A Victorian woman with short hair?! Evelyn Rimmer, Lancashire

[ruthruss]

This family was an interesting one; patriarch Seth Rimmer was a well-known grocer and tee-totaller in Southport in the 1800s. This photo is of his daughter, Evelyn. I have had it dated at around 1890, but the dater could not offer any explanation as to why she would have had her photo taken with short hair. Any ideas? (Interesting fact: she and her two sons went to America, and her brother-in-law, a JP, signed all the necessary documentation. Her husband didn't follow her, even though he was still alive.)

Many thanks in advance!

[Treetotal]

Hi Ruth and welcome to Rootschat...I wonder if it was through illness, in Victorian times..cutting hair was said to help to reduce fever or maybe she entered some institution and had to have it cut short.
Is there more to show of the photo and do you have the back, I'm just wondering how the date was arrived at with so little to go on.
Carol

[Gadget]

We've had a few photos of women with short hair over the last few years. I'd say, from  the limited info of the blouse and collar, that it was more late Edwardian than 1890.


Gadget

[Ruskie]

Perhaps she was a "cross-dresser" which may explain why her husband did not follow her to America. She may have held the view that the Americans would more accepting of her than the English? 

There were a few of them around in Victorian times and it went both ways - men dressed as women too. There are loads of photos to be seen via a google search.

You will probably never know her reasons for the short hair unfortunately. 

[loobylooayr]

Could be, as Treetotal says, that her hair was cropped/shaved through illness.
Scarlet fever being one illness my late grandmother remembered people having their hair shorn even as late as 1930s.

Looby

[Regorian]

No, she's a woman. I attach a pic. from c1890, puff sleeve tops. Short hairstyles were not uncommon from the the late 1880's and through the 1890's. This is not the only example I have from my wider famiily. Otherwise, I agree the dating to Edwardian era for your subject. Evidently some women still preferred short hair.

My example was a long liver, born 1864 if I remember correctly, died 1958.

 

[Gadget]

Although there are other e.g.s on this board, this was the one I was thinking of. It was quite a long thread:

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=363466.0

Add - Regorian, the lady on your image looks as if she has her hair drawn back rather than cut short.

[Regorian]

Not what you said on the Link, Gadget.

[Erato]

Adelaide Bartlett had short hair.