Women of the Future, 1902
October 8, 2011 6:17 PM   Subscribe

 
Huh, apparently fin-de-siecle French journalists put a duck on their hats instead of a little card that says "PRESSE".
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:35 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]


I WANT that general's outfit.
posted by daisystomper at 6:37 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


These are awesome.

....Although, something weird is going on with the Jockey one's head, isn't there? Is there some warping?
posted by meese at 6:38 PM on October 8, 2011


In the future solidgers wear corsets?
posted by The Whelk at 6:43 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]


So in The Future, firefighters will wear sleeveless outfits? That doesn't seem very smart.
posted by decathecting at 6:44 PM on October 8, 2011


Huh, apparently fin-de-siecle French journalists put a duck on their hats instead of a little card that says "PRESSE".

While widely believed, that is, in fact, a canard.
posted by benito.strauss at 6:44 PM on October 8, 2011 [54 favorites]


a woman of the future
yeah, that's the gal for me
together in the future
that's where we're gonna be
and in that shining future
our love is gonna last
and i'll forget my sad affairs
with women of the past
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:45 PM on October 8, 2011 [3 favorites]


It's strange that for some things, like the student, they put women in pretty much the same stuff men would wear, but for others, like the military ones, it's cleavage and no sleeves. Maybe it was two different photographers and one of them decided to sexx it up.
posted by emjaybee at 6:47 PM on October 8, 2011


I WANT that general's outfit.
me too!

there are some really spiffy ensembles here!
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 6:49 PM on October 8, 2011


I love how these are the opposite of the classic "French Postcards" erotica of the time. Vintage porn for nerds.
posted by padraigin at 6:57 PM on October 8, 2011


From the same website...How the year 2000 would look for people in 1910.
posted by Tarumba at 7:38 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


"Sexy general." My Halloween costume is SET.
posted by MadamM at 7:41 PM on October 8, 2011


I can't tell what the hell is supposed to be happening in the year 2000.

Which, come to think of it, was pretty similar to my actual year 2000.
posted by mykescipark at 7:56 PM on October 8, 2011


Man, these are really great. They've really got an attitude of pride and forthrightness that makes the poses, even though some of the costumes seem unnecessarily prettified. The firewoman may not have sleeves – is that normal for a 1910 French firefighter? – but given the look on her face and the determination in her eye, it'd be pretty damned hard to tell her she's out of place. Awesome.

‘That's right. I'm a fuckin' firefighter. Deal with it.’

Horace Rumpole: “Huh, apparently fin-de-siecle French journalists put a duck on their hats instead of a little card that says ‘PRESSE’.”

benito.strauss: “While widely believed, that is, in fact, a canard.”

I don't know what photo you're looking at, but that thing on her hat doesn't look like a canard at all. It's obviously a duck.
posted by koeselitz at 8:46 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]


So the "politician" (député -- or should it be députée? -- actually refers to a member of the lower house of the French parliament) is a apparently a fan of absinthe, according to the photo. Look for the glass and the absinthe spoon.
posted by dhens at 9:10 PM on October 8, 2011


the "year 2000" images all look like they are from a miyazaki film.
posted by jb at 9:22 PM on October 8, 2011


I would watch a show (almost inevitably an Anime) based on these character designs.
posted by LucretiusJones at 9:38 PM on October 8, 2011


That barrister is owning that monocole!
posted by Joe Chip at 9:55 PM on October 8, 2011


Man, these are really great. They've really got an attitude of pride and forthrightness that makes the poses,

I know, I love it. All of the models have this distinct air of Fuck yeah, I'm awesome. Typified by the Rural Guard.
posted by bleep at 11:25 PM on October 8, 2011



Are her stars tattooed on? What if she got demoted?


This is not a concern!
posted by bleep at 11:40 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


If I were a doctor, I'd INSIST upon wearing gigantic top hats.
posted by so_gracefully at 1:29 AM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Man, these are really great. They've really got an attitude of pride and forthrightness that makes the poses,

Erm, that is not quite the impression it gave me. In fact, both the poses and some of the outfits (in particular the jockey, fireman and general ones) rather remind me of vintage porn. In fact, considering the poses and costumes and French turn-of-the-century attitudes towards the "fairer" sex (and sex "tout court"), I have a strong suspicion that these cards were rather aimed at the...er..."submissive" segment of the porn market...
They aren't picturing empowered, dominant women, but women pretending to be it.
posted by Skeptic at 2:34 AM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]


They aren't picturing empowered, dominant women, but women pretending to be it.
posted by Skeptic at 10:34 on October 9 [+] [!]


Yes, my immediate impression is that these postcards were intended to mock the aspirations of women in 1902, not to celebrate them.
posted by jonnyploy at 3:18 AM on October 9, 2011 [3 favorites]


So in The Future, firefighters will wear sleeveless outfits? That doesn't seem very smart.

Fires are hot. 1902 ladies don't want to be sweating perspiring.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 5:58 AM on October 9, 2011


I'd love to know who made the clothes for these photographs. I wonder if they raided the wardrobe of a theatre or opera house, or had some visionary feminist seamstress run them up.

Here comes the overanalysis train:

The Doctor and the Coachdriver are wearing the same jacket.

The General and the Second Lieutenant are wearing the same frogged waistcoat, and poaasibly the same camisole underneath.

The Non-Commissioned Officer and the Drummer are also sharing a waistcoat. The Gendarme's coat is similar; almost certainly a stage costume with those exaggerated epaulettes and rank stripes. It may simply have had its epaulettes and sleeves taken off to form the waistcoat used in the other two pictures.

The Journalist and the Conscript are sharing a hat.

Likewise the Doctor and the Mayor (possibly also the Coachdriver.)

The Second Lieutenant has some really lovely decorated breeches. A lot of the models are wearing white breeches; there's probably some reuse of these, but I really can't be arsed to scroll through all those pairs of white breeches in some game of trouser-based Go Fish.
posted by Pallas Athena at 6:57 AM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]


What I noticed (after wincing over the tightly-corseted bodies) was the General's Bling. Whoo hoo that is one big shiny necklace certain to deflect any bullets coming her way.

And the Student is smoking. Oh you saucy minx.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:57 AM on October 9, 2011


>Yes, my immediate impression is that these postcards were intended to mock the aspirations of women in 1902, not to celebrate them.

I agree- the woman doctor and lawyer would have been a hilarious joke, like dressing a kitten up in a little lab coat. I still love these though because the models themselves are subverting that idea by being so cool. The doctor in particular, the expression on her face isn't a gag, she's really looking like a doctor. Also, HATS.
posted by Erasmouse at 10:59 AM on October 9, 2011 [3 favorites]


From the Year 2000 link: this is Skype, isn't it?
posted by KathrynT at 11:03 AM on October 9, 2011


I think these probably were meant for the 'saucy postcards' market, which is why all the 'soldiers' are wearing scanty clothing.

But women were entering both medical school and law school -- indeed, most professions -- by the last quarter of the 19th century. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female doctor in the USA in 1849, and women were admitted to universities in the 1860's. These are from France, though, so there's a difference.
posted by jrochest at 6:12 PM on October 9, 2011


jrochest Some women were entering medical and law school in France as well, by the end of the XIX century. But it is not unheard of of porn, especially softcore porn, to masquerade as "educational" or "inspirational" material. The buyers would presumably quickly dispose of the "boring" lawyer and doctor and keep the racier cards for, er, closer perusal.
posted by Skeptic at 1:09 AM on October 10, 2011


Is it just me, or does Jockey look like Alfred E. Neuman?
posted by IndigoJones at 8:11 AM on October 10, 2011


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