Labor Day for children

Loretta reports:

Today being the "working man's holiday,"  Labor Day, in the U.S., those of the history nerd persuasion might be interested in reading an actual child labor law from the early 20th century.  It will give some insight into the illustration.

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§ 77. Hours of labor of minors and women.—No minor under the age of sixteen years shall be, employed, permitted or suffered to work in any factory in this state before six o'clock in the morning, or after nine o'clock in the evening of any day, or for more than nine hours in any one day. No minor under the age of eighteen years, and no female, shall be employed, [at labor] permitted or suffered to work in any factory in this state before six o'clock in the morning, or after nine o'clock in the evening of any day; or for more than ten hours In any one day [or sixty hours in any one week] except to make a shorter work day on the last day of the week; or for more than sixty hours in any one week, or more hours in any one week than will make an average of ten hours per day for the whole number of days so worked. A printed notice, in a form which shall be prescribed and furnished by the commissioner of labor, stating the number of hours per day for each day of the week required of such persons, and the time when such work shall begin and end, shall be kept posted in a conspicuous place in each room where they are employed. But such persons may begin their work after the time for beginning and stop before the time for ending such work, mentioned in such notice, but they shall not otherwise be employed, permitted or suffered to work [be required to perform any labor] in such factory except as stated therein. The terms of such notice shall not be changed after the beginning of labor on the first day of the week without the consent of the commissioner of labor [factory inspector]. The presence of such persons at work in the factory at any other hours than those stated in the printed notice shall constitute prima facie evidence of a violation of this section of the law.
—Annual report of the Commissioner of Labor, Volume 1, New York (State), 1904

Illustration:  Labor Day Parade, children in Child Labor demonstration, New York.  Courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. 

Breakfast Links: Week of August 29, 2011

Whether you’re celebrating Labor Day Weekend, the end of summer, or having the kids finally back in school, we’re glad to help you pass the time with an extra-large serving of our favorite Breakfast Links (to make up for last Sunday, wiped out along with the power by Hurricane Irene.) Gathered fresh from the Twitterverse, here are this week’s links to some of our favorite web sites, other blogs, images, and news stories.

• People of the past were of all shapes and sizes, just like today. The proof is in their clothes: http://bit.ly

• Oo-la-la! Shopping guide for American & English visitors to Paris, 1869. Bring plenty of money: http://bit.ly

• Ingenuous self-storing Edwardian parasol, c 1900-1910: http://bit.ly/pEZjfV

• John Rawlings' 1940s colour fashion shots - http://tinyurl.com/

• 'I'll go to the Bull or Fortune, and there see a play for two pence' - the first public London theatres http://bit.ly

• The golden 1960s, when it was perfectly acceptable for a man to point in his wife's face (at least in commercials!) http://youtu.be/VssO

• Gorgeous photos of Venice in the 1890s, in colour Photochrom http://bit.ly/nRdGQV

• Just looked at the Digital Southern Historical Collection and nearly cried, it's so amazing. http://bit.ly

• NYC, 1893: piano manufacturing company headquarters, masquerading as an over-the-top Venetian-Moorish fantasy: http://bit.ly

• Splendid South Carolina silk tailcoat, c 1830, embroidered w/rice plants & state seal via @chasmuseum: http://flic.kr/p

• Property of a Lady: 18th Century Costume, Mourning and Art in a Neoclassical Miniature: http://wp.me/p

• The fanciful King's Beasts of Henry VIII: http://bit.ly plus more Tudor beasts in this 1520 Bestiary: http://tinyurl.com/

• Wonderful! An eternal favourite "Girls skipping at an athletics carnival" http://flic.kr/p

• Fictional execution today, 1863: Peyton Farquhar, in 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' http://bit.ly/pdynPZ

• The stunning Regency library at Ickworth: http://bit.ly

• Remains of legendary Australian outlaw Ned Kelly identified:  http://bbc.in/nbcfTM plus drawings of Kelly http://bit.ly

• Want to dress like it's the 19th century in Paris? You're in luck -download this book from us! http://ow.ly/6iAmQ

• 'When Peg met Rich': actress Peg Woffington meets cat-lover & eccentric theatre manager John Rich http://bit.ly

• Tragic death of obstetrician Sir Richard Croft MD, who attended Princess Charlotte during her fatal confinement, 1817: http://bit.ly

• From the Queen's parasol: Apparently this carving represents Victoria's favourite donkey (note use of *reputed*!) http://bit.ly

• A lady wrote to Abraham Lincoln in 1863 & asked for "a sentiment & an autograph" in return he... http://bit.ly

• Legendary Castrato Faranelli Had Post-Menopausal Disease http://ow.ly

• Guide to Marie Antoinette's trial - and why it's best to switch your brain off at the outset. http://bit.ly

• Beware the Devil in 17th c London. A dark Tale from the Parish Clerks' Memoranda. http://bit.ly

100 Years of East London Style in 101 Seconds (video)

Susan reporting:

This advertisement/viral video is just too much fun not to share. Made to promote the newest location of the Westfield shopping centers in Stratford City, East London (that's the significance of the September 13 date at the end), this video does exactly what it promises: it races through a century of ever-changing fashions in clothes, music, and dance, and all without missing a beat. Congratulations to director Jake Lunt & The Viral Factory for putting it together so imaginatively.  Bet you watch it more than once!

George IV is Fat (a silly historical video from Horrible Histories)

Susan reporting:

What better way to ease into a long weekend than with a new video from the Horrible Histories?

If ever there were a monarch ripe for ridicule, it must be George IV (1762-1830.) The circumstances of his life would have tried a much better man, and even as kings go, George was somewhat lacking. While he did serve twice as Prince Regent for the ailing George III, the truth was that the father lived for so long that the son himself was long past his own prime by the time he became king. The younger George destroyed his promise as well as his once-handsome person by self-centered, sybaritic excess, and his reign lasted a mere ten years before he, too, died.

The satiric cartoonists of the day found a ready subject in George's womanizing, laziness, indulgences, and, of course, his ever-burgeoning girth. It does say something that one of the most famous quotations about him (spoken by his one-time friend Beau Brummell) – "Alvanley, who is your fat friend?" – is a dismissive dig at his weight. Clearly, if Prinny were alive and celebrating Labor Day weekend, he'd be the first one standing with an empty plate at the barbecue. O.K., not likely, but fun to imagine.

Enjoy your weekend!

Click here for another Horrible Histories video featuring the Prince Regent.

Fashions for September 1816

Loretta reports:

In the post-Waterloo era, as the gowns develop flounces and acquire more adornment than earlier in the decade, we also see a bit of a puffy sleeve—though it can’t hold a candle to the immense sleeves that were so popular for so long in the 1830s. (You can marvel at them here, here, here, here, here, and here.)

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FASHIONS.

LONDON FASHIONS

PLATE 16.—HALF DRESS.
A Striped sarsnet gown, very richly trimmed round the bottom with a flounce of deep work, finished with a heading: a second flounce is set on at some distance, which is much narrower; it is also finished with a heading. Bows of Pomona green ribbon ornament the skirt a little above the flounce.

The body is cut very low; it is full. The sleeve is long, very loose, and fancifully trimmed with bows of Pomona green ribbon, to correspond with the trimming of the skirt: the sleeve is finished by a very novel and pretty cuff of pointed lace. Fichu à la Duchesse de Berri, composed of white lace, which comes very high; but though it shades the neck in the most delicate manner, it does not by any means give an idea of dishabille; on the contrary, it might be worn in full dress. Hair cropped, and dressed in very full curls in the neck, and very full on the forehead. Striped kid slippers to correspond with the dress. White kid gloves.
Necklace white cornelian, with a small gold cross. Ear-rings white cornelian.
—Ackermann’s Repository, 1816