Posted 5 years ago
pklosterma…
(20 items)
My late mom left me a collection of vintage photos, Tim types, albums, etc. going thru an album today anc this Tim type caught my eye.
I was wondering if anyone had any insight on their dress, one is carrryimg a hatchet, etc? I researched the town of Clarinda, IA. There was a seed company and a prison was built there during the war that housed Germans and eventually Japanese. The town never grew bigger than 5000.
I think you want to know if any of us has any idea of what the story is behind the hatchet? Right ? May be a great story to go along!! They are holding hands, but 1 has a hatchet. Well, they're both women and that almost guarantee's an unbelievable story. LOL !!
I wonder if they're supposed to be characters in a play.
I have an album of this woman from when she was a baby through adulthood. There are other images of her younger dressed like a geisha with a parasol. When reading some history of vintage photos they said boys were often dressed in dresses and up until age 5 due sometimes economic reasons but mostly because people usually had larger families and it was easier and less costly if they kept both sex in the same attire while at home, before they sent to school.
I don’t think they were lesbians because they are holding hands. People can be affectonate and not be intimate, gay or straight. I wasn’t thinking along those lines. The clothing is so out of character along with the hatchet. Coulda been a play or Halloween or?
I think the hatchet is showing an affiliation with the Temperance Movement and it's leader, Carrie Nation (circa 1910). Carrie Nation was vehemently opposed to drinking alcohol and was known for using a hatchet to attack establishments which served alcohol.
The woman with the long hair is wearing a very loose dress which can also be a clue of the Temperance Movement and Ms Nation: she was opposed to women wearing corcets. She believed tight clothing with constricting under garments was unhealthy for women.
So, the hatchet, the loose dress, the hand-holding all shows allegiance and unity for that cause.
Yea! Good for you ladies! Good going, Carrie Nation!
This is fascinating. Is it just me or is there something strange about their hands(some of their fingers) that appear almost out of proportion? Incredible image. I wish I could look through the album.
Maybe they are playing Lizzie Borden and her sister? That was my first thought and I even checked images of them to make sure it wasn't a picture of them.
Just looking at them makes me want a beer.
Before last call we have a basement to investigate
i like watchsearcher's interpretation, but i got a different hit. i think they are acting the part of evil lesbians who go around chopping off guy's balls. it was a banal, but very common portrayal of any woman who spoke up for women's rights. notice the smile...
Nice image with quality tinting.
Temperance may be what was being conveyed here.
scott
I created a PDF of the entire album. If you are interested in viewing it, please use the below link to download the PDF. I was able to get the files size down to under 6MB for a 44 page PDF.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2vhhz5z0d3ya193/ClarindaIowa.pdf?dl=0