A 1960s era postcard from Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto, a recreated village with buildings from the surrounding area and costumed educators who demonstrate and involve visitors with trades and crafts common in 1860s Ontario.
on the back of the card is this description:
Spinning was one of the main chores for the housewife in the early days of the province. Her daughter, who is doing the carding, is temporarily interrupted by a beau from a neighbouring farm.
I have some questions regarding this postcard - the daughter's long hair surely should be done up and not hanging loose around her shoulders? Should she not also be wearing an apron? And why is there a basket of apples at her elbow as well as a basket of dyed wool at her feet? Black Creek also has a farm, though I've no idea if the wool would have been from the farm sheep and goats or not.
.68 was the international rate in 1985. the cost has been spinning out of control ever since — it's now 2.65 (+GST)
something for Sepia Saturday - mills, textiles
though in this case, a spinning wheel from before there were industrial sized mills
5 comments:
Good questions of a scientific mind for a romanticized postcard. Nice to see it however, and I hope the park still has scenes of women spinning.
Interesting post and observations. Looks as if the artist may have taken some liberties to balance the subject matter in the post card without regard to the more practical issues you raise. Still a captivating rendition, though, as is the postage stamp.
Very good! Spinning, even with a proper wheel, requires skill and time to make enough yarn for a sweater. On a visit to Ireland I learned that making linen was even more complicated than wool with several difficult steps to separate the flax fibers. It helped explain why my great grandfather left the weaving trade in Antrim to make a new life in America.
Spinning and weaving are on my bucket list. And yes, she looks a bit too modern for my liking.
Well now, perhaps the daughter knew her beau was going to drop by so wore her best dress purposely without an apron, and her hair down as she knew she looked her prettiest that way. And perhaps the young swain brought her the apples which she'd placed in a bowl. The dyed wool at her feet IS a bit much, however. Oh well. It's a sweetly romantic picture and Mom is right there for proper supervision. :)
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