Japanese Influences in Dresses

The organic shapes, line quality and Japanese influences of art nouveau were found in women's apparel during that time. In the

1800s, women wore bustle and corsets to alter the look of their physical appearance, but at the turn of the century that started to change. They began to wear looser fitting dresses to create a more gentle curved silhouette. Oscar Wilde noted in a letter that "'the laws of Greek dress' were now being realized in dress that was suspended from the shoulders and relied on the drape and fall of the fabric for the beauty."

At first, Women started to wear looser and simplified dresses to make iteasier to do housework. These looser fitting dresses became to be known as kimono dresses, and that would be popular until the 1920s. The dresses were made from natural materials and may of them were decorated patterns that were inspired from nature.

RG

The Kimono Inspiration: Art and Art-to-Wear in America" by rebecca A. T. Steve

http://www.costumegallery.com/Designers/main/duff1.htm

http://www.sensibility.com/vintageimages/1900s/pagethree.htm

http://www.doylenewyork.com/pr/couture/04CT02/default.htm

http://glassoffashion.wordpress.com/page/10/

http://www.wikipedia.com

Art Nouveau Jewelry

The Art Nouveau period lasted from about the late 1800's until the early part of the 1900's. Stylistically, Art Nouveau was organic, unifying, and curvilinear along with influences of Japanese art as well. This decorative style appeared in many art forms at the time including jewelry. Art Nouveau jewelry is best described as exotic, bold and expressive and implemented the art style of the time. The motifs included nature (animals included) and the female form. The casting of gold, enameling, and carving used new techniques that were not seen before. "Art Nouveau jewelers also employed a pastel color palette. Color was, for the most part, achieved through the use of enamel, and plique a jour (open to light) enameling that added a delicacy and level of technical sophistication not previously seen in jewelry." This technique most often gave the jewelry the look of stained glass. "The Art Nouveau movement made a lasting impact on the jewelry industry which is still felt today."

DH

http://www.farlang.com/art

http://www.artnouveaujewelry.net

http://www.estatedept.com/artn.asp

Lewis Hine: Social Photographer

At the turn of the century, photography rapidly became an important medium of commenting on society. Lewis Hine was an influential voice pushing for social change on multiple issues.

In 1900, Hine was attending the University of Chicago, where he met Professor Frank Manny, who would become his mentor. A year later, Hine accepted a position at the school where Manny was superintendant in New York, and began his education to become a teacher. His first big project, which began in 1904, was photographing immigrants at Ellis Island. The attitude towards immigrants at the time was very negative. Most immigrants lived in crowded, dirty housing and worked long hours for little pay. "Manny encouraged Hine to portray the newly arrived with the same dignity and respect as those immigrants who landed at Plymouth Rock," (photocollect.com). This is one of his most well-known collections of work.

Another very famous body of photographs Hine took are those concerning child labor. In 1908, after a year of freelance work with the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), Hine was given the daunting task of photographing child labor practices in the U.S. "...Hine traveled extensively, photographing children in mines, factories, canneries, textile mills, street trades and assorted agricultural industries. Hine’s photographs alerted the public to the fact that child labor deprived children of childhood, health, education and a chance of a future. His work on this project was the driving force behind changing the publics attitude and was instrumental in the fight for stricter child labor laws," (photocollect.com). Hine's powerful photography and dedication to his beliefs helped bring about change, and proved that the the ordinary person can change the world.

* I did not include any of Hine's images here because there is a specific copyright notice on the best website I found. I have included that link below, it's The History Place. There are many photos, all of which include the original captions written by Hine. *

http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/spe/art/photo/hinex/empire/biography.html

http://www.photocollect.com/bios/hine.html

http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/

http://www.morningsonmaplestreet.com/lewishine.html

JH

THe Imperial Hotel

Frank Lloyd Wright was an architect who was involved with the Arts & Crafts movement. In 1916, he was hired to design the Imperial Hotel in Japan. It would take six year before it was completed and during that time Frank Lloyd Wright would spend the majority of it in Japan., which would have an influence on his later work. The Japanese though the hotel would be something American, where as the Americans thought it would be something Japanese; but in fact it was actually Mayan in looks. Unfortunately, the hotel was not structurally sound and it had to be demolished in 1968. According to Peter Blake, "Wright achieved something almost unheard of in hotel design: in this most standardized of all fields of cubicle architecture he succeeded in making almost every guest-room different from every other."

The Imperial Hotel had many decorative elements

done by skilled carvers who work in Oya stone. Wright used to the ornamentation to Emphasize the hotel's geometric look.

RG

http://www.pbs.org/flw/buildings/imperial/imperial_drawings.html

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Imperial_Hotel.html

Trade cards were very popular in the Victorian era from 1880-1900. They typically were used for advertising and would sometimes include company logos. On average, the size of the cards were about the size of an index card. They would be handed out for free as a “cheap and effective way to advertise products and services.” They also became collectors items for many people who would paste them into scrapbooks. After the trade cards became printed in color, the number of collectors increased.

The pictures on the front include the stylistic features of the Victorian era such as rosy cheeks along with having a cute and sweet feel to them while the back side include more advertising information. “Ironically, they portray happy children with their pets and at play, at a time when many children were working long hours

in the unsuitable and dangerous environment of the mills. The cards also present peaceful-looking landscapes and waterscapes.”

I think its interesting that the reason why there are still many of these trade cards around is because they were kept safe in the scrapbooks of the collectors at the time.

DH

Sources:

http://www.antiquebottles.com/tradecards/

http://www.quiltersmuse.com

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

The Victorian era was a time of prosperity. The social classes of England were changing. The middle class was growing. The upper class was becoming an emerging wealthy commercial class. However, the large, lower working class was becoming unhappy with the working conditions, and wanted reform and change. Child labor continued through the era.

Charles Dickens, a 19^th century author, depicted the social classes in many of his writings during this era. Some people considered him to be the spokesperson for the poor. He brought awareness to the awful working conditions of the lower class.

Oliver Twist, written between 1837 and 1839, is about a boy born and raised in a workhouse in England. A Christmas Carol (1843) is probably one of Dickens’ most famous books. This is another novel that represents how the lower class lived.

Charles Dickens’ father, John, was put in prison for debt when Charles was only twelve. Everyone went with his father except Charles because he was sent to work at Warren’s Shoe Blacking Factory to help support his family. His childhood was over. He had become a part of child labor and the working poor workforce. Some of the characters in his books are based on his own experiences (i.e.: Oliver Twist and David Copperfield).

The way the lower class was treated during the Victorian era was inhumane. Lower class children didn’t even get to experience a real childhood. There was such a drastic difference between the upper and lower classes. If it wasn’t for Charles Dickens, not as many people would have become aware of how bad things were for the lower class.

EV

http://www.online-literature.com/dickens/

http://www.victoriaspast.com/FrontPorch/victorianera.htm

Darwin and Victorian Society

In 1859, Charles Darwin published the famous book, On the Origin of Species, and shocked Victorian society. England had become extremely conservative at this time. Religion and propriety were of the utmost importance. "Established elites, slow to accept radical changes, were wary of new ideas that challenged traditional views of the 'natural order' and mankind's place within it," says James Moore, who wrote a biography of Darwin, in an article on pbs.org.

Darwin kept his research and findings on the subject of evolution secret, and even delayed publishing the book a number of times in fear that it would ruin him. He was part of the upper class, and did not want to harm his reputation. He had good reason to be afraid. Darwin's theory of evolution excluded the existence of a god, and therefore went against every prevailing belief of the day. His book was deemed highly controversial, and only those in some scientific circles took him seriously. He even experienced difficulties with his own family, including his wife Emma, who was very religious. He endured heavy ridicule. Cartoons were drawn of him, depicting him with the body of an ape.

Today, the theory of evolution is widely accepted as fact by those in the scientific community. The decision whether or not to believe or teach evolution is a personal choice, but it is a much less controversial issue today than it was in 1859.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/02/2/l_022_05.html

http://courses.wcupa.edu/fletcher/britlitweb/cklinb.htm

http://www.victorianweb.org/science/science&religion.html

JH