Everyday Women of the Golden Era

[St. Louis]

What wonderful photos! I would just about die for a hat like your great-grandma's. I've been searching for one for lo these many years. What an elegant lady she was.

Do you happen to know what those white stocking-like things were? Knitted woollen gaiters, maybe?

 

[Frk.W]

What wonderful photos! I would just about die for a hat like your great-grandma's. I've been searching for one for lo these many years. What an elegant lady she was.

Do you happen to know what those white stocking-like things were? Knitted woollen gaiters, maybe?

Yes, I think she was - great-grandma died rather young, in the early 1950's, so my mother doesn't remember her and I mostly have photos to go by. My grandmother adored her, and grandma was very elegant, too. I have some of her vintage hats, actually, and some other things, but most of her hats are not really my style.

I think they're probably double layers of heavy knit wool socks, shorter ones turned down over longer ones perhaps, or just double layers of knee-length socks with one layer turned down when you get warm. Old ski boots like that are often just heavy, pebbled leather, no fur lining or anything like that, so you get them a size too large and wear them with sheepskin and/or felt insoles and several layers of very thick knit wool socks.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I bought a photo album in a shop for 10 bucks. The album is dated 1935-1937 throughout. Here are some of the pictures:

https://scontent-lga1-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11811399_10153167934479164_8765436245186363101_n.jpg?oh=a3e0767aa97f4a170467304723c2f6bb&oe=563C560D

https://scontent-lga1-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/20285_10153167935769164_5417898159851255963_n.jpg?oh=b2c3f477fa922540e5f179a7a47b8fd1&oe=567CB0EC

https://scontent-lga1-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11745420_10153167935869164_7078112558467430323_n.jpg?oh=1a630ad986705d3e7914df1a02a276b8&oe=56495903

https://scontent-lga1-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10999443_10153167937834164_6895203449062833774_n.jpg?oh=7d7a75a654a136d7e00c0824fc564c8e&oe=5646E07B

https://scontent-lga1-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11800002_10153167937889164_6382683543661593712_n.jpg?oh=6b0901c1efcaa5bafcde7b1422c0ab89&oe=56511A02
I think this is a slightly older picture that was put in

https://scontent-lga1-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11695865_10153167934504164_3687058504748119641_n.jpg?oh=38a76a5da981a047273fd50ecf4ebf7b&oe=563C5CDA

https://scontent-lga1-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/11752007_10153167932734164_8558073313042997938_n.jpg?oh=f87e995de811c9a264f27db738ac5b41&oe=563A1E6B

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Just bought some more 30s and 40s photos today:

https://scontent-iad3-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/11895223_10153240306834164_7244249244771207806_o.jpg
Tuesday, July 14, 1936

https://scontent-iad3-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/t31.0-8/11875199_10153240308969164_2936258417332382888_o.jpg

https://scontent-iad3-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/t31.0-8/11261198_10153240309379164_3851805090556188757_o.jpg

https://scontent-iad3-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/11885654_10153240311739164_6987846793687189859_o.jpg
July 1916

https://scontent-iad3-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/11882673_10153240312404164_1766085428119379865_o.jpg

https://scontent-iad3-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/11896496_10153240312764164_5105866429208311162_o.jpg

 

[lolly_loisides]

Textile workers picnic, Clifton Gardens (NSW Australia) 1934

 

[LizzieMaine]

Frances Heisler of Philadelphia at work at an Atlantic Refining Co. gas station, June 1943. OWI Photo.

Note the freckles.

I have a very similar suit of overalls myself, for when I work on my own car.

 

[Alice~]

I just love this thread. Forever browsing - love getting to see 'real' women versus studio/made-up film stars. It's a great little pocket of history. Thank you to everyone for such wonderful contributions!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Old Orchard Beach, Maine. September 3, 1937.

 

[TheSwingingBee]

Family photos, 1930's mostly.

View attachment 32244

Unknown family friend, my great-grandmother and my maternal grandmother, Easter vacation in Tännäs, mid-1930's.

View attachment 32245

My grandmother in the pointy cap, her friend Tanja and someone else I can't identify. I love that cap and wish it still existed.

View attachment 32247

They had a lot of fun, looking at these albums. Summer holidays at Blidö, my maternal great-grandmother and a friend, early 1930's. There's a corresponding photo of their very merry husbands posing in bathing suits with cigars - these are not giddy young girls, they are established, married women in their mid- or late 30's. I think that fact really adds to the photo. They would have been considered middle-aged, and they still had frivolous fun.

View attachment 32249

My great-grandmother, same as above, in the late 1930's. I do have that muff.

View attachment 32248

And again, early 1940's. Want this hat too.

View attachment 32246

Great-grandma behind the table, sitting on the far left is her sister, and the baby with the shock of dark hair in her lap is my maternal grandmother, who was born in January 1920 and nicely dates this photograph to 1920 or possibly 1921.

Holy cow, love the leg warmers or longies in the winter pictures, I'm seeing some knitting projects in my future. Some wool leg warmers should help this California girl stay warm in these bitter Kansas winters.


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[Miss Moonlight]

I love this picture of Doris Day from 1946. Simple hair, no hairdresser needed.
Via Shorpy:

Blond Ambition: 1946

July 1946. New York. "Doris Day at the Aquarium, jazz club on Seventh Avenue." Medium format negative by William Gottlieb for Down Beat.

www.shorpy.com