All posts tagged: domestic service.

A pair of picture hats

Yesterday’s post on the history of picture hats reminded Lynne of two of her family photographs, and she has kindly let me show them to you. Here are Lynne’s Great Aunt Alice and Alice’s sister, her Grandmother Florence.  Florence immigrated to NZ before WWI as a children’s nursemaid. Based on advertisements I have seen, and numerous examples of women who came to NZ via this route, there was considerable demand for domestic help, and nursemaids and governesses in particular, in pre-WWI NZ.   It was an easy way for women without a lot of means to have their passage paid, but most quickly married or moved on to other positions once they arrived.  Early 20th century NZ society was much more democratic than its British counterpart, and the strict class system that characterised Britain did not hold here. But that’s an aside.  Today we are focusing on Alice and Florence.  I already love this pictures, first because they symbolise the sharing and knowledge that the blog world has fostered, and second, because of the similarities …