Character Commentary
Frank writes in good spirits, but I worry about him going further into the war areas. I am aware he is not the one actually fighting, but that does not make me worry any less. One fellow has already perished in the line of work as Frank hence why he is over there in the first place. My sisters and I see his sketches in the paper, but that holds no light to what is actually occurring over there, nor how he is truly fairing. I am always awaiting his next letter. Working in the studio is a good pass time, but it does not always clear my mind. My sisters are always reminding me that he is most likely in good hands, yet that can only quell my fears so much. I am glad that Frank asked me for my hand before he left, but it makes it rather difficult to not worry about him. I try not to let my mind wander. On a different note, Phyllis was correct in saying that his most recent works have been rather dull. I wonder what he sees over there that allows him to create his sketches. Perhaps when they move further into the interior his sketches will have more to them. I can not imagine that he has to pick and choose what he creates and sends over to print out in the paper. If anything, the paper is being read often and his constant additions to them provide security to me that he is well.
- Lucy L.
Editorial Commentary
Here is a letter collected by Lucy from someone named Frank Jermyn. This entry by Lucy shows a different side of her, here she is worrying about her fiance who is in a war zone. It seems he is also an artist and is working on sketches of the war rather than a soldier. Compared to her first entry, this is an example of a more traditional trait for women in the 19th century with her planning on getting married. However, she still retains New Woman values by working in the studio with her sisters. This contrast does not cancel out as many New Women would or could be married, but many chose not to. In this entry, we read that Frank used engravings while knowing Lucy used photography. Throughout the 19th century, starting roughly in 1830, photography and engravings began to grow in society. Wood engravings "became an important means of visual reproduction because of the amount of detail which they could show... and they could be reused to make thousands of copies without wearing out" (Burant). Frank's sketches were one use of woodcut engravings. They could copy and share images and information in large or small quantities. Newspapers and similar published information are examples of this production. Simultaneously, photography changed the way images could be captured and altered, and society could express itself in a whole new way (Burant). Both forms of image capture improved over the century and changed the way information spread throughout Britain. As a result, further improvements to photograph processes have influenced the way people view each other and the world in time.
Sources
Burant, Jim. “The Visual World in the Victorian Age.” ProQuest, Volume 19, Association of Canadian Archivists, Winter 1984/1985, pp. 110-121. proquest.com/docview/2528220597/B949C2E7F5214B96PQ/8?accountid=14537
“Cursive Text Generator-.” The Word Finder. thewordfinder.com. 10 Oct. 2023, thewordfinder.com/cursive-text-generator/ .