t. bell
Tired Afternoon
In her 1922 book, Etiquette, Emily Post observed, amongst other hilarious things, that the proper way for a lady to sit is “in the center of her chair, or slightly sideways in the corner of a sofa.” The entire chapter from which I lifted that nugget covers how one leaves calling cards, follows maids into parlours and generally behaves in polite society. Though I hate to credit a tobacco ad with anything positive, I must say, “We’ve come a long way, baby!”
Ms. Post did provide a sort of permission with “She may lean back, of course, and easily; her hands relaxed in her lap, her knees together, or if crossed, her foot must not be thrust forward so as to leave a space between the heel and her other ankle. On informal occasions she can lean back in an easy chair with her hands on the arms.” But I doubt this pose would have passed Post’s stringent criteria for “lady” or “proper” although I am quite certain that in every sense that counts, this woman is both. There are some that say photography has been a social evolution catalyst, that once people could see how real people were, they could no longer simply be told how they should be.
From the fabulous shoes to the turned up denims, this is all about mood and moment, about the sigh at the end of a well-spent day. “Proper” has come to mean character and not mannerism and “ladies” can now sit any way they like. Like they say, “We’ve come a long way, baby.” And this wonderful photograph counts as an acknowledgement, if not a celebration.
Blog photograph copyrighted to the photographer and used with permission by utata.org. All photographs used on utata.org are stored on flickr.com and are obtained via the flickr API. Text is copyrighted to the author, catherinejamieson and is used with permission by utata.org. Please see Show and Share Your Work
