I came across some photos taken in southeastern Ohio between 1896-1912.

The photographer was Albert J. Ewing and he was known as a traveling photographer. Ewing was born in Marietta, Ohio and began taking photographs professionally in the 1890s, when he was in his 20s. I like his photographs because they’re extremely sharp and clear and they show a lot of detail you normally can’t see in pictures made during this era.

As I was looking through the pictures, I noticed the ladies’ clothes and accessories. Three photos specify the women in them are wearing locked belts, so it must have been a hot accessory at the time. The pictures are sharp enough to see the ladies’ belts, the patterns in their dresses, and other details quite clearly.

However, the pictures make for good character studies as well. You can deduce a lot about the people from these little snapshots in time.

The first two pictures are of the same woman wearing a belt with a lock. You can also see her little polka-dot bow-tie, a brooch, and the design of her dress clearly. In the first picture, the metadata specifies the belt is locked. In the second picture, taken on the same day, the metadata says the belt is now unlocked.

OhioMemory.org

Just to show the belt wasn’t limited to one fashionista, here’s a second lady wearing a locked belt. Look how tiny her waist is! Her face is a little blurry but her pose shows some personality!

Ohiomemory.org

Next, we have a very young mother dressed formally and holding her baby. I’m not great at guessing ages, but I’d guess this girl is probably 15 or 16 years old. Her clothes are made of heavy material but she wore a straw hat, usually an item designated for warmer weather. Maybe this picture was taken in the fall. I imagine that hat required some hatpins to stay put!

Ohiomemory.org

According to the description of the next picture, this lady is wearing a matching blouse and skirt, not a dress. You can see her eyeglasses and her styled hair quite clearly. In this case, the background of the picture is more interesting to me than the subject.  The rocking chair is perched on a wooden walkway that doesn’t look too sturdy, and the chair seems to have extra boards supporting the back.  If you look through the screen door, the house appears to be empty. However, there are some items poking out from under the house, and there is a discarded newspaper next to the chair.

Ohiomemory.org

This woman is dressed very plainly by comparison, but she’s wearing hoop earrings! I don’t think it was common for women to have pierced ears at this time. She also has an interesting three-tier brooch on, similar to the one the girl with the locked belt wore.

ohiomemory.org

Lastly, we have a picture of a “schoolmarm,” complete with a book in one hand and a bell in the other! She has two big bows in her hair and a bow ribbon around her neck. She’s the only person in these photos who is not wearing a high-necked blouse, though she certainly looks formally and appropriately dressed!

ohiomemory.org

As interesting and charming as these pictures are, I’m so glad the fashions have changed. I can’t imagine wearing those voluminous sleeves and long skirts every day!