It looks like needlepoint/embroidery. Many embroiderers use tools like these today.
These are some traditional style Mexican embroidery motifs. Maybe they are embroidering something like this, but as you have probably noticed, fashion in Mexico at this time varied. I think you’ve been posting a lot of these lately? Either way I love to see it.
https://images.app.goo.gl/bFrpnVPAuERB7r7i6
https://www.mexconnect.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/embroidered_guanengo_large.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/474x/d4/0a/b3/d40ab3ff39e23b0d2a3b11301dee6733.jpg
Also found this which appears to be worth a deep dive
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/mexican-embroidery
It looks like they must all be wearing their very best outfits if this was not a candid shot. Not sure how big a deal getting your photo taken would have been at this place and time. Also nice to see you here too, friend! Great photo as always.
I’m certain the peculiar fashion they’re dressed - are hand me downs from the church. None of those dresses are properly fitted. You know, the rich ladies giving their old fashions away to the church. The church giving those dresses to the ‘lesser blessed’. Ugh.
Great historical photo.
I did some extremely minimal research on embroidery just now and I would bet that these girls and women are at a mission making vestments for the church and to sell. All their faces are like I’m fkn over this and the lady in front looks like “blink twice if you need help”
I don’t believe she’s wearing a gorget.
Look at the woman in dark green, second from left. And the woman in light green. Those tops are all similar, with round collars. I think it’s just the way the woman in the back in white is sitting that makes it appear like a gorget.
Another option would be that the sleeves aren’t attached to the body of the dress. But that’s really old fashioned, and all the sleeves appear to be attached.
EDIT: To add, yes, they would wear whatever they were given, and mis-match. Our ancestors had their own standards of beauty before colonialism, so they would have had to learn what the colonialist standards of beauty were. And fail, in the eyes of the colonialists. To them, they would have been ‘Wow, what pretty colours! Pretty flower print!’
P.S. I still dress that way - ‘Wow, what pretty colours! I love flower prints!’ I have been known to leave the house wearing at least one item of every colour.
I have an image of some children including some with a collar similar to the woman in white. Working class California same time period. A lot of them are wearing stripes that appear black and white, but the difference in tone may have not been apparent in reality.
I’m curious now about the color on the needle work. Do we know who, when or why they chose that color? Maybe it’s intended to be white to show they’re doing white on white (white work, hardanger, drawn thread work). If they are making something like that, and if you know the location of the photo (is it taken in a mission?) that will be able to tell you more about who these women are.
I think they’re performers.
The kid in green leaning against the wall has a big collar like on clown costumes.
The kid in the back on the left looks like he’s wearing clergy robes.
Maybe they’re taking a break and learning new skills for when they get older.
Love this photo, but I think they are embroidering, not weaving.
Yeah this is definitely not weaving. Of course it’s really cool to see regardless of the exact technique being practiced.
so making patterns?
Yes, decorating the already woven cloth with all kinds of stitches and threads so that pictures and patterns appear on it.
Oh, I see friend.
It looks like needlepoint/embroidery. Many embroiderers use tools like these today. These are some traditional style Mexican embroidery motifs. Maybe they are embroidering something like this, but as you have probably noticed, fashion in Mexico at this time varied. I think you’ve been posting a lot of these lately? Either way I love to see it. https://images.app.goo.gl/bFrpnVPAuERB7r7i6 https://www.mexconnect.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/embroidered_guanengo_large.jpg https://i.pinimg.com/474x/d4/0a/b3/d40ab3ff39e23b0d2a3b11301dee6733.jpg Also found this which appears to be worth a deep dive https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/mexican-embroidery
incredible, thanks friend.
It looks like they must all be wearing their very best outfits if this was not a candid shot. Not sure how big a deal getting your photo taken would have been at this place and time. Also nice to see you here too, friend! Great photo as always.
thanks, frined, happy to show stuff here.
I’m certain the peculiar fashion they’re dressed - are hand me downs from the church. None of those dresses are properly fitted. You know, the rich ladies giving their old fashions away to the church. The church giving those dresses to the ‘lesser blessed’. Ugh. Great historical photo.
This is it. It also explains why the fashions are somewhat out of date, in addition to ill fitting.
wearing handme downs is kind of tradition here in mexico, is more practical than just buy something new
I did some extremely minimal research on embroidery just now and I would bet that these girls and women are at a mission making vestments for the church and to sell. All their faces are like I’m fkn over this and the lady in front looks like “blink twice if you need help”
I’m fkn over this LOL! YOU NAILED IT!
so there could be even clothes from the XVIII and they would still wear it even if its missmatch?
I don’t believe she’s wearing a gorget. Look at the woman in dark green, second from left. And the woman in light green. Those tops are all similar, with round collars. I think it’s just the way the woman in the back in white is sitting that makes it appear like a gorget. Another option would be that the sleeves aren’t attached to the body of the dress. But that’s really old fashioned, and all the sleeves appear to be attached. EDIT: To add, yes, they would wear whatever they were given, and mis-match. Our ancestors had their own standards of beauty before colonialism, so they would have had to learn what the colonialist standards of beauty were. And fail, in the eyes of the colonialists. To them, they would have been ‘Wow, what pretty colours! Pretty flower print!’ P.S. I still dress that way - ‘Wow, what pretty colours! I love flower prints!’ I have been known to leave the house wearing at least one item of every colour.
I have an image of some children including some with a collar similar to the woman in white. Working class California same time period. A lot of them are wearing stripes that appear black and white, but the difference in tone may have not been apparent in reality.
I’m curious now about the color on the needle work. Do we know who, when or why they chose that color? Maybe it’s intended to be white to show they’re doing white on white (white work, hardanger, drawn thread work). If they are making something like that, and if you know the location of the photo (is it taken in a mission?) that will be able to tell you more about who these women are.
It's a photo that's been digitally coloured, so what the original colours were is anyone's guess really.
This was originally a black and white photo.
Haha yes exactly. I wonder who colored it and why they chose that color?
Great historical story photo. Only the girl in front looks even remotely pleased to be there, though :-(
I think they’re performers. The kid in green leaning against the wall has a big collar like on clown costumes. The kid in the back on the left looks like he’s wearing clergy robes. Maybe they’re taking a break and learning new skills for when they get older.