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Author Topic: Women's clothing  (Read 1344 times)

Offline JamesN

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Women's clothing
« on: Thursday 16 October 14 15:06 BST (UK) »
This photo comes from my grandmother's album. I believe the two ladies are from the household or small hospital in Bexhill, Sussex where she lived and worked as a domestic servant around 1903. Can anyone suggest from their clothing which is the more likely - servants or nurses?
Neve in Kent,
Stubbs in London,
Lang in Yorkshire and London,
Braham in London

Offline Ruskie

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Re: Women's clothing
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 16 October 14 15:14 BST (UK) »
I will say they were servants. I will let the experts give you a comprehensive and correct description but I think the older lady may be an important member of the household as she has keys attached to her belt. Looking closer - not keys I don't think - perhaps chatelaine?  :-\

I think nurses uniforms were a little more plain. Google nurses uniforms 1900s and there are plenty of images.

Wonderful photo.

Offline carol8353

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Re: Women's clothing
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 16 October 14 16:25 BST (UK) »
If they were nurses wouldn't they have had a pocket watch on display?
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Offline suey

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Re: Women's clothing
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 16 October 14 18:00 BST (UK) »

I think this is possibly a nurse and either the housekeeper or matron. 

Domestic servants didn't usually wear such large caps as the young lady seated.  Also the apron top is more like a bib.  Looking at pictures of servants as opposed to nurses c1900 the apron top is quite different in the photo.

Suey
All census lookups are Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Sussex - Knapp. Nailard. Potten. Coleman. Pomfrey. Carter. Picknell
Greenwich/Woolwich. - Clowting. Davis. Kitts. Ferguson. Lowther. Carvalho. Pressman. Redknap. Argent.
Hertfordshire - Sturgeon. Bird. Rule. Claxton. Taylor. Braggins

Offline JamesN

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Re: Women's clothing
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 16 October 14 18:53 BST (UK) »
That's interesting, Suey, as we have a copy of the New Testament from around the same time signed by a 'matron and sister'. It was given to my grandmother when she was confirmed in Bexhill.
Neve in Kent,
Stubbs in London,
Lang in Yorkshire and London,
Braham in London

Offline suey

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Re: Women's clothing
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 16 October 14 19:28 BST (UK) »

I think that's your answer then JamesN - looking at the lady seated, take a close look at her cap, it has the winged effect of the traditional nurses cap that we would recognise from the 60's and 70's.

As an aside when did nurses stop wearing caps?
All census lookups are Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Sussex - Knapp. Nailard. Potten. Coleman. Pomfrey. Carter. Picknell
Greenwich/Woolwich. - Clowting. Davis. Kitts. Ferguson. Lowther. Carvalho. Pressman. Redknap. Argent.
Hertfordshire - Sturgeon. Bird. Rule. Claxton. Taylor. Braggins

Offline Ruskie

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Re: Women's clothing
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 16 October 14 23:22 BST (UK) »
Wouldn't a nurse have had to be single in those days? The "matron" is wearing an awful lot of rings  including her wedding ring finger. Wouldn't that be a no no due to reasons of hygiene?  :-\

Offline Billyblue

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Re: Women's clothing
« Reply #7 on: Friday 17 October 14 00:34 BST (UK) »
Quote from: suey on Thursday 16 October 14 19:28 BST (UK)
As an aside when did nurses stop wearing caps?

Don't know about in UK, but here in Oz - some time between mid 1960s when I last worked as a nurse, and early 1990s when I went back to working in a hospital.    :)   :)   :)

Dawn M
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Offline suey

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Re: Women's clothing
« Reply #8 on: Friday 17 October 14 13:10 BST (UK) »
Quote from: Ruskie on Thursday 16 October 14 23:22 BST (UK)
Wouldn't a nurse have had to be single in those days? The "matron" is wearing an awful lot of rings  including her wedding ring finger. Wouldn't that be a no no due to reasons of hygiene?  :-\

I noticed that, maybe we need to know what kind of 'hospitals' operated in Bexhill c 1900?
All census lookups are Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Sussex - Knapp. Nailard. Potten. Coleman. Pomfrey. Carter. Picknell
Greenwich/Woolwich. - Clowting. Davis. Kitts. Ferguson. Lowther. Carvalho. Pressman. Redknap. Argent.
Hertfordshire - Sturgeon. Bird. Rule. Claxton. Taylor. Braggins
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