II-82860 | Miss Evans and friends, Montreal, QC, 1887
Miss Evans and friends, Montreal, QC, 1887
Wm. Notman & Son
1887, 19th century
Silver salts on glass - Gelatin dry plate process
20 x 25 cm
Purchase from Associated Screen News Ltd.
II-82860
© McCord Museum
Description
Keywords: female (19034) , Photograph (77678) , portrait (53878)
Keys to History
In addition to separating work time and leisure time, the advent of industrial society also established a clear divide between men and women and their respective domains. A man's world involved jobs, business and politics. A woman's world, particularly in the upper classes, revolved around her family in the haven of her home.
In the area of recreation, some activities were more closely associated with men and others with women. Painting, reading and tea parties were held to be appropriate feminine pursuits, as they sheltered women and exalted them in their role as wife and mother.
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What
Tea parties in the well-appointed homes of the colonial elite were preferred social events for women.
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Where
This room would have been one of many in a wealthy 19th-century residence. The sumptuous décor attests the new emphasis on home and family.
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When
The teatime ritual usually took place in late afternoon.
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Who
William Notman was one of the leading photographers of the 19th century and always much in demand among upper-class Canadians. His immense body of work documents the life of his contemporaries and serves to reconstruct their leisure and other activities.
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