Visual complexity of women's streetwear in photographs, 1839 to 1929

Clothing adaptations of Civil War amputees

“…Several studies (Feather, Martin, & Miller, 1979;Wingate, Kaiser, & Freeman. 1985-1986 took the emic perspective, the point of view of the disabled person, and inquired into how disabled wearers felt about "special needs" garments. Most studies, such as those by Ewald (1975), ' Goldsworthy (1981), Hoffman (1979), Kernaleguen (1978), and Winkler (1977), focused on the physical needs and functional features for the clothing.…”

“…However, many of the functional features of special needs clothing may draw attention to the disability and actually add to the stigma. Therefore, adaptations should be inconspicuous so the garment looks as much like current fashions as possible (Atkin, 1987;Freeman, Kaiser, & Wingate, 1985-1986Goldsworthy, 1981;Newton, 1976).…”

“…Grounds (1988), Jasper (1982), and Wass and Eicher (1980) used photos to determine the modal dress of three different cultures. Rhen (1986) analyzed historic photographs to study the Change in visual complexity of women's streetclothes. The purpose of a study by Littrell and Evers (1985) (Glasson, 1918).…”

“…I developed a data collection worksheet for analyzing photographs and images (Appendix B) based on the worksheets used by Grounds (1988) and Rhen (1986) If our men were brave on the field, they were still braver in the hospital, I can conceive that it may be easy to face death on the battlefield, when the pulses are maddened by the superhuman desire for victory, -when the roar of the artillery, the cheers of the officers, the call of the bugles, the shout and charge and rush impel to action, and deaden reflection. But to lie suffering in a hospital bed for months, cared for as a matter of routine and form, one's name dropped, and one only known as "Number 10," "Number 20," or "Number 50;" with no companionship, no affection, none of the tender assiduities of home nursing, hearing from home irregularly and at rare intervals, utterly alone in the midst of hundreds; sick, in pain, sore-hearted and depressed,-I declare this requires more courage to endure, than to face the most tragiC death.…”