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Middle Class Prize Wives
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Middle Class Prize Wives
Woman, women, wife, housewife Mr Punchs Four Prize Middle Class Wives. The wife as cook, intellectual companion, clerk and tennis partner! Date: 1889
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Media ID 7142265
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10112037
1889 Accounting Clerk Companion Cook Cooking House Wife Intellectual Partner Prize Punch Punchs Sexism Tennis Wives
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This intriguing photograph, titled "Mr. Punch's Four Prize Middle Class Wives," captures the essence of the evolving roles of women in late 19th century Britain. The image features four women, each representing a different facet of a middle class wife's life: cook, intellectual companion, clerk, and tennis partner. The woman depicted as the cook is seen standing in front of a stove, holding a wooden spoon and a pot, while the intellectual companion is shown engrossed in a book, her glasses perched on her nose. The clerk is seen sitting at a desk, with stacks of papers and accounting tools spread out before her, and the tennis partner is poised with a racket, ready for a game. The presence of Mr. Punch, a popular British puppet character known for his mischievous antics, adds an element of satire and humor to the scene. However, the underlying message of the photograph is not without its complexities. The depiction of women in such diverse roles challenges the traditional notion of a housewife being confined to the domestic sphere. Yet, the fact that these roles are presented as prizes won by Mr. Punch suggests an underlying sexism that reduces women to objects or possessions. The photograph is a fascinating snapshot of the social landscape of the late 19th century, revealing the tensions and contradictions that existed between the emerging ideals of gender equality and the persistent patriarchal norms of the time. The image is a reminder of the ways in which women's roles were being redefined, and the complex negotiations that took place as women sought to assert their agency and autonomy in a rapidly changing world.
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