I'm not sure why I'm always so intimidated to begin a new project but, at the same time, absolutely thrilled and excited. I've been practicing and trying out several ideas in my sketchbook over the holiday and the supplies from A.Gallo paints in Italy are amazing and were so beautifully packaged! And I love the biscuit tin I found at Where On Earth Antiques to store everything. I hope I can do this project justice.
 "The commercial value of the human face was never tested to such an extent as it is at the present moment in these handy photographs. No man, or woman either, knows but some accident may elevate them to the position of hero of the hour and send up the value their countenances to a degree they never dreamed of." ~ Dr. Andrew Wynter, 1819-1876 A NEW YEAR & A NEW PROJECT! The status of women in the Victorian era was one of striking discrepancy between the United Kingdom's power and wealth and its appalling social conditions. During this era of Queen Victoria, women did not have the right to vote, sue, or if married, own property. Women were expected to live in the domestic sphere, to provide their families with a clean home, good meals, and to raise their children. Victorian women also labored within the paid workforce in increasing numbers following the Industrial Revolution. Their rights were extremely limited, losing ownership of their wages, their physical property, and bodily autonomy once married. Upon divorce, they had no rights to any property accumulated during marriage which left them impoverished. Feminist ideas spread among the educated middle classes, discriminatory laws were repealed, and the women's suffrage movement gained momentum in the last years of the Victorian era. The carte-de-visite, or visiting card, was a small format photograph that was more affordable and, therefore, accessible to both middle and upper classes, In an early form of social media, they were commonly traded among friends and visitors with the popularity and rapid uptake worldwide due to their relative cheapness led to the publication and collection of portraits of prominent persons. Photographers would pay a well-known sitter in return for the right to publish their photograph; “the person photographed was offered a flat fee ranging from 25 to 1000 dollars, depending upon notoriety, or a royalty based upon the number of copies sold.” The faces that attracted sales, or who already had some incidental notoriety, earned further celebrity. England’s copyright laws protected photographers' rights over those of the subject. Americans, as with citizens of other countries, were not only buying photographs of themselves, but also collecting photographs of celebrities. Women in particular found themselves vulnerable to having their pictures purchased by 'cads' who would boast that she had gifted them the image and, given the moral standards of the day, discovered their reputations 'tarnished'. PHOTOGRAPHS (Where on Earth Antiques): Hellis & Sons, a London-based (U.K.) photographic studios founded by Robert Hellis (1835-1895) in 1870; the studio with the most branches in 19th century London; also professor of magic-seances, 1878; partnership between William Henry Hellis, William Edward Morgan & Robert William Hellis dissolved January 1, 1928. (Tintype: Riley JB). MATERIALS GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY A.GALLO:  Each year I select a guiding word (Word-of-the-Year) for the year ahead and begin a new journal, something I've been doing for almost 20 years. It takes several months before I finally decide on the word and this year I've selected LISTEN. Last year I chose 'JOY' and it certainly was filled with joy, though not without its challenges. This year I want to pay more attention to what I really want and need in my life, and in order to do that, I think I need to listen more to the options available to me and to take time to consider if that is what I truly want or need. My husband has always told me that I don't need to make a decision quickly, and sometimes not at all, but that is sometimes a challenge for me as I often feel obligated to answer immediately. So, I'll take this time to slow down and consider things more carefully. I'm looking forward to that.
I never limit myself in these journals and include everything from to-do lists, quotes, dreams, sketches, and daily (when I feel like it) journalling. I even tape in my annual horoscope, photos or tickets from an event...whatever catches my eye/mind. And I always include whatever I am grateful for, from books I've read to sunrises to my home and family to new ideas. Anything goes. To see my previous choices and the reasons behind them, please visit my website here.  Every year at this time I like to think back over the past year and document some of the highlights. I find this helps to cement all of the wonderful opportunities and people I have the privilege to meet and work alongside. As always, I am so grateful for all of the support.
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