Using the techniques we discussed in class, what do you see when you look at this photograph, and what what what do you understand about it? How does the information provided in the blog post change your observations and interpretations?
Write your response as a 150-word comment here.
Telling Brooklyn Stories:
English Composition I
ENG 1101, section 5381
Prof Jody R. Rosen
Fall 2011
M/W 1:00-2:15
Office Hours:
M 2:15-3:45
W 2:15-2:45
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At first glance of the picture I wasn’t sure what it was. My best guess was it was a fabric store where women sold fabrics and may have sewn some of clothing. I also thought the photo was shot around the 1910 because I didn’t even know you take photos during the 1898. Upon reading the information below I realized that it was a department store and became huge during the 1920’s. After learning all of this and on further expecting I see there was jewelry in the photograph that they sold and I see that they didn’t just sell fabrics. I realized that I need to look at almost every single part of the picture and I failed to see certain clues as what it was. I understand know that this was a small family business that grew and expanded to become a huge department store during the 1920’s
The photo looks like it takes place in the late 1800s or early 1900s. From the banners at the top it looks like a fabric store. The clothing also stood out, I hope it was cold at the time because the all black dress looks like it would burn up somebody in the heat. At first I could not tell what was through the glass but as I read below, the passage said it was jewlery so this shop did not only sell clothes it was a department store. The paragraph also showed me when looking at a photograph that one should analyze every single detail to get a better clue of what the photograph is showing.
My first impression of this photo is that it was a sewing supplies in the mid 1800s. What stood out the most at first glance was the way the women were dressed in a very discreet manner. I supposed that the women behind the counter are the employees and the ones on the other side are costumers buying their supplies since in this time in history it was common for females to sew or fix their families and own clothing. Since there it is a store I supposed there was commerce around it so i guessed it would take place in an urban setting. After reading the description below the photo I learned that it took place in the late 1800s. Also that this was department located in Brooklyn. It was originated in Manhattan by a polish immigrant and later became one of the largest department stores in the United States. After reading the description i went back to the picture and noticed many more details that I didn’t notice before and support the facts stated.
When I look at this photograph I see a place where women tend to hang out. A place where mostly women go by the way it is set up with benches and the numerous amount of women in the photo. This photo looks as though it was taken in the 1800s by the way the women are dressed. The women picture have long black dresses that cover most of their bodies. That could have something to do with women not being able to expose their bodies in a sexual manner like in the past. It looks like a store that sells fabrics and materials for clothing to be made by the signs that I see in the picture. As I look more the store looks as if it sells more than just fabric by the way the showcase that is displayed. At first glance though this photo does not look like a department store as it says in the description because of the way the store is set up. It doesn’t look like a department store because it doesn’t look as big as one would imagine a department store to be. By the description of the photo I’m surprised to find out that it was actually owned by a man being as though there were a lot of women in the store. I’m also shocked to find out that it was one of the largest department stores because it doesn’t look very big to me in the picture. The information in the blog changes my interpretation and observation by things may not be what they seem at first. I need to look more into detail at what I am observing.
According to the techniques we had learned in class, after observing this photograph I visualized women in this picture who wore same color of dresses, and covered the whole body accept for hands and face. Moreover, I had also observed and made a judgment that it’s a store where many things that made out of embroidery or needlework. Furthermore, I acknowledge that this is a picture of time period where women are only allowed to make things out of needle and sold them to the public or customers. However, after reading the blog under the picture it affected my perception on that piece of source, and the reason is the way I was judging the picture and what it had showed to me. As Result, now I know that this piece of art existed in this very place Brooklyn around 19th century, and still exist but not with the same store.
My 1st glance at this picture without looking at any details I would have guessed that it was some type of bakery. Then as I slowly examine the details such as banners, building structure, flooring, materials used in the building I came to realize it was a fabric store that also provided trimming to best fit the customer. A fabric store that was being filled with females to do the jobs such as sales and making the merchandise. As I read the description of the photo I start to learn that the shop did not only sell fabric but also providing different services such as also selling earrings. I have learned that this specific store owned by Namm had just started out with a small store and expanded in Brooklyn becoming one of the largest department stores in the United States and having 1,200 working employees. After reading the description it gave me a different point of view of the picture and made me realize I needed to look more into the details.
Many may just take a quick look at the photograph and assume that its old. The quality of the picture gives out a hint of the time period the picture was taken. From the elegant look of the dress I can assume that they are high class, yet during that time many women dressed alike. A way to distinguish the difference between the rich and the poor was with what they had and how much layering of clothes was on them. You can also see that there are only women in this photograph which is confusing in a way because one is unable to tell if some women may work there since during that time women were not allowed to work. The store looks more like a whole sale store due to the quantity of items that are boxed on display. On the description I realized that this building still exist. Everyday we walk around Brooklyn without even realizing that some building around us are way older then our parents or even grandparents.
Looking at this picture it seems really interesting to see how the women would have to dress back then. In the photo it looks like the woman are on line waiting for some one who works there. Also in the photo you can see woman behind the counter and I think one man. You can also see stools on one side. You can tell that maybe these woman make their own clothes or just make clothes in general. The reason I say this is because you can see the signs on the wall. It looks like there are small boxes on the counter or what it appears to be small little boxes.
The photo itself looks like an old photo to me. Looking at this picture I noticed that there were women dressed in long black robes. It looked to me like a place for women to shop for things like embroidery materials such as beads. I noticed that there were six people behind the counter and four women just coming in. Therefore I came to the conclusion that it could be a well-known shop which usually received many customers. I think this because the store looks stocked up with items to sell. The photo itself looks like an old photo to me. I also noticed that there were stools on the left side of the photo. Therefore I believe people use to socialize there. Based on the text under the photo, this picture is of a department store. It was owned by Namm who moved his business from Manhattan to Brooklyn. By the 1920’s it became one of the largest department stores in the United States. The information provided made me realize that there are a lot of things that I don’t know about Brooklyn and the stores that were once there.
At first I see the signs that read “embroidery materials” and “upholstery trimmings”. I don’t know much about embroidery or upholstery but I do know that they have something to do with clothing so I assumed it was a clothing store of some kind that also sold materials used to make and fix clothing. I also guessed from the dresses the women are wearing and from the fact that the picture is black and white that this photo might have been taken in late 19th century to early 20th century. These also seem to be women from working class families. The blog post says the store was a block-long complex and one of the largest department stores in the US but just by looking at the picture I would never have guessed that.
This photograph is a black and white picture that shows people lining up to buy materials used for embroidery. I can see about two males behind the counter selling the products and the rest of the employees and consumers are all females. The way the store looks, it looks like the modern ice cream stores because the counter is transparent and there are rectangles inside that are filled with different things, probably to let buyers see what they want to buy but not touch it unless they have a worker’s help. I understand that this is a store but I fail to see if there is any hidden meaning behind it, though judging from the information under the picture I can say that the purpose of the photograph was to show how a small little store like that would turn into one of the biggest department stores in the United States.
This is certainly not the only photograph of A.I. Namm and Sons Department Store, and I’m sure that if we started looking at others, we’d notice patterns emerging about people’s attire, about the ways photographs looked at the turn of the century, about the design of the store, among other details.
Why would I ask you to look at this photograph? I’m interested in its location and in its proprietor. Does anyone know why?
I found this blog post on The Virtual Dime Museum: Adventures in Old New York, and loved adding to my knowledge of the history of the store with something so specific–a paper bag with printed information about the store–and yet so ephemeral. I can imagine that the person who preserved it did so not because it was worth saving, but because it held something worth saving.
When I First looked at this photograph, I thought of women shopping for fabric. Its very hard to tell whether or not their rich or poor because at the time this photo was taken , women weren’t allowed to work, so they would have to buy fabric and make their clothes themselves. However, after reading the little fun fact , I learned that the store the women were shopping in become one of the largest department stores not only in New York but in the Untied States, I don’t know why , but I thought of MACYS , because of the location.