Though my nieces seem set on starting their own shabby photography shop I must give them one final suggestion. Oh, I care so dearly for these girls and want nothing of them to be working themselves without a husband to care for. Nevertheless, if they shall not take my advice on that, I will give them this photo of four women working for a millinery store. A millinery store is much better! Men tend to work photography shops and my poor nieces will never be successful in that realm. Millinery stores are much more womanly, and if my nieces refuse to go off with their uncle to India or find a husband then they shall at least attempt to be womanly within their work. They should surely take my advice on this one. How silly they would be to not! Gertrude must listen to me for once on this. She and her outrageous arrangements for her sisters are setting them up to look like such drabs. Especially to me, who worked so hard to represent their mother and father well. I beg she will take my final piece of advice or I shall have to give up on saving their reputations. I will surely hope this never happens, but they have given me none other choice. The last thing they need is to look shabby. If they open a millinery store instead of that silly photography business they may just be fine on their own until they each find a husband.
Editorial Commentary: Through the persistence in Caroline Pratt’s tone and her traditional views towards women’s roles in society, the picture of the Millinery shop is a perfect depiction of Caroline's last attempt at “saving” her nieces from her definition of failure. Failure in Caroline’s eyes can be defined easily throughout her words in her commentary on the picture above. She writes “working themselves without a husband to care for” in a blatant negative tone. She believes that her nieces will be fit in society if they look the part in nice clothes, hair, etc., and have a husband that can give them a fitting last name. Caroline is so desperate to convince her girls to fit the role she wants them to be. The reader can sense this as Aunt Caroline “beg(s) [them] will take [her] advice” and “how silly they would be to not!”. With these words, the reader can sense the anxiety and passion she has to shape her nieces into fit women of society. The use of “[o]h” and exclamation points gives the audience a feel for Aunt Caroline’s extreme worry she has for the reputation of her nieces and herself. Also, it becomes clear that Aunt Caroline is not worried about her nieces’ reputations because she cares so deeply about them, but rather that she cares that they represent members of her family and therefore her reputation as their aunt. Overall, Caroline’s commentary on this photo of the millinery shop demonstrates that during this time (the victorian era) certain jobs and occupations were more accepted for women than others. For example, Caroline says “millinery stores are much more womanly” directly showing that people believed that certain jobs needed to be carried out by women and others by men. Today this problem is nowhere near as prevalent due to the work of people like Caroline’s nieces who went against the grain of society and did what they wanted no matter what views other people held.
Citation: “1888 Millinery Store Front Look. Vintage Photographs, Antique Photography, Vintage Photos.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.com/pin/165155511304514412/.