Stages of Woman’s life from the cradle to the grave

Recently I came across two curious 1840s lithographs from the Library of Congress online image collection. Titled "Stages of Woman's life from the cradle to the grave", both lithographs portray the ideal trajectory of a woman's life according to the prevailing European and North American social norms. The principal feminine virtues depicted are chastity, religion, …

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Imperial Russia in colour: mountains, forests and lakes

In the early 1900s, Russian photographer Sergei Produkin-Gorskii decided to take a photographic survey of the Russian Empire and its neighbouring countries. It was an absurdly ambitious scheme which saw him travel thousands of miles over the course of five years, but he managed to get the support of Tsar Nicholas II, who gave him …

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Imperial Russia in colour: exotic lands

In the early 1900s, Russian photographer Sergei Produkin-Gorskii decided to take a photographic survey of the Russian Empire and its neighbouring countries. It was an absurdly ambitious scheme which saw him travel thousands of miles over the course of five years, but he managed to get the support of Tsar Nicholas II, who gave him …

Continue reading Imperial Russia in colour: exotic lands