University of St. Thomas, Minnesota UST Research Online Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership School of Education 2011 Gifts to be Cultivated: Training in Dressmaking and Millinery 1860-1920 Susan R. Mack University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.stthomas.edu/caps_ed_lead_docdiss Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Mack, Susan R., "Gifts ot be Cultivated: Training in Dressmaking and Millinery 1860-1920" (2011). Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership. 16. https://ir.stthomas.edu/caps_ed_lead_docdiss/16 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Education at UST Research Online. It has been accepted for inclusion in Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership by an authorized administrator of UST Research Online. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GIFTS TO BE CULTIVATED: TRAINING IN DRESSMAKING AND MILLINERY 1860-1920 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA BY SUSAN MACK IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION 2011 UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS. MINNESOTA GIFTS TO BE CULTIVATED: TRAINING IN DRESSMAKING AND MILLINERY 1860-1920 We certify that we have read this dissertation and approved it as adequate in scope and quality. We have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the final examining committee have been made. Dissertation Committee _________________________________________ Kathleen M. Boyle, Ph.D. Committee Chair _________________________________________ Thomas L. Fish, Ed.D Committee Member _________________________________________ Kathleen E. Allen, Ed.D. Committee Member _________________________________________ Final Approval Date ii Acknowledgements But the darkness has passed, and it's daylight at last! The night has been long, ditto, ditto my song, And thank goodness they're both of them over! -Gilbert and Sullivan, Nightmare Song from Iolanthe I would not have embarked on this journey without the guidance and support of my professor and dissertation committee chair, Dr. Kathleen Boyle, who from the beginning thought this was a great idea. My committee members, Dr. Kathleen Allen and Dr. Thomas Fish provided vital guidance, helping me focus on what was most important. My cohort peers provided fabulous humor and endless encouragement. I would like to especially thank Dr. Sheryl Grassie and Dr. Noni Threinen. Lastly I thank and dedicate this dissertation to my beloved friend and pet, Murry, a Maltese Terrier who died the day my dissertation was approved. As an ENTJ on the Myers Briggs, what was most difficult was the solitary nature of the work. In an effort to offset this, I convinced myself I was not alone. I hung pictures of dressmakers and milliners in my office. I printed quotes from Susan B. Anthony, Julius Caesar, and Alexander Hamilton, above my desk. I considered worshipping Clio the muse of history. I conjured Wendy Gamber, May Allinson, Cynthia Amnéus, Claudia Kidwell, and many others to be a secret source of strength for me, as I worked alone, as I know they did. In the end, I fully enjoyed my time on this project. I never grew tired of my topic because I have so much respect for the women in this study. They knew hard work, the iii challenges they faced were always greater than mine were, and that was humbling. For those considering embarking on an educational doctorate I would offer that there will be pain, there will be fear, but in the words of Abraham Lincoln, “Your own resolve to succeed is more important than any other thing.” iv Table of Content Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii Table of Tables ................................................................................................................... v Abstract .............................................................................................................................. vi Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1. Self Study ........................................................................................................ 14 Dressmaking and Millinery Training by Self Study Methods ...................................... 14 Home Sewing ............................................................................................................ 14 Women‟s Magazines ................................................................................................. 31 Instruction Books ...................................................................................................... 49 Correspondence Schools ........................................................................................... 54 Chapter 2. Apprenticeships .............................................................................................. 57 Dressmaking and Millinery Training through Apprenticeships ................................... 57 Apprenticeships......................................................................................................... 57 Chapter 3. Public School................................................................................................... 74 Dressmaking and Millinery Training in the Public School .......................................... 74 Kindergarten, Primary, and Grammar School .......................................................... 74 Trade Schools............................................................................................................ 79 High School - Household Arts Education ................................................................. 91 Evening School ....................................................................................................... 105 Chapter 4. Private Schools and College .......................................................................... 112 Dressmaking and Millinery Training in Private Schools and College ....................... 112 Private Dressmaking and Millinery Schools ........................................................... 112 College .................................................................................................................... 118 Chapter 5. Community Education................................................................................... 120 Dressmaking and Millinery Training through Community Education ....................... 120 Community Education ............................................................................................ 120 Chapter 6. Implications ................................................................................................... 129 Implications for Progressive Era Women Training to be Dressmakers and Milliners 129 Leaving School ....................................................................................................... 129 Marriage .................................................................................................................. 134 Health ...................................................................................................................... 135 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 138 Appendix A. Supplementary Tables ............................................................................... 150 Appendix B. Illustrations and Images ............................................................................. 155 Appendix C. Dressmakers, Milliners and Sewing in Art................................................ 189 Glossary .......................................................................................................................... 189 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 205 v Table of Tables Table 1. Magazine circulation numbers by year 34 Table 2. Household arts education curriculum structure 95 Table 3. Domestic arts education subjects 96-97 Table 4. First year course domestic art manual training high school 99 Table 5. Milliners age at leaving school New York, 1917 130 Table 6. Milliner‟s age at leaving school Boston and Philadelphia, 1916 130 Table 7. Milliner‟s level of schooling Boston and Philadelphia, 1916 131 Table 8. Milliner‟s reasons for leaving school 133 Table 9. Marital status of dressmakers and milliners, 1890 135 Table 10. Medical attention given to Manhattan Trade School students 136 v Abstract Dressmaking and millinery flourished around the turn of the 20th century. By 1900, there were over 420,000 women working in the trades. Trade work offered good wages, possibility for advancement, and autonomy, but required the worker to obtain substantial skills. The purpose of this historical research study was to identify training and educational opportunities in dressmaking and millinery during the years 1860-1920. Women studied for years in order to be accomplished seamstresses in the trades. Each trade had numerous stages of ability and increasing duties that denoted the skill level of the worker. A potpourri of experiences existed for aspiring tradeswomen to obtain the skills necessary to become successful dressmakers and milliners. Girls had access to sewing