Portret van een onbekende vrouw achter een naaimachine in een tuin c. 1865 - 1900

Laurens Lodewijk Kleijn made this photograph of an unknown woman behind a sewing machine in a garden, at an unknown date. Although undated, we might assume that this photograph was made towards the end of the 19th century in the Netherlands. What can we learn from the image? We can see an anonymous woman at work, her sewing machine placed outside in a small patch of garden, perhaps close to the house. This image reminds us that the domestic space was not always separate from the workplace, and also suggests that new technologies, like the sewing machine, were becoming increasingly common. This might reflect the rise of manufacturing, or the ways that some women could supplement the family income. To understand the social and institutional context of this photograph, we might consult census records to learn more about women’s occupations at this time, or analyse local newspapers to find advertisements for sewing machines. We could also investigate the kinds of clothing being produced at the time, and the economic structures that supported the fashion industry.