Miscellaneous Occupations
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This engraving of "The Post-Mistress" comes from
Godey's
Lady's Book, February 1850. It accompanies a fictional story
about
a postmistress who was dismissed from her job for reading mail and
then
gossiping about it. Many women were employed as Postmistresses in
nineteenth-century
America. Only unmarried women were eligible, and they were
appointed
through
the same process as a postmaster. It was considered a strenuous
job for
a woman because she had to be on her feet all day, but it was
steady work
and women were compensated well.
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These two illustrations are from an 1846 children's book called
City
Sights, for Little Folks.
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| Many women and girls made
an honest
living by growing or buying fruits or flowers and selling them on
the streets.
Fresh fruit and berries were popular in the summer; dry fruit and
nuts in
the winter, especially with children. Flowers were often sold near
places
of entertainment, such as theaters and opera houses. |
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Reporting was a fairly new occupational
field
for women in the mid nineteenth century. It was a hard job, and many
believed
that women would not be able to handle it. But those who did were
well paid.
This is a lithograph called "The Washington Reporter."
Click on
the image in the bottom right corner to view a close-up of women
working
in the composition room. |
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This image comes from a trade card called "View of one
Section of
Dickinson's Printing Office." It shows women running the
printing
presses, but the card states that the office employed skillful
"workmen." The trade card is dated January 1842.
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 Sojourner
Truth, born ca. 1797, worked as a slave in New York under several
owners
until about 1829, when she went into domestic service to support
herself
and her family. She became very involved in her church and
eventually travelled
to preach her beliefs. For many years she spoke at gatherings in
support
of women's suffrage and abolition, gaining quite a large following
and a
reputation for being a very influential speaker. This image is a
carte de
visite ca. 1864. The text reads: "I Sell the Shadow to Support
the
Substance. SOJOURNER TRUTH." |
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| Harriet Beecher Stowe,
born
in
Connecticut in 1811, lived most of her life in New England, except
for a
few years teaching at her sister's school in Cincinnati. Stowe began
her
career as a published author in 1843 with her collection of short
stories
called The Mayflower. She is best known for her
anti-slavery
novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. This engraving of Mrs. Stowe is
entitled
"Writing for 'Our Young Folks' An Original Portrait of Mrs.
Harriet
Beecher Stowe At Home." |
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This two-page spread from the April 18,
1868
issue of Harper's Bazar shows various women's occupations of
the
period. The accompanying article describes the progress women had
made in
the previous decades, listing many of the new employments available
to women.
Click to enlarge each individual image. |
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