Snuffer c. 1936

Hester Duany made "Snuffer" using graphite on paper. Duany was born in 1891, which places her formative years in the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras, periods marked by rigid social conventions and evolving gender roles. Duany's choice to depict such a mundane, utilitarian object invites us to consider the lives of women during this time. Snuffers were used to extinguish candles, a task likely performed by women in the domestic sphere. This simple tool becomes a lens through which we can examine the everyday realities of women's labor, the subtle power dynamics within the household, and the objects that defined their world. "Snuffer" isn't simply an image of an object; it's a quiet reflection on the lives, labor, and untold stories of women in a bygone era.