This is one of the first prints I created after the opening of the G. & L. Lorimer Photography Studio. Out of all the prints we have made over the span of our business, this has to be one of my favorites. Although my photography skills have significantly improved since, I have always loved this simplicity and grace of this photo. It’s effortless grace and beauty reminds me of sweet Phyllis. Oh, to have her looks. This print brings back so many memories, both good and bad. I will never forget that day in our studio at home after the death of our feather, convincing my sisters, telling them how we could escape the dull ways that women make a living, how we could be progressive! The majority of women’s work today lacks the stigma and ambition that running a business has taught us. We have had to overcome a multitude of struggles, not only having to prove ourselves to men in the industry who thought our work should be worth less than theirs because of our gender but also the obstacles within our own family. Aunt Caroline said we would never be successful but look at us now! All of those long hours, cutting and trimming prints and riding around London from place to place were well worth proving her wrong. We have all grown tremendously through our experience running this business. This photograph reminds me of how far we have come, not only as photographers but as women, not to mention the meaningful personal connections as well as business connections that we've made along the way. Without this business, Lucy and I would have never met our husbands. I guess you can be successful in business and in a marriage... who knew?!
Editorial Commentary: This item, the product of a successful female-run photography business, defies the social norms of Victorian Britain. Specifically, Gertrude Lorimer, independent and extremely hardworking, exhibits several qualities of a “New Woman,” a digression from the traditional standards of womanliness. When Gertrude is faced with the death of her father and immense financial struggles, instead of succumbing to the socially acceptable means of living at the time, such as depending on a husband or living with relatives, she decides she wants to start a business. Despite the doubts of family members and peers, she starts a photography studio alongside her sisters. She builds G. & L. Lorimer from the ground up, exhibiting her stamina and work ethic. The sisters face several gender-related obstacles during their time as photographers. For instance, like Gertrude mentions, regardless of the quality of their work, their prints are expected to cost less than those of their male counterparts. Furthermore, during the Victorian era, it was typical for customers to be skeptical to invest their money with women, either because they did not think they were qualified or simply because they did not think women were capable of jobs outside of motherhood and housekeeping. Gertrude and her sisters establish a respectable reputation for themselves in the London community as well as in business. They work extremely hard, producing quality prints, and their efforts are rewarded as their business thrives. Although this goal was made particularly difficult due to her gender, she is able to achieve it and serves as a role model for other women during this time period.
Citations:
Levy, Amy. The Romance of a Shop, 1888. COVE, 2020.
Seymour, T. (2016, May 9). Rare Victorian Photography acquired by London's National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved November 10, 2020, fromhttps://www.1854.photography/2016/05/rare-victorian-photography-acquired-by-londons-national-portrait-gallery/