Makeup was slowly starting to begin its fame in the market industry. Most makeup products were homemade, but companies began making products that were accessible to buy such as powders, blush, lipstick, etc. The ideal makeup look in the early 1900s that young women wanted to achieve was called the "Edwardian" look. This look consisted of enhancing a woman's natural beauty to make the female sex more beautiful such as a pale white face, blushed cheeks, small red lips, and an arched eyebrow. Although makeup was used to enhance natural beauty, often makeup was done lightly, and women also used heavy makeup to make a point in women's issues. Women often put on makeup that was very noticeable when walking/working during suffrage movements.
[Image of Edwardian Makeup.]
Makeup advertisements were becoming popular as makeup began to become normal everyday wear for women. Face powders were the most popular kind of advertisement because it was the most used makeup product. The most common shade of face powders was pure white because women liked the trend of looking pale. However, face powders eventually evolved into creating other shades for different skin tones such as olive, brown, and pink. Unfortunately, these face powder products were dangerous and were made with harmful toxins, arsenic, and bismuth. Each face powder came with a puff to apply the powder with. It was recommended by companies and many women to apply a moisturizer to the face prior to applying powder, so the powder had a foundation to stick on and last throughout the day.
[Image of face powder advertisement.]
Citations:
“1900-1910 Edwardian Makeup and Beauty Products.” Vintage Dancer. Accessed December 1, 2023. https://vintagedancer.com/1900s/1900-1910-edwardian-makeup-and-beauty-products/.
“Edwardian Makeup Styles.” Vintage Makeup Guides, July 31, 2020. https://vintagemakeupguide.com/edwardian-look/.
Lauren R. “Vintage Makeup for Darker Skin Tones - Foundations and Face Powders.” Vintage Hairstyling, October 20, 2023. https://vintagehairstyling.com/bobbypinblog/2020/01/vintage-makeup-for-darker-skin-tones-foundations-and-face-powders.html.
Blanche's letter to Jim was written shortly after Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day in the early 1900s was trendy for "Hallmark's Postcards." Valentine's Day cards were very visual and had limited words on the card. Hallmark Valentine's Day cards were first launched in 1913 and since then, they have become more popular and known for their Valentine's Day Cards, chocolates, flowers, etc. Another popular brand that was infamous for its cards was "Howland". Howland began creating cards with lace cutouts attached and complex/detailed illustrations. Cards were also used for showing kindness, and love, and even to insult another. "Vinegar Valentine's" was the term used when a card was not meant for love, but rather for insult. As Valentine's cards grew more popular, schools were beginning to let students decorate and trade cards with one another. This began in the early 1900s when students began creating their cards.
Citations:
“The History of Valentine’s Day Cards.” Scrapbook.com, January 4, 2018. https://tinyurl.com/Valentine-history
Popova, Maria. “Valentine’s Day Postcards from the Early 1900s.” The Atlantic, July 17, 2013. https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/02/valentines-day-postcards-from-the-early-1900s/253061/.
The following object description information includes basic elements from the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI). An additional notes field is included to list dates from the actual letter, envelope postmark locations, and any other identifying details.
In the early 1900s, it was widespread for a woman to marry young to a man who was much older than her. In Blanche's case, she was 16 years old marrying 23-year-old Jim. For a woman to get married at a young age, it was prevalent for a young girl to think about their wedding dress, wedding day, etc. In the early 1900s, specifically around the time Blanche would have gotten married, wedding dresses were a kind of "Victorian" style. Wedding dresses had an s-fitting corset where the waistline was hemmed higher than the waist for an illusion effect, sleeves were ruffled, and the dress was high neck. The majority of the dress was made with lace material. This style of dress could have been similar to what Blanche would have worn on her wedding day.
[Image of a wedding dress that would have been worn in the early 1900s.]
Wedding day makeup, however, was not as fancy as the dress. The future bride's goal was to look as natural as possible with makeup. The makeup was often done with light-colored powders to present a woman's natural beauty. A tan look was often looked at as "poor" because women who did manual labor outside were often more tan. A lighter makeup look was also looked at as a woman trying to maintain her youth.
[Image of a woman applying makeup in the early 1900s.]
Citations:
“The History of 1900’s Makeup - 1900 to 1919.” Glamour Daze, May 14, 2020. https://glamourdaze.com/history-of-makeup/1900-1919.
Thomas, Heather. “Women’s Wedding Fashion: 1900-1910: Headlines & Heroes.” The Library of Congress, September 26, 2023. https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2023/09/womens-wedding-fashion-1900-1910/?loclr=liloc.
“Weddings through the Decades: 1900-1950.” New Orleans Wedding Planners, July 13, 2017. https://carolbondweddings.com/weddings-through-the-decades-1900-1950/.
Why did Jim think Blanche liked C.P.?
How did Blanche and Jim meet?
Was it the young woman's choice to marry early or the parents?