A British Lady

During the Victorian era, the word "lady" carried a great deal of weight; indeed, particularly in England, the term was used to define a woman's social status as a member of the upper classes. One only needs to glance at this striking image from the early 1860s to see that this beautiful young woman was a lady of significant stature and must have made heads turn when she entered a room wearing this gorgeous, but cumbersome crinoline hoopskirt. It looks absolutely majestic, but it must have been a tad difficult to move around in that thing! A closer inspection also reveals this British lady was wearing a hairnet, or snood, and also a cross pendant around her neck. She definitely was a lady of style and substance, but leaves us wondering who she really was. The backside of the photograph tells us it was taken at the studio of "E. Swift & Son Artists & Photographers, 126 Bold Street, Liverpool." Interestingly, Bold Street is one of the most famous streets in all of Liverpool, famous today for its shops and also purported to be haunted. For more, see http://www.icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0300whatson/0800events/2003/10/30/let-s-do-time-warp-again-50061-13572570/