Character Commentary
Apprenticing with Mr. Russel has been very informative. He has been teaching me how to make our photography business run and some general business knowledge. Today, while taking a break, I was walking around his studio when I noticed a stack of books on a desk. Amongst them, I found a book called "Photography in Three Lessons: a book for beginners". It was rather short, but I skimmed it anyways out of curiosity. While doing so, I found a brief list of ingredients to create a negative mixture. Even though rather simple, I find it interesting since creating photos is a careful process. Mr. Russel uses better mixtures than the one mentioned in the book, but I decided to write it down anyway. I do not suspect that my sisters and I will use it, but I think it a nice tidbit to have. I am trying to gain as much knowledge as possible for my sisters and my business to be. Gerty and Phyllis are residing with the Devonshires while Fanny stays with Aunt Caroline. So, while Gerty is looking for a place to live, I need to make sure I hold up my end of the plan by learning from Mr. Russel. If everything goes well, and I get back from my three month apprenticeship, the four of us will have an apartment and studio space. I really do hope that we can get our business up and running smoothly, we all need something of our own.
- Lucy L. (May 12th)
Editorial Commentary
This entry is from a woman named Lucy from around mid-year. The woman mentions that she is taking an apprenticeship with a man named Mr. Russel, inferred to be an established photographer. Lucy seems to be working under him to gain knowledge to run her own photography business with her sisters. The reason behind wanting to start their own photography business is unknown. However, one can see that she strives to gain knowledge when possible, has a curious nature, and has a strong loyalty to her sisters. Her partaking in an apprenticeship shows dedication to wanting to open the business she mentions. This active choice to step into a predominantly male profession resembles that of a New Woman, a late 19th-century "term that describes a figure of greater sexual, economic, and social independence" (Broadview). Lucy is taking an initiative that rejects societal and gender norms. Women in this period typically did not pursue careers, and if they did were expected to charge cheaper rates or services. Traditional values taught women to look for marriage, desire little work, and bear children. Lucy falls into the path of a New Woman by seeking economic independence that is not from marriage. Also, the desire to gain knowledge outside of gender stereotypes can categorize her as a New Woman. As seen from this entry, Lucy wants to learn and takes opportunities to do so, like reading a book about photography. Altogether, Lucy could be compared to a New Woman since she has a motive to work and learn outside of the gender norms of the period.
Sources
Soloman, Joseph. Photography in Three Lessons: a book for beginners. The British Library, London, 1863, pp. 10. access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_100026861860.0x000001#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=15&xywh=-191%2C-1%2C3202%2C2082.
“The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: Concise Volume B.” Google Books, Edited by Joseph Black et al., 3rd Edition, Broadview Press, 2021. books.google.com/books?id=H1s7EAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&vq=employment,+political+and+legal+rights,+and+civic+visibility.#v=onepage&q=employment%2C%20political%20and%20legal%20rights%2C%20and%20civic%20visibility.&f=false