius and active in housewifery accomplishments, and was trained to take her place as part of the industrial system of which she would become a member, a system in which there was division of labour largely based on sex. “I spun,” she writes in her diary, “30 knots of linning yard and new-footed a pair of stockings for Lucinda; read of the pilgrim’s progress, coppied part of my text journal, played some, tucked a great deal, laughed enough.” On another day ” I sewed on the bosom of uncle’s shirt, mended two pairs of gloves, mended for the wash two handkerchiefs, sewd half a lawn apron of aunt’s, read part of Exodus, and a story in the Mother’s Gift. “
According to Talbot this girl ‘came out’ at 12 years old.
Talbot goes on to write about what a woman might be doing in 1910, the young and old. The child might be preparing for a school play; the mother out of the house altogether, perhaps at a Women’s Council Meeting. Now in 2010, the girl is chatting online to another kid in India about Twilight, a movie they both enjoy. And the Mom might be Speaker of the House.
PS. Yesterday, I peeked online at Amazon.com to see what the bestsellers were. (I just ordered my new reading glasses and am feeling ambitious.) Well, I noticed that a memoir, Unbearable Lightness, by actress Portia de Rossi was Number 1 – and after reading the blurb, I couldn’t wait and instantly downloaded the book to my Kindle. I read Part 1 in one bite, despite my sore eyes. I’ve always liked this actress, and I admired her beauty, and this memoir is not only very nicely written and brilliantly edited, but most of all it is strikingly candid, frightening and funny too. This might be the first important celebrity bio. (You see, Portia did not admire her own beauty.) Well, there have been others like Postcards from the Edge.. And although I’ve never suffered from anorexia (I’m lucky if I can go 3 hours without eating something) I am a product of my age – so I could really identify, despite the fact I prefer to see myself as much less narcissistic than most women. (My play, Looking for Mrs. Peel explains www.tighsolas.ca/page745.html)
The fact is we admire desperately thin women in this culture (Princess Diana comes to mind. The media teased her for those early ‘chubby’ pictures, remember.)Back in 1910, zaftig was in, on the stage at least, although the new motion picture medium was already showcasing ‘the new thin model’. It’s getting the same way for men, too. I read a movie review of a Hugh Grant movie, where they criticized him for looking chubby. He had probably gained .5 of a pound. But so far, most average men could care less about their weight. Hence all those Hungry Man fast food advertisements, where average Joes brag about eating a 2 pound hamburger with 10 slices of cheese.
The Nicholson women were weight conscious, for weight is often mentioned in their letters. “I weigh 135 with my coat off, so you can see I have not lost any.” (They weighed themselves fully clothed at the Pharmacy or wherever.) Marion’s weight was up and down. And this weight consciousness was passed down to the daughter, my mother in law.
I have their entire grocery list from 1883 to 1921. I can see what they ate, basic ‘anglo fare’ baking powder biscuits and beef, a few fruits and veggies in season and, lots of berries. And they took a lot of cough medicine for their colds, and tonics, some of which may have contained opiates.
