Young, Black and Victorian: Wonderful photographs of Victorian women of color

[Tuesday Afternoon]

Here are some photographs of Victorian women of color that date from 1860 to 1901. Unfortunately, a lot of these photographs have no names attached to the women posed in the photographs.
Photos of Women of Color from this era are hard to come by, especially “family” photographs.
A couple of these photos were taken when there was still slavery in the United States.







more at link:
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/wonderful_photographs_of_victorian_women_of_color

[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. Sharp looking ladies!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. yes, indeed

[Number23]

2. LOVE this one:

Look at that sass, that 'tude! My girl!

[sheshe2]

3. Sass and 'tude.

Is that you Number23?

[Number23]

8. Ha! You know it!

If I had been a Victorian lass, I would not stop until I'd found that lady and she was my best friend.

[Beartracks]

23. Selika Lazevski

Apparently, she is NOT unknown!

https://bfequestrian.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/selikalazevski/

“This photo speaks to the soul of every strong, proud woman of African descent. It embodies our timeless spirit, and everything we are, and can be…in one glorious portrait. I loved it when it was nameless; it stirred my curiosity to no end. I am so pleased that Selika Lazevski’s name, and accomplishments weren’t lost to us.” – Sarah Jackson Browne


There are more pictures are at the link above.

======================

[Number23]

24. Thanks for that link!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. a horse woman, no doubt.

she wears it well, indeed

[sarge43]

10. Stunning, elegant and intense

[procon]

4. The gown in the middle was a very expensive dress

Someone loved this young lady. Whoever he might have been, he was wealthy enough to give her a gorgeous and stylish wardrobe so she could be seen in public in the best of company. With all the pleats and tucks, the appliques and beading, the matching hat and parasol, her dressmaker must have had many workers with the expertise and skills to do so many fashionable techniques. It might have been imported from one of the best salons in Paris, a grand luxury the few could afford.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. yes, some talented seamstress work showing there.

she wears it well

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. A lot of amazing detail (and work) in that dress.

[Number23]

12. Wow! Love your knowledge of the work that went into making that dress

A nice contribution to a really cool thread.

[procon]

13. Thanks!

I learned about period clothing from doing costume/wardrobe design for our community theater company. They had a wonderful collection of antique and vintage clothing and many reference books. I had a great time!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

15. I'm loving your contribution too!

[Solly Mack]

11. K&R

[Rozlee]

14. These women and their clothes are stunning.

Whose bright idea was it to get rid of hats? That baseball caps are de rigueur is bad enough. The hats my old maiden aunts and my mother wore for her wedding were simple, but beautiful. Sometimes, I'll buy a hat at one of the department stores, but I'll feel silly wearing it. Maybe they're popular in NY or LA, but unless you're wearing a cowboy hat, they aren't really a fashion statement here in Texas.

[Number23]

16. Black women have NEVER given up on hats. Especially not Southern sisters

In fact, a book was actually written called "Crowns" about black women's loves for hats for Sunday church.

http://www.amazon.com/Crowns-Portraits-Black-Women-Church/dp/0385500866

Black women's impact on fashion is monumental even though we are mostly ignored by the fashion industry. Looking at the models being sent down the runways with "baby hair," cornrows, done up nails and other black identified styles, we see our impact even though the mainstream industry goes out of its way to act as though we don't exist.

[Rozlee]

18. That's true enough.

I do still see African-American women down here in Texas wearing hats to church on Sundays, although not as many as back in the old days. I remember when we used to wear gorgeous lace and fringed veils to church decades back. The Anglo women led the change from becoming bareheaded in church, followed by us Latinas and now, the few times I've gone to services in the Catholic Church, I've only seen a smattering of a few very older women with veils on. The clothing stores here in Texas have very small hat departments in the women's sections. The higher end ones like Neiman Marcus and Saks are a bit more outfitted. For a while, it looked like wearing shawls as head gear was going into fashion, but Islamophobia seems to have put a stop to that. Too many American women are afraid they'll look like they're wearing a hijab. A pity. It would be lovely fashion.

[Number23]

21. I think you should rock your hats. I bet you'd be fabulous

I have a sun hat that I wear when I go on my walks and it amazes me the number of people who compliment me every time I wear it.

Obviously, there is a big group of women all over the world that are just DYING for hats to come back into fashion. You should lead the charge!

[CherokeeDem]

42. I grew up in South Carolina...

and one of my favorite memories regards the beautiful black women going to church or to a wedding (or a funeral) in all their finery. Stylish and beautiful... I always envied their gorgeous bone structure. My mother wore hats and she looked good in them, but I never did.

I glad these gorgeous women still wear hats.

[Number23]

46. I bet you'd just have to find the right hat

All hats ain't for everyone! But I bet there are some styles out there that you would look smashing in.

[ms liberty]

17. This thread rocks...and so do those gorgeous women...

Thanks for posting this!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

28. yw!

[Godot51]

19. Lovely and sad

So much of history has gone unrecorded and these little bits of it, of mostly unknown young women, showing their best moments almost breaks my heart.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

29. please don't be sad, Godot51

At least we have these moments captured and they would want us to be proud, I think because look how glorious and proud they are standing. Find joy in that, at least.

Much of life is like this ... bittersweet ...

[GeoWilliam750]

20. Wonderful thread and link

[Tuesday Afternoon]

30. ty, GeoWilliam!

[Beartracks]

22. The 3rd photo - the horsewoman: A name!

Apparently, she is NOT unknown!

https://bfequestrian.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/selikalazevski/

“This photo speaks to the soul of every strong, proud woman of African descent. It embodies our timeless spirit, and everything we are, and can be…in one glorious portrait. I loved it when it was nameless; it stirred my curiosity to no end. I am so pleased that Selika Lazevski’s name, and accomplishments weren’t lost to us.” – Sarah Jackson Browne


There are more pictures are at the link above.

====================

[Tuesday Afternoon]

25. thank you for the link. yes, a horsewoman of reknown.

[brush]

26. All right!!!!! Thanks for this post.

Sistas with style.

[MrScorpio]

27. Not quite Victorian, but I thought that you might like this:

My grand mother, Susie Vexia, who also happened to be boxing legend, Joe Louis' oldest sibling.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

32. What a wonderful picture! Thanks for sharing it, Mr Scorpio. I can see the resemblance -

Joe Louis

[ismnotwasm]

40. Gorgeous!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

41. I had forgotten how good looking he was! eom.

[MrScorpio]

43. Hope you can see the family resemblance...

[Tuesday Afternoon]

44. omg. MrScorpio ... you look just like him! minus the glasses and you would be his

spitting image !! ....(wonder how that phrase ever came to be, anyway)

You have a great looking family, I must say!

[MrScorpio]

45. Check this out:

This is my cousin, Rick. He's an international Techno DJ



Here I am, of course.


Here's a pic of both of our moms with their uncle Joe. My Mom is on the far right, Rick's mom is on the far left.


The apples never fell far the tree in our family.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

48. gosh, it is almost like a mirror image. You two could be twins!

and that group picture of your family is great. But, what is the story with that one dude? He does not look happy about something.

He is cutting his eyes, for real .... whoa!

[MrScorpio]

49. I've asked a surviving cousin, one of the women standing in the back, that same question...

She told me that she couldn't quite remember who he was or what his problem was.

We'll never know.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

50. Interesting. A mystery in an iconic family photo with the great Joe Louis. Cool.

dude, whole TV shows have been made from less premise

[MrScorpio]

51. Rather than worrying about that one guy...

I call this Pic "Uncle Joe with his nieces."

It's more apropos that way.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

52. but, of course ... it is a gorgeous photo ... I am not worried, just curious is all.

can't help it ... I am Leo

Uncle Joe with His Nieces and they are lovely.

Thanks for sharing it, MrScorpio

[Number23]

47. Good Lord. There is no denying those lips and that nose are EXACTLY the same

As well as the coloring. That is amazing and too damn cool

[ismnotwasm]

34. Those eyes

So compelling, so beautiful. I have to admit I'm a bit steampunk-- no corsets or bustles or large hats, but I do like the look.

Great post Tuesday!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

35. thanks, ism! Huge Steampunk Fan here, too !!

[el_bryanto]

36. I don't know if this got posted when it came out

But it is funny and sad - Hark a Vagrant cartoon about Ida B Wells.

Bryant

[Tuesday Afternoon]

38. thank you for this, el_bryanto - the March on Washington one, especially hit me.

[ismnotwasm]

39. Cool!

[treestar]

53. So cool!

Love the third one.