Odor, Wrinkles, and Stoutness ... Oh My! Beauty Problems in 1907

We hear a lot about our society being beauty-obsessed, but upon reading through the issues of The Delineator from 1907, it became clear to me that this is not a new phenomenon.  I supposed I would have expected a strong emphasis on beauty in a women's magazine from over 100 years ago, but I have to admit I was surprised by the number of articles and ads to do with weight loss, as we tend to discuss obesity as a problem of today. 

Two of the major beauty issues of the day, judging by the number of products advertised and the number of articles written to address them, were wrinkles and weight.  I couldn't even begin to show the variety of ads for various lotions and creams purported to reduce wrinkles. 

A couple of articles written on the topics of wrinkles and weight by one particular contributor, Augusta Prescott, struck me with their directness. 

In her article from October 1907 called "The Woman With Wrinkles in Her Face," Ms. Prescott asserts, “Wrinkles make a woman look old.  They make her seem unpleasant.  They make her look sour, no matter how sweet she may feel.  They furrow her face and destroy its expression . . . Nobody likes wrinkles, nobody admires them; and it is safe to say that the woman who is afflicted with them is cheated out of a great deal of the admiration and the pleasure which would otherwise naturally be hers.“

Some suggested wrinkle remedies include: massage, using steamed cloths, application of cold cream, facial baths of sour milk, patting the skin with a cosmetic ball soaked in cold cream, using an electric or rubber roller.

Yikes! I almost ran to the mirror to see if I truly looked sour and unpleasant, since Ms. Prescott stated that at the age 30, women should be at their peak but usually aren't because their wrinkles become apparent. I suppose it's hopeless for all of us who are over 30 . . . of course, Ms. Prescott had not yet heard of Botox!  :)

Ms. Prescott also addressed the topic of weight with characteristic tact in her October 1907 article titled "The Woman Who Weighs Too Much": "The stout person, be she girl or matron, is to be pitied for she loses so much by being fat.  There is no beauty in flesh; neither is there any grace or loveliness in rolls of fat . . . ‘Don’t be fat’ is a good law for any woman.”

She suggested several exercises for reducing flesh, including this one in case you'd like to try it: "The walking exercise is one that does the fat woman lots of good.  She should put on a loose waist and a short skirt—and walk!  The trick is to exert the muscles as much as possible.  And this is done by clinching the fists as one walks and stepping violently."

Dr. Anna Galbraith wrote a running feature on medical issues called "The Care of the Woman."  Her topic in the August 1907 issue is obesity.  Being a doctor, she does offer some much more sound advice on losing weight - for example avoiding starchy ("Bread is a very dangerous food and should only be taken in small quantities.") and sugary foods, having frequent smaller meals, and eating lean meats. 

I had to laugh a little at this statement: "Too great variety must be avoided, and the number of courses must be limited, since variety alwasy increases the appetite.  For the same reason all spices, condiments and othe rarticles which sharpen the appetite much be avoided."  And I was really surprised to hear her recommendation of saccharin as a sugar substitute.  I had no idea it came into use as early as 1907, but on investigating its history, I found that it was even used by none other than Theodore Roosevelt.

Being "stout" wasn't the only problem women had with their figures.  They were quite concerned about being "filled out" in all the right places.  Check out these ads for products that improve the figure:

And my very favorite, the H&H Pneumatic Bust Form, which seems to be an air-pump of some sort that fills out the bust:

While wrinkles and weight get the most attention in 1907's Delineator, a couple of other products did catch my eye.  Like this hair switch, made from human hair, necessary for the elaborate hairstyles:

And more prevalent ads for deodorant (compared to 1906), a powder that was sprinkled on the dress shields worn inside the dress:

It doesn't seem that too much has changed in regard to women's interest in staying young and pretty.  And I guess I prefer some of the beauty ideals from a century ago.  Instead of trying to look like a Kardashian in 2013, I'd probably rather try to stay slender to look fabulous in clothes like this:



"The Value of Rest" - Delineator 1907

Being a lady who likes her sleep (and rarely gets enough of it, having 3 children), the title of this article caught my attention - and the pictures kept me reading!

It was written by Ella Adelia Fletcher and appeared in the January 1907 issue of The Delineator.  Ms. Fletcher wrote a book titled The Philosophy of Rest and also wrote The Woman Beautiful and a very New Age sounding book called Law of the Rhythmic Breath: Teaching the Generation, Conservation, and Control of Vital Force.

It seems unreal to think of people in 1907 living fast-paced lives, but according to Ms. Fletcher they did: “This twentieth-century life has grown so full, so complicated, and so elaborate, we have so many interests and involve ourselves in such varied activities, that no days are ever long enough for the multiple engagements of business and pleasure which our speed-crazed generation attempts to crowd into twenty-four hours."

The “iniquitous habit of curtailing sleep is one of the maddest practices of this nerve-squandering age, for it invites an almost endless train of evils.”

The remainder of the article doesn't focus on the lack of sleep - instead Ms. Fletcher describes the effects of poor or inadequate sleep and makes recommendations for getting "perfect, restful sleep" which is "indespensable for the harmonious activity of the highly organized nervous system."

Some of the obstacles to getting good sleep:

• "Want of fresh air in the bedroom . . . To have sufficient oxygen to supply the needs of life during the inactivity of sleep, you should feel a current of fresh air flowing gently over the face, for only moving air can remove the heavy carbon-dioxid (sic) constantly exhaled by the sleeper, and poisoning the air surrounding the bed."
• Mental unrest - "Just as we relieve the body of its restricting clothes, so should the mind be undressed from the trammels of the day's activities and perplexities when we prepare for rest."  

• Incorrect sleep position - "Rounded shoulders, spinal curvature, a cramped chest,--preventing a full breath,--flabby cheeks and wrinkled neck, with cramped limbs checking circulation, are just  a few of the evils which result from a careless posture during the hours of repose."

"To sleep upon the stomach with upraised arms strains the chest and makes breathing imperfect and difficult.  The position has the advantage of soothing pain in the region of the stomach and loins, and the stretching of the legs equalizes the blood circulation . . . Therefore, it is not a bad plan to lie thus for a few minutes' rest . . . but none should continuously lie thus."

"All postures with the arms thrown over the head are vicious during sleep because of the tension and stretching of shoulder and chest muscles; and the high-pillow habit is most unkind to the back."

"Now, when all is in order, waking to the new day is a delight.  We greet it with joyous exhiliration, armed, if need there be, with fresh courage to cope with its perplexities, and never-failing confidence in their ultimate conquest; and if pleasures are planned we meet them with the eager, happy anticipation that doubles all our enjoyment."

Well, all this talk of rest makes me sleepy.  Wonder what Ms. Fletcher, the scourge of the "speed-crazed" generation of 1907, would have to say about the sleep habits of today.  If she could only see my 3 a.m. trek to the baby's room to fall asleep on the guest bed holding a bottle-drinking baby.

New Year's Resolutions - Delineator 1937

Just started looking at the January 1937 issue of The Delineator and stumbled across this entertaining article:

"Resolved To Do Right By Myself: New Year Resolutions, With a Dash of Enlightened Selfishness, That Will Make a New Woman of You."

A sampling of the resolutions listed:

• To teach my maid to lie with convincing charm so I can avoid dull callers and telephone conversations.

• To denounce swing music as cacophonous tripe if I prefer sweet jazz and symphonies.
• To make him take care of his own dog even if I must resort to a little well-timed carelessness in feeding the pooch.
• To admire his hair-cut and his new suits, willy-nilly.
• To make him stop talking about girth and baldness and do something about it.
• To own at least one dress or negligee which makes me feel feminine, clinging, luxurious and slightly wicked.
• To wear always, the kind of underwear I'd be proud to claim as my own after the train wreck - if any.

• To pay real money for a foundation garment if my figger needs a lift.
• To cancel all dates, neglect the family darning and go to bed at sunset as soon as my mirror shows I'm getting a "death and taxes" expression.

• To take enough exercise so I won't look like a marshmallow.
• To try to see the good points in my face, my figrue, my disposition, and quit worrying about the flaws I can't do anything about.

I have mastered some of these (neglecting the dog) and may adopt of few of them for myself.  They sound pretty sensible to me!