Random Tuesday #3
~ Edwardian woman ~
The Edwardian era is the period covering the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910. Fashion in European and European-influenced countries continued the long elegant lines of the 1890s. A new, columnar silhouette signaled the approaching abandonment of the corset as an indispensable garment of fashionable women. (Source)
This is an interesting era in history for women. Women began to throw off the shackles of restrictive Victorian age and started the movement towards independences. Middle class women (those single) entered the work force in greater numbers, commenced the moment towards demanding the vote and other rights that had excluded women. However, the poor suffered the most (as they always do) and those women who were widowed or abandoned by their husbands and unable to find work (in serve) were forced in the workhouses in droves. Their lives were one of misery, likewise their children. Many died young.
What non of them knew, in a few short years their lives would be turned up-side-down with World War One. Everything that they held dear would alter or disappear for every.
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Love the beautiful clothes from that era. But as you say, we have to be careful romanticizing the past; it wasn't all roses, for sure.
ReplyDeleteSo do I, they had such elegances to them which we no longer have :)) I think Downton Abby may give us a rose-coloured view of the times :))
DeleteWhen you think about an era and you consider what was coming, it makes you wonder what's coming around the corner for us that we can't see yet - prosperity? war? Of course, there's no point fearing it - but it is rather thought-provoking, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI think we don’t know our future because we couldn’t cope if we did. The Lord tells us to only worry about today and to me this is the indication that we can only manage one day and live in ignorance of the future. That of course, doesn’t mean we can’t plan for the future i.e. retirement plans etc.. but not to build survival shelters and stock-up food “just in case”. If we knew that an asteroid was going to hit the earth in 5 years what would each of us do - we would spend 5 years worrying, whereas not knowing means we get on living. It is an interesting thing to consider and film makers have made films that ask these questions, however non are biblical.
DeleteOh, I know we couldn't cope with knowing... But it is interesting to think that people in the past had no idea what was around the corner, but looking back we can see what horrors - or what prosperity was on its way. I am by no means suggesting it would be GOOD to know what's coming next. It's just interesting. :)
DeleteWe recently watched the show "Manor House" which takes modern people and puts them in the Edwardian times...upstairs and downstairs. It was very interesting. I love Clara's comment and question. What IS around the corner for us? I hope it is clarity. There is so much confusion...what is right? wrong? what is our purpose? etc. I pray that the truth of the gospel would come forth and around the corner would be the LIGHT that gives wisdom for all that are in darkness.
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DeleteIt is interesting to look at other eras to see how they lived. But i think something like Downton Abby may give us a rose-coloured view of the times. It wasn’t all about pretty dresses especially if you were one of the maids!
I don’t know what is around the corner and I try not to think about it too much. The world is in chaos (our ancestors probably said the same thing during their own times) however we are seeing a rapid decline in Christianity which shouldn’t surprise any of us. However I think we should live quietly, support our fellow Christians, find joy in the everyday, love our families , keep ourselves occupied and trust on the Lord to give us wisdom and wait for his arrival. There isn’t much more we can do :)