Introduction
Try to conjure up the image of a Gibson girl: what do you see? I see a young woman in a white blouse and dark skirt--in a park or at a sidewalk café, perhaps at the beach–with her hair in an early 1900s upswept "do." She seems more relaxed, with a whiff of athleticism, than her mother or older sister who came of age in the "Gay ‘Nineties."
So, how accurate is this image? Charles Gibson created the Gibson girl image in the late 1800s. Illustrations by Gibson and his imitators were abundant for two decades–from 1890 to 1910–and continued to influence the "fashionistas" of the pre-World War I era. Here’s a composite description: "The Gibson girl was tall, athletic, and dignified. She might be pictured at a desk in a tailored shirtwaist or at a tennis party in an informal dress. She wore her long hair upswept in an elaborate mass of curls, perhaps topped by a simple straw hat. Though she was capable and independent, the Gibson girl was always beautiful and elegant" (1).
Though the earliest Gibson girls had "wasp" waists–in what was still a tightly corseted mode--the bodices of their costumes were becoming looser. Blouses were often buttoned in the back, but the shirtwaist-style (buttoned in the front like a man’s shirt) was coming into fashion (1). Judging from images available online, it seems that my idea of a Gibson girl matches more closely the later ones, after about 1905. These "girls" represented the new American woman of the early twentieth century(3).
The Gibson girls depicted so widely in magazines (including Gibson’s illustrations in Life) were middle and upper class gals. Their working class counterparts were increasingly part of the labor force–five million working women in 1900, seven and a half million by 1910. These numbers included many poor immigrant women. In addition more middle class women were taking jobs outside the home. So the need for more practical garments, whether for work or leisure (such as playing tennis), was felt by women across class lines (4).
The combination "shirt" (we called it a blouse when I was growing up) and skirt gave women more flexibility. The shirtwaist blouse, combined with a full skirt falling slightly above the ankles, would achieve great popularity. By 1905 there were 150 versions the shirtwaist in the Sears and Roebuck catalog. This style went through various incarnations in the twentieth century, including the "shirtwaist dress" of the 1950s. And the shirtwaist is now considered a classic of American fashion (5).
Now, back to the early twentieth century. The garment workers sewing all those shirtwaists were mostly women, mostly immigrant women, many Italian, Jewish, and Irish women. In the early 1900s, in the sweatshops of the garment districts, their wages and working conditions were abysmal. Efforts to organize garment workers led to the founding of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) in New York City in 1900. Members who were immigrants, especially Jews from Poland and Russia and Italians, had brought with them ideas from the "old country" that did not sit well with the union’s conservative leadership. Union leaders, mostly men, catered to the interests of skilled rather than unskilled labor and, in general, they were much more concerned with the plight of male workers.
Two strikes–one in 1909 and the other in 1910--re-energized the ILGWU. The "Uprising of the 20,000" in 1909 lasted fourteen weeks (6). The instigators were workers at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. During this strike Clara Lemlich, a young Jewish immigrant from Russia, was determined to challenge the union’s male leadership. Speaking out for women workers, in Yiddish, she called for a general strike(*). This strike was settled by arbitration in February 1910, but the owners of Triangle Shirtwaist Company, where it all began, would not sign up. The "Great Revolt" in 1910, on a much larger scale, with the participation of as many as 60,000 workers, had an even greater impact. Largely due to the mediation of Louis Brandeis and other leaders of the community, an agreement was reached that recognized the ILGWU.
On March 25th, 2011, a fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, probably ignited by a cigarette. Amid paper pattern pieces and fabric scraps it quickly spread. To keep the workers from taking breaks in stairwells the owners had locked the doors. Many workers were trapped on the ninth floor, some jumped to their deaths, and others were rescued from the roof. There were 146 fatalities.
The fire and its aftermath--the political fallout of this immense tragedy and its legal ramifications–brought American labor history to one of its major turning points. There was an outcry for safer working conditions, resulting in federal regulations. Today the factory building, at 23-29 Washington Place in New York City, is a National Historic landmark (http://www.nps.gov/hisory/nr/travel/pwwmh/ny30.htm).
The fate of those who died in the Triangle fire and the sorrow of their families have an enduring power to stir our hearts (8). For information about commemorative activities events this year, visit the web site of the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition.
So on March 25th (or whenever it best fits into your lesson plans) share the story of the Triangle fire with your students. This would be a fitting tribute--better than any historic marker or monument. Given the anti-runion/right-to-work laws and anti-regulatory fervor in the United States in 2011, students should be learning about our national labor history. Please use this opportunity to explain why we need unions (both public and private) and why we need regulations to ensure safety of workers and consumers!
ACTIVITIES
RECITE/SING: After practicing, students recite or sing "The Uprising of the Twenty Thousand" and/or "Look for the Union Label" (see Resources: Labor Activism and History).
SHOW the two photos listed in the Resources as "Triangle: Remembering the Fire" and "Two Garment Workers" and ASK students to approach them as primary sources. ASK: What do you see here? What are these women doing? How are they dressed? Can you identify the "foreign" script? Can you explain why it is being used? What would you do to test your explanation? Why would anyone compare working conditions during this time period with slavery? (This could be converted to a written assignment–before or after class discussion).
WATCH the American Experience documentary online. Consult the transcript and other resources at the companion web site.
SHOW the online excerpt of "heaven Will Help the Working Girl" as a jumping off point for reading (select from various short, online background articles, primary sources, and/or this documentary’s viewing guide).
LISTEN to the recorded interview and/or READ the transcript of a woman who worked at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. See "Working for the Triangle Shirtwaist Company" in the Labor History section of the
MATH CLASS: Consult the list of the fire’s victims (part of Remembering the Triangle Factory Fire web site) and create an age profile, using a pie graph. This will require some grouping by age, for example, 14-17 year olds, etc.
READ/DISCUSS: First, students read David W. Dunlap's "Triangle Fire: A Frontier in Photojournalism" (see Resources) to discover how the "next day" availability in newspapers of "candidly brutal pictures" of the fire played a critical role in efforts to reform labor practices and to regulate worker safety. Then, using POWERPOINT, students can create their own exhibits to tell the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, the lives of immigrant working women, and/or garment industry labor history. They can select from ample online collections of photos and primary sources (for quotations). For an individual, group, or class project.
CLASS PROJECT: Is there a factory in your town with a long or interesting history? Organize a research effort to conduct, record, and transcribe interviews with former or present workers. If factories have closed in your town, this would be a good time to documents their histories by interviewing former workers and union members. Do preliminary research in the archives of local newspapers and in the local library. Collaborate with your local historical society (they’d really welcome your efforts)!
RESOURCES
PHOTOGRAPHS showing slogans in Hebrew script:
- "Triangle: Remembering the Fire." Go to the companion web site of the HBO documentary; the opening page photo shows women marching in their shirtwaists, some carrying posters with Hebrew script slogans.
- "Two Garment Workers" on the Adelphi University page. One slogan is in Hebrew script, the other says "Abolish Slavery." URL: http://events.adelphi.edu/trianglefire/index.php
Web Sites and Online Exhibits
Remembering the Triangle Factory Fire. Kheel Center, International Labor Relations School. Cornell University. http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/
- Excellent site with original text documents (primary sources), interviews, photographs (several categories–so check out all of them), timeline, model of the 9th floor; see related resources in the "Legacy" section.
- Be sure to click on the bibliography for many additional resources.
- Check out the list of the victims and their ages (the youngest ones were two 14-year old girls).
Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition. http://rememberthetrianglefire.org/
- Be sure to check out the "Open Archive" page of this site.
- See also links on FACEBOOK (access from web site): http://www.connect.facebook.com/widgets/fan.php?api_key=081e0b15ba6e615dacc1722411bbc2f1&channel_url=http%3A%2F%2Frememberthetrianglefire.org%2F%3Ffbc_channel%3D1&id=117816086420&name&width=240&connections=0&stream=1&logobar=1&css
Documentaries
"Triangle Fire." Directed and produced by Jamila Wignot. American Experience. PBS. Companion web site: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/triangle/
- Photographs, biography of Clara Lemlich, "Further Reading" list of books and other web sites (the best list I’ve found)
- WATCH ONLINE or read transcript (available in HTML or download PDF)
- From transcript page, access to several additional articles and to New York Times coverage of the fire and its aftermath
- Film trailer and synopis, interview with filmmakers, photographs, lesson plans
- Film excerpt (3:41 mins.), primary sources (Shirtwaist Strike of 1909), photos, oral interview describing working experience at the Triangle factory
- For primary sources see this page: http://web.gc.cuny.edu/ashp/heaven/docs.html
- Viewers guide (PDF) includes background, photos, a long bibliography and short glossary; 15 pages but divided into short, topical sections: http://ashp.cuny.edu/wp-content/images/heaven-viewersguide.pdf
Recent New York Times Coverage
These items are just a few of what is available at Times Topics: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/t/triangle_shirtwaist_factory_fire/index.html?scp=5&sq=triangle%20shirtwaist&st=cse
SLIDESHOW: "The Evolving and Enduring Shirtwaist" (9 slides). New York Times (march 22, 2011): http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/03/22/nyregion/20110322Shirtwaist.html?ref=triangleshirtwaistfactoryfire
Berger, Joseph. "100 Years Later, the Roll of the Dead in a Factory Fire Is Complete." New York Times (February 20, 2011): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/nyregion/21triangle.html?scp=3&sq=triangle%20shirtwaist&st=cse
Berger, Joseph. "In Records, Portraits of Lives Cut Short." New York Times (February 20, 2011): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/nyregion/21triangleside.html?ref=nyregion
Dunlap, David. "1911 Fire Proved Photojournalism’s Power." The Lens. New York Times (March 23, 2011): http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/1911-fire-proved-photojournalisms-power/?scp=1&sq=triangle%20shirtwaist&st=cse
Dunlap, David. "Triangle Fire: A Frontier in Photojournalism." New York Times (March 23, 2011): http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/triangle-fire-a-frontier-in-photojournalism/
- See for links to NYT and other newpaper articles from March 1911!
- Scroll to end of post to access 5 related items (including "Remembering Triangle Fire’s Jewish Victims")
Ferla, Ruth. "Embraced 100 Years Ago, a Style Endures." New York Times (March 23, 2011).
Ferla, Ruth. "Triangle Fire: Liberating Clothing Made in Confinement." New York Times (March 22, 2011).
Hale, Mike. "Two Remembrances of One Deadly Day in 1911." New York Times (February 28, 2011).
Haberman, Clyde. "Choosing Not to Forget What Is Painful to Recall." New York Times (March 25, 2010).
Labor History and Activism
"The Uprising of the Twenty Thousand." Song "Dedicated to the Waistmakers of 1909." Lyrics at http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trainglefire/primary/songsPlays/UprisingTwentyThousand.html
"Look for the Union Label." For lyrics and an audio that you can download of song by Paula Green, music by Malcolm Dodds (©1975, UNITE Union of Needltrades, Industrial and Textile Employees): http://unionsong.com/u103.html
"Working for the Triangle Shirtwaist Company" (listen to audio and/or read transcript): http://web.gc.cuny.edu/ashp/heaven/fnewman.html
- "In this oral history interview conducted by historian Joan Morrison, Pauline Newman tells of getting a job at the Triangle Company as a child, soon after arriving in the United States from Lithuania in 1901. Newman describes her life as an immigrant and factory worker... Although she was not working in the factory at the time of the fire, many of her friends perished. Newman later became an organizer and leader of the International Ladies Garment Workers' Union."
International Labor Relations School. Cornell Univeristy. http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/
International Labor Organization. http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm
UNITE HERE. . http://www.unitehere.org/about/
- In 1995 the ILGWU and Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union merged to form a new union called UNITE. After another merger, with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, the new organization was called UNITE HERE. See the "Textile, Manufacturing, and Distribution" page, which acknowledges the union’s deep roots in clothing industry unions.
Benin, Laura, Rob Linné, Adrienne Sosin, and Joel Sosinsky. The New York City Triangle Factory Fire. Images of America Series. Arcadia Publishing, 2011. (The authors are co-founders of the Education and Labor Collaborative at Adelphi University).
Painter, Nell Irvin. Standing at Armageddon: the United States, 1877-1919. W. W. Norton & Company, 1989.
Von Drehle, David. Triangle: The Fire that Changed America. New York: Grove Press, 2003.
Books for Young Readers
Auch, May Jane. Ashes of Roses. New York: H. Holt, 2002.
- "Sixteen-year-old Margaret Rose Nolan, newly arrived from Ireland, finds work at New York City's Triangle Waist Factory shortly before the 1911 fire in which 146 employees died."
- "Dash describes the conditions that led to investigations and reforms in the garment industry in New York at the beginning of the twentieth century."
- "Discusses the workplace conditions facing garment workers in 1911 and the reforms that took place after the Triangle Fire."
- "Describes the 1911 Triangle Factory Fire, the conditions surrounding the disaster, and its effect on industrial safety after the event."
1) "The Gibson Girl." Fashion Encyclopedia: http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_culture/Modern-World-1900-1918/The-Gibson-Girl.html
2) For a 1896 depiction see the first slide of "The Evolving and Enduring Shirtwaist": http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/03/22/nyregion/20110322Shirtwaist.html?ref=triangleshirtwaistfactoryfire. See the image "Priscilla Shirt Waist Designs" (from a 1906 needlework magazine): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shirtwaist_designs_1906.jpg
3) This is close to what I imagined: Gibson Girl With Bandeline Skirt (Button down front blouse and full length bandeline skirt with center back pleats ): http://www.makebelievecostume.com/detail/RB-90752/Gibson_Girl_W_Bandeline_Skirt_Adult_Theatrical_Costume.html
4) "The Gibson Girl" (see note 1).
5) "The Gibson Girl" (see note 1); Ruth Ferla, "Embraced 100 Years Ago, a Style Endures"(see RESOURCES); "The Evolving and Enduring Shirtwaist" (see note 2). See also "1900's Gibson Girl Blouse Pattern" http://www.hartsfabric.com/gigibl.html
6) See articles and primary sources at web sites and documentary films' web sites (see RESOURCES).
7) For a photo of Clara Lemlich, see #5 in "Shirtwaist Strike & Other Strikes" (part of the Cornell University online exhibit "Remembering the Triangle Factory Fire) OR "One Women Who Changed the Rules," New York Times (March 23, 1011). Note that she is wearing a shirtwaist blouse.
8) Adelphi Triangle Factory Fire Remembrance Project: About the Triangle Factory Fire": http://eents.adelphi.edu/trianglefiee/about.php
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