According to the Niles Star, Workerettes in Niles, Michigan, can pop by the Fort St. Joseph Museum this Thursday and catch up on the history of local Workerettes who came before us. In conjunction with the Niles District Library, a slide show will be presented that offers viewers an opportunity to learn about "Niles Women Entrepreneurs In the Victorian Age of a Business World Dominated by Men.”
While too many of us tend to assume that our Victorian predecessors traveled on a Titanic scale and sat home eating bonbons while the servants cared for their homes, children, and kitchens, it's far from the truth. This sampling of women from one town shows that despite the standard 21st century stereotype of Victorian women, quite a few actually worked outside the home, either by choice or necessity.
Personally I'm intrigued by the directory discussed in the article, which refers to the occupations of each woman. While many were acting in a "traditional" capacity, several had an entrepreneurial bent and operated their own businesses. I'd love to see this slide show placed on a website for us all to learn from, wouldn't you?
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