Edwardian Women Strolling Park Midwest Wide Brim Hats 1908 - Original Photo

USD 20.00

Condition: Not specified

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View Edwardian Women Strolling Park Midwest Wide Brim Hats 1908 - Original Photo with current marketplace pricing, condition, product images and item details. This is a one-of-a-kind image from a Midwest family photograph collection, believed to date to 1908. An original 3x5" antique photo (NOT a modern reprint) from a set of photos from a Midwest family in 1908 that we acquired in a large lot. An original 3x5" antique photo (NOT a modern reprint) from a set of photos from a Midwest family in 1908 that we acquired in a large lot. Likely one of a kind image. Photo Overview A charming 1908 snapshot of three women posed together on a park path in the American Midwest. All three are dressed in the height of Edwardian fashion: dark tailored skirts and fitted jackets paired with elaborately decorated wide-brimmed hats trimmed with flowers and foliage. The woman in the center wears a lighter-colored outfit, providing a nice contrast to her companions. The setting is a well-maintained park or estate grounds, with a curving gravel walkway, a neatly trimmed lawn, and a canopy of mature bare-limbed trees in the background suggesting early spring. This is a one-of-a-kind image from a Midwest family photograph collection, believed to date to 1908. The intimate, relaxed poses of the three women suggest close friendship or family ties, and the carefully chosen outdoor setting speaks to the social rituals of the Edwardian era, when a Sunday stroll in the park was a cherished occasion for displaying one's finest dress. Historical Notes The Edwardian era (roughly 1901-1910) was a brief golden age for the American middle class, marked by optimism, social refinement, and a flourishing of leisure culture. The elaborate hats worn by these women reflect the peak of the millinery arts in America - by 1910, the fashion would begin to shift toward simpler styles. The world these three women knew was on the cusp of enormous change: within a few years, World War 1 would remake society, women's suffrage would arrive in 1920, and the elaborate clothing rituals of the Edwardian era would give way to more practical dress. This photograph captures a fleeting moment of that graceful, unhurried world. Text Present Back of photo (top center, penciled): The numeral "2" Back of photo (top left area): Partial pencil notation, possibly "46" or similar - partially obscured by ink staining. Print analysis This is a Type 1 original photographic print, produced at or very close to the time the photograph was taken (c.1908). The print shows the characteristic matte surface and warm sepia toning consistent with early 20th-century contact prints made from small-format negatives. The back of the print shows heavy ink staining (foxing or chemical damage) but no studio stamps or publisher marks. The print appears to have been made from the original negative within the year of capture. Condition In fair to good vintage condition. Category: Collectibles › Photographic Images › Photographs.