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These videos show England in the early 1900s depcting women wearing a shawl of some sort that covers their hair. Was this a sense of religious modesty (after all, head covering occurred in Christianity in history) or was it a fashion trend?
First video seems like an Islamic propaganda (where they liken the English headcovering to the 'hijab'). Second video has an ironic, 'funny' title. Though both depict the reality.
Last edited by Ethereal; 01-02-2020 at 08:32 AM..
Reason: Second video was not working. Re-added the link.
Back in the day, women didn't wash their hair everyday like we tend to do. Immigrants entering the USA tended to live in tenements and didn't have running water so the hair didn't get washed as often. And they didn't have energy efficient homes, so it was typical for the women to wear a shawl around the house, and it could easily be pulled up to cover the head when it was cold outside.
I'm pretty sure it was to keep warm. These are working class women so it's not a fashion trend, it's just what they wore for practicality. Someone is trying to convince people that women always wore the hijab but it's not true. They wouldn't have worn these shawls indoors (unless the house was really cold.)
A hijab is worn for religious reasons out of modesty and the woman keeps it on indoors, not just outdoors. They seem to be made of silk so they're not for keeping warm.
I think the practice had a modesty component, too. Russian and Polish women wore babushkas, head scarves tied at the chin; "babushka" eventually became slang for grandmother or old lady. Remember all the pictures of Queen Victoria after Prince Albert died? She dressed in black and always covered her hair. In some societies married women did, or at least they kept it pulled back into a bun or braids; only the husband was allowed to see them with unbound hair.
So, it was never just a Muslim thing or even just a religious thing.
Sorry, I can't help but to say what I see. I didn't really see "English" faces. I swear, they look like immigrants from Europe and THERE it was norm to wear hardcovers by women. Also, notice hard physical labor they are doing. Just somehow does not match the "English girl" image. I could easily say it's shot somewhere in Poland. Those are just Slavic faces.
Also, see that snip I took. Looks like an Orthodox Jew in traditional hat. Poland, again.
So, it was never just a Muslim thing or even just a religious thing.
Agreed. Headcovering isn't only restricted to Islam. Other religions and cultures 'practise' it as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ukrkoz
Sorry, I can't help but to say what I see. I didn't really see "English" faces. I swear, they look like immigrants from Europe and THERE it was norm to wear hardcovers by women. Also, notice hard physical labor they are doing. Just somehow does not match the "English girl" image. I could easily say it's shot somewhere in Poland. Those are just Slavic faces.
Also, see that snip I took. Looks like an Orthodox Jew in traditional hat. Poland, again.
Not sure about the video with the Orthodox Jew in view (after all Jews have had immigrated to Europe from centuries ago), but the video with the women exiting a workplace was legitimately shot in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire (now Cumbria). According to Wikipedia, most employees there were Irish women (so perhaps it's in their tradition to the cover themselves?). Here is the full version of the video that depicts the Barrow Jute Workplace (start from 6:27):
Women in the US and UK also wore kerchiefs or scarves to protect their hair from wind or inclement weather.
During my lifetime, I saw this. These were usually women who "did their hair" in a "do" and had it done once a week.
In the very early pictures posted, it was because their hair did not look good. They couldn't wash it. Cold water flats and tenements, or shacks in Appalachia,
if you look at photos of the migrants through Ellis Island from any country, many woman covered their hair. Because it didn't look good. Not for modesty. Also, many peasants dressed this way.
When I became a nurse in the 1980s, I was issued a cap, which 20 years before was worn while working. By the 80s it was a symbolic custom.
Growing up in the 60s. men wore hats. "Ladies" often wore hats also. For style. Gradually it went out of style.
Here are some pictures of people from Ellis Island. I don't think their head coverings are anything more than blankets for warmth. In the non-steerage passengers, you can see some colorful folk hats. Some men wore hats also.
Hats (not shawls) were a sign of dignity and authority at one point in time. Military, Top Hats, police caps, Nurses caps - crowns.
20 stunning photos of ellis island immigrants
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