Isabella Alden

The Bicycle Craze

Published on June 22, 2016June 22, 2016 by Isabella Alden4 Comments

Today it’s Bike to Work Day in Colorado and people all over the state are dusting off their two-wheelers and heading out to work.

Bicycles have been around since the mid-1800s, when they were something of a novelty. They were expensive to buy and maintain, and they were sold almost exclusively to men.

Figure 2 from "The Modern Bicycle" by Charles Spencer, 1876. — Figure 2 from “The Modern Bicycle” by Charles Spencer, 1876.

Figure 4 from "The Modern Bicycle" by Charles Spencer, 1876. — Figure 4 from “The Modern Bicycle” by Charles Spencer, 1876.

It took exceptional balance and strength to operate an early bicycle and there were inherent dangers in their design.

When Isabella published Monteagle in 1886, bicycle riding was an acceptable pastime only for men of means. Her character, Hart Hammond, was a young man caught up in the bicycle craze.

Notice of a bicycle race. From The Advocate (Topeka, Kansas), June 21, 1893.

He belonged to a bicycle club, attended races, and may even have ridden in some races himself.

The starting line for a men's bicycle race. — The starting line for a men’s bicycle race.

Of all the many things which gave Hart’s mother anxiety, Hart’s involvement with a bicycle club “troubled her the most.”

An undated trade card depicting an early bicycle club on the move.

As bicycle design matured, bicycling became safer. By the mid-1890s the early high-perch models had evolved into bicycles very similar in design to our modern bikes.

An 1897 magazine ad for boys' bicycles. — An 1897 magazine ad for boys’ bicycles.

An 1893 ad for a cycle. — An 1893 ad for Victor cycles.

With those design changes, it was feasible for women to take up the sport. But there was an inherent danger of ladies’ skirts getting caught in the wheels.

An early trade card targeting women bicycle riders.

And corsets made breathing difficult for women even when they were relaxing; when it came to bicycle riding, women could do little but coast downhill without fainting.

A 1904 ad depicting a corseted female cyclist.

But that soon changed. As cycling became all the rage in America, a host of supporting industries sprang up. Clothing manufacturers produced ladies’ riding costumes.

An 1895 magazine illustration of bicycling outfits for men and women.

And they marketed corsets designed specifically for the active woman.

Bicycle manufacturers also began to cater to women riders. They designed new models exclusively for ladies; and they held classes on how to correctly mount and ride bicycles.

An 1897 ad for a ladies' bike. — An 1897 ad for a ladies’ bike.

Ladies joined previously men-only bicycle clubs or formed their own.

Newspaper coverage of a bicyclist's parade, watched by more than 100,000 San Franciscans.From the San Francisco Call, July 26, 1896. — Newspaper coverage of a bicyclist’s parade, watched by more than 100,000 San Franciscans.From the San Francisco Call, July 26, 1896.

They published member magazines and sold guide books about the best routes for bicycle excursions through cities or into the countryside.

The bicycle opened up a world of new transportation and freedom for women back in the early 1900s; and today we celebrate the important place the humble bicycle still holds in our lives.

Here are some fun videos you can watch about early bicycling:

Restored footage of an 1899 display of bicycle riding by the Catford Ladies’ Cycling Club in London:

The history of bicycling in early Denver, Colorado:

A clip of “The 1900 House” featuring bicycle riding at the turn of the century:

Come to Church!

Published on June 16, 2016June 15, 2016 by Isabella AldenLeave a comment

Here’s a scenario that is often played out on Sunday mornings across the country: Imagine you’re in church, waiting for the service to start, and you realize your friend isn’t sitting in his or her regular place. You pick up your phone and type out a text message:

Where are you?

Or after the service ends, you send off a quick email:

You missed a great sermon this morning. Everything okay?

With just those few words, you let that person know that you care. Your words are a subtle encouragement to worship regularly.

But during Isabella Alden’s time, there were no electronic text messages or emails. Daily mail service was the fastest way for people to communicate, until the telephone came into wide use around the turn of the century.

In Isabella’s day, the scene described above would have played out using posted mail instead of wireless technology.

Back then, caring church leaders and Sunday school teachers sent out brief notes and post cards like the ones here.

Some were signed by the sender, and others were personalized with the time and place for the next service or meeting. On Monday afternoons, the “come to church” cards appeared in mail boxes across the country.

As a minister’s wife, Isabella probably sent quite a few cards herself over the years, to let someone know he or she was missed at church.

Churches still use similar communications to reach out to people today. A website called Ministry Greetings is one of many that offers different styles of cards for churches to send through the mail. And for those who prefer to text or email, there are plenty of fun or thought-provoking memes to choose from for encouraging a friend to go to church.

Over ninety years after Isabella’s duties as a minister’s wife came to an end, it’s nice to see a tradition like sending off “come to church” cards still goes on in today’s busy world.

Rest Rooms: What a Great Idea!

Published on June 7, 2016June 7, 2016 by Isabella AldenLeave a comment

An 1895 issue of Golden Rule magazine included an article about working women that caught Isabella Alden’s attention.

Clerks examining newly-printed money at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, 1904.

Here’s what she shared on the Christian Endeavor page of her own magazine later that year:

“REST ROOMS.”

The Golden Rule suggests a beautiful idea. It advocates the renting and furnishing, in large towns and cities, of what it calls Rest Rooms, for the use of working-girls during the noon hour. It proposes pretty furnishings, lounges, easy chairs, books, papers, pleasant games, etc. It also suggests that a small fee might be charged for the use of the room, because most girls would prefer to pay a little each week towards its expenses. The thought is certainly an important one. Let all the Endeavorers talk it up. Why could not a neat plain restaurant or lunch room be added, where coffee, and. sandwiches, and milk, and cookies, and crackers, and fruits might be had at very low prices?

Many working-girls now have such dreary places in which to eat their lunches and such dreary lunches to eat, that it would seem as though improvements were needed here.

Workers labeling and wrapping perfums and soaps, 1900.

Isabella’s description of a ladies’ rest room doesn’t sound at all like the cold, utilitarian washrooms we know today; but back in 1985, it was an idea whose time had come. Workers had few rights; they worked long hours under sometimes difficult conditions. Employers could give workers as many—or as few—breaks during the work day as they wanted.

Members of a typing pool with their male supervisor.

So the idea of a rest room for workers was somewhat revolutionary, and it quickly caught on.

The ladies' lunch room at the National Cash Register Company, 1902. — The ladies’ lunch room at the National Cash Register Company, 1902. From Shorpy Archive.

Progressive and far-thinking employers recognized the benefits of providing a dedicated rest room to their employees:

In some towns, Women’s Trade Unions or the YWCA repurposed space to create rest rooms for female workers.

Telephone operators enjoying their rest room, 1906.

And in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the city took the initiative to furnish a dedicated room for the use of “strangers, tired shoppers, and working girls.”

The concept of a rest room proved so popular, businesses began offering dedicated ladies’ rest rooms to customers, as well.

Newspaper ad for Lansburgh & Bro. department store in Washington DC, 1918.

And by the 1920s, companies listed rest rooms for female workers as a benefit when trying to recruit new employees.

Want ad in the Democratic Advocate newspaper, College Park, Maryland, 1920.

What began as a germ of an idea in 1895 became a wide-spread reality in the 20th century as retailers, factories, and municipalities established clean, comfortable restrooms for workers, customers, and visitors.

The ladies' lounge at E. M. Bigsby department store, Detroit, Michigan, 1915. — The ladies’ lounge at E. M. Bigsby department store, Detroit, Michigan, 1915.

You can read more about women’s working conditions during Isabella’s lifetime by viewing these previous posts:

Lady Entrepreneurs

This Woman’s Work

New Free Read: Her Mother’s Bible

Published on June 2, 2016June 7, 2016 by Isabella AldenLeave a comment

“Reading Bible verses doesn’t amount to much, you know, unless you do what they say.”

When Mrs. Selmser inherits her mother’s beloved Bible, she’s overjoyed. All the marked verses—in red and green and blue—are wonderful reminders to her of her mother’s Christian walk; so it seems natural to have her son Ralph read one of those marked verses each day as part of their family worship.

But Ralph knows enough about the Bible to realize it’s sometimes a hard book to live up to. With God’s help, can he learn to apply the teachings of the Bible to his everyday life?
This 1880 story was first published as a serial in The Pansy magazine. Click on the cover to begin reading Her Mother’s Bible now.

Happy Anniversary, Isabella!

Published on May 30, 2016April 28, 2016 by Isabella AldenLeave a comment

On May 30, 1866, twenty-four-year-old Isabella Macdonald married Ross Alden. Ross (whose full name was Gustavus Rossenberg Alden) was a thirty-four-year-old seminary student.

Six months later, Ross was ordained by the Presbyterian Church, and they embarked on a life together of ministering to congregations and sharing their Christian faith.

You can read more about Isabella and Ross’s early years of courtship and marriage in these posts:

A Special Slice of Pumpkin Pie

When Ross Came Courting

Isabella, the Baby Bride

A Gift for the New Minister’s Wife

Lydia Pinkham’s Wondrous Vegetable Compound

Published on May 17, 2016May 16, 2016 by Isabella AldenLeave a comment

Thumb through the pages of almost any ladies’ magazine printed before 1906 and you’ll undoubtedly find an advertisement for Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound.

Lydia Pinkham’s products—in pill and liquid tonic form—were the “go to” cure-alls for generations of women.

Original early 1900s packaging with insert for Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound pills. From Pinterest. — Original early 1900s packaging with insert for Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound pills. (From Pinterest.)

The principal ingredients of Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound were licorice and alcohol (anywhere from 18-20%), so it wasn’t taste that drove women to consume the product in record numbers.

It was, instead, Lydia Pinkham and her incredible marketing skills that turned her home-made tonic into a multi-million dollar business in less than ten years.

Timing also played a role in Lydia Pinkham’s success. In the late 1800s mainstream medical science spent little time studying female anatomy; and strict standards of modesty ensured that generations of women were woefully ignorant about their own bodies and how they functioned.

Many Lydia Pinkham's trade cards featured pleasant artwork, a "soft sell" that was pleasing to women. — Many Lydia Pinkham’s trade cards featured pleasant artwork, a “soft sell” that was pleasing to women.

Enter Lydia Pinkham, who established herself as a kindly grandmother who patiently and delicately taught ladies about menstrual cramps, menopause, and everything in between.

One of the images of Lydia Pinkham that adorned the company's labels over the years. — One of the images of Lydia Pinkham that adorned the company’s labels over the years.

Labels for her products bore her likeness. Her pills and tonics promised to cure menstrual cramps, correct a prolapsed uterus, reverse diseases of the ovaries, and chase the blues away.

The company's advertising cards encouraged women to think of Lydia Pinkham as a member of the family, as with this trade card which purports to show an image of her grandchildren. — The company’s advertising cards encouraged women to think of Lydia Pinkham as a member of the family, as with this trade card which purports to show an image of her grandchildren.

She gave away millions of free “educational” pamphlets, with topics covering sewing, cooking, history, and women’s common health issues; throughout each publication, the benefits of Lydia Pinkham’s products were extolled and promoted.

This example of the company’s “Famous Women in History” pamphlet included several typical “testimonials” used in many Lydia Pinkham ads. Click on the cover to view the entire pamphlet.

Lydia herself received thousands of letters from women every year, and each letter received a personal answer.

Cover of Lydia Pinkham's pamphlet, "Simplified Sewing." — Cover of Lydia Pinkham’s pamphlet, “Simplified Sewing.”

But there were secrets about Lydia Pinkham and her business empire. The most incredible secret was that by the time Lydia’s products became famous nation-wide, she had been dead for decades.

And those reply letters written to women asking for help with a health problem—they were not written by Lydia Pinkham. Instead, they were written by employees, copied from proscribed templates, and they always included a recommendation to buy more Lydia Pinkham products.

Female employees answering mail. After the company was forced to admit Lydia Pinkham did not personally answer all letters, it used the revelation to its advantage, publishing this and other photos of its team of female employees answering mail. The company advertised: “Every letter opened by a woman, seen only by a woman. No boys around.”

When Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, the company was forced to disclose the contents of Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound in clear terms on their labels. For the first time, women—including members of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union—discovered that their favorite tonic contained a high level of alcohol.

In addition to print ads, the company gave away millions of free promotional items, such as sewing kits, thimbles, tape measures, and this lace tatting shuttle.

The new government requirements also forced the company to curtail its previous advertising claims that it could, among other things, cure “all weaknesses of the generative organs” and that it was “the greatest remedy in the world” for diseases of the kidneys.

A Lydia Pinkham newspaper ad from the 1920s, cleverly disguised as "real" news. — A Lydia Pinkham newspaper ad from the 1920s, cleverly disguised as “real” news.

Thanks to the company’s inventive advertising, Lydia Pinkham’s products saw strong sales throughout World War I, Prohibition (despite the tonic’s alcohol content), the 1930s and 1940s. In fact, Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound is still sold today in major drug stores and online sites like Amazon. And just as previous generations of women used to write letters extolling the virtues of the products, today’s customers post reviews of Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound on the Internet, demonstrating, once gain, that the company remains as adaptive as ever.

A Mothers’ Day Story

Published on May 8, 2016May 6, 2016 by Isabella AldenLeave a comment

In honor of Mothers’ Day, here is a letter Isabella published in an 1895 issue of The Pansy magazine:

Dear Young People:

I notice that the Juniors all over the country are going to talk about “Troubles” at one of their [Christian Endeavor] meetings this month. Some people think that boys and girls never have troubles. I know better.

I remember distinctly when I was twelve years old, I had a very large trouble one day. I wanted to take a ride with my brother, and mother thought it was too cold for me to go out. I coaxed a good deal, until father told me in a very decided tone to say no more about it; that of course I could not go.

I remember I went upstairs to my room, which was not warmed, and sat down in a dreary little heap in the corner and cried. I told myself that I was a most unfortunate little girl; that I could never go anywhere nor do anything like other girls, because my mother and father were always afraid of my taking cold. I said I wished I was old enough to do as I liked; and I should be too happy to live when the day arrived that I could do as I pleased, and have nobody say, “You cannot go here, or do this, or that.”

Poor silly me! Did you ever know a girl who acted like that? But I honestly thought it was real trouble. Let me tell you something. A good many years have passed since then. Mother and father have long since gone away where I cannot hear their voices. Nobody says to me now, “You cannot go to such a place, or wear such a thing.” I am free to do as I please, so far as words are concerned; but sometimes I sit and think it all over, and it seems to me I would give almost anything I have in the world, just to hear my dear mother’s voice saying, “No, my daughter, you cannot go this morning.”

Do you get my thought? Some of the things which we call troubles, grow in after-years into blessings which we miss and mourn.

Another thing, out of my imaginary trouble I made a real one. I sat in that chilly room brooding over my wrongs until I took cold, and was ill for days. Mother had to watch with me at night, and father had to go more than once over the long cold road for the doctor. I have seen people since who made their troubles for themselves.

All the same, I know that young people have real troubles, sometimes; and whether real or imaginary, they want, every one of them, to be taken to the same great Physician. Pity the boy or girl who does not know Him well enough to call upon Him for help.

—Pansy

Quotable

Published on May 6, 2016May 6, 2016 by Isabella AldenLeave a comment

The great fact is that life is a service. The only question is, “Whom will we serve?”

—Isabella Alden

Queen of the Kitchen

Published on May 3, 2016May 2, 2016 by Isabella Alden2 Comments

If the study was the domain of the man of the house in Isabella’s time, the kitchen was the empire of the lady of the house.

A middle-class kitchen in the early 1900s

Women toiled long hours in kitchens to make meals, preserve food for future use, launder clothing and linens, and heat water for baths and house-cleaning tasks.

Even when the lady of the house had help in the kitchen—a live-in maid or a local “girl” who came for the day—they still spent the majority of their time in the kitchen, where conditions could be extreme.

In many households the kitchen stove burned 24 hours a day. The stove was stoked early in the morning to raise the heat so water could be boiled and breakfast could be cooked. It then burned throughout the remainder of the day until bedtime. In winter the kitchen was the warmest room in the house. In summer the kitchen was sweltering, with inadequate ventilation and no escape from the heat.

Isabella’s book Ester Ried opens with a scene in the Ried kitchen, with Ester toiling in the kitchen on a hot day:

It was a very bright and very busy Saturday morning.

“Sadie!” Mrs. Ried called, “can’t you come and wash up these baking dishes? Maggie is mopping, and Ester has her hands full with the cake.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Sadie, appearing promptly from the dining-room, with Minnie perched triumphantly on her shoulder. “Here I am, at your service. Where are they?”

Ester glanced up. “I’d go and put on my white dress first, if I were you,” she said significantly.

And Sadie looked down on her pink gingham, ruffled apron, shining cuffs, and laughed.

“Oh, I’ll take off my cuffs, and put on this distressingly big apron of yours, which hangs behind the door; then I’ll do.”

“That’s my clean apron; I don’t wash dishes in it.”

“Oh, bless your careful heart! I won’t hurt it the least speck in the world. Will I, Birdie?”

And she proceeded to wrap her tiny self in the long, wide apron.

Later in the book, when Ester returned home after a lengthy visit with her cousin:

Ester was in the kitchen trimming off the puffy crusts of endless pies—the old brown calico morning dress, the same huge bib apron which had been through endless similar scrapes with her.

Not all aprons were as large as the kitchen apron Ester wore. In fact, ladies often had different aprons for different tasks.

Work aprons were large and covered the entire front of a woman’s dress. They had plenty of pockets for thimbles, spools of thread, needles and pins, or any other household item the lady of the house wanted to have immediately at hand as she went about her daily housekeeping chores.

A 1910 photograph with the women of the family wearing three different styles of apron.

At the other end of the spectrum, tea aprons were feminine half-aprons that tied around a lady’s waist and covered her lap as she entertained family and guests at tea or luncheon.

Aprons were relatively simple to make; popular ladies’ magazines often featured apron patterns or embroidery and trim designs to customize a home-made apron. In 1922 the Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences published a pamphlet of instructions for making a variety of different aprons. You can download a copy of here.

A 1904 magazine ad for Green Brand aprons.

Now, as in Isabella’s time, aprons come in many styles. And though they are no longer a staple in a woman’s wardrobe, there are many women today who love to make and wear aprons.

Want to see what’s hot in aprons today? Here are two sites that sell aprons:

Jessie Steele

Vintage Aprons

And you can visit Collectors’ Weekly to read a nice post about vintage aprons.

Do you ever wear an apron? Feel free to use the Comment box to share what you like about aprons or tell us where you like to shop for aprons.

New Free Read: The Exact Truth

Published on April 28, 2016April 28, 2016 by Isabella Alden2 Comments

The Bible is full of golden texts of inspiration and maxims of sound doctrine, but Zephene Hammond thinks they’re just words on a page. Although she considers herself a Christian, she doesn’t think those Bible verses have any real meaning in her life.

So when her Sunday school teacher challenges Zephene to look at the golden texts with fresh eyes, Zephene reluctantly takes up the challenge. Before long, Zeph sees that the Bible really can fit into her daily life and help her become a girl who always tells the exact truth.

This 1890 classic Christian novel was first published as a serial in The Pansy magazine. Click on the cover to begin reading The Exact Truth now.

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“Reading Bible verses doesn’t amount to much, you know, unless you do what they say.”

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In honor of Mothers’ Day, here is a letter Isabella published in an 1895 issue of The Pansy magazine:

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