COVE

Gertrude's Commentary: 

I often find myself glancing back at this photo. In it, the most photogenic of my sisters, Phyllis, walks through our old garden at the house before father died. Dressed as lovely as ever, Phyllis always managed to appear picture perfect with her graceful posture and delicate yet beautiful features. As I stare at the photo, I realize that I miss those days. The days when my sisters and I would spend every moment of our free time frolicking around that garden, laughing and having fun as I captured the memories through my camera. Back when my photography was nothing more than a hobby. But now with father gone, and the business beginning to grow, my photography practice has begun to take up not some, but all of my time and energy. And while I have always loved taking photos, lately I fear that it will become more of a burden, turning into a means of survival rather than an enjoyable pass-time. But I must push these thoughts aside because I know my sisters’ happiness is dependent on my photography skills and the success of our shop. I mean I should consider myself lucky that something I can make us a living off of something so dear to my heart. Maybe one day when the business is stable, my sisters and I could seek out a garden and we can candidly photograph just like old times. I think that would be most pleasant.

Editorial Commentary: 

Beginning with the photograph itself, we find the youngest Lorimer sister, Phyllis, dressed lavishly in what we can only assume is a garden at the Lorimer’s childhood house in Campden Hill. The photo clearly brings back a lot of memories for Gertrude, seemingly reminding her of a simpler time when she was able to be more carefree and didn’t carry the weight on her shoulders that come from keeping a new business afloat. As these memories resurface, Gertrude is reminded of what lead her to be the woman she is today, her passion for photography and love for her sisters seemingly playing a large role in that. While she definitely misses these aspects of her old life, she realizes the opportunities that come from being a business woman greatly outweigh the consequences. Here, Gertrude serves as a perfect example of a “new woman” in the Victorian Era. As author Sarah Grand explains in her essay “The New Woman and the Old” (1898), a “New Woman” was someone who “exposes the sores of society” by resisting traditional gender roles, and rather creating their own identity.  This is contrary to the “Old Woman” who is satisfied with traditional society and shows “no notion of progress” as Grand claims (Grand 7). Gertrude exemplifies the New Woman, as she prioritizes her business, and appears to feel grateful that the things that matter most to her as an individual – her photography and her sisters – have contributed to her success as a working woman.

Citation: 

"57 Amazing Portrait Photos of Teenage Girls From the Victorian Era", Vintage News Daily, december 29, 2017 https://vintagenewsdaily.com/57-amazing-portrait-photos-of-teenage-girls...

Grand, Sarah. “‘The New Woman and the Old.’” Cove Studio, May 1898, studio.covecollective.org/anthologies/engl-1102-5-20pm/documents/the-new-woman-and-the-old.