Looking through an Edwardian lens, this exhibition gives a visual insight into the portrayal of women in illustrations from various periodicals of the early 20th century. This has been made possible through the University of Exeter's fine art collection, which houses original works of art that illustrated these publications.

This exhibition has been researched, curated and written by undergraduate students reading Art History and Visual Culture at the University of Exeter.

Introduction

This exhibition will transport you back to Edwardian England. Guiding you through various portrayals of women drawn by male illustrators for prominent upper-middle class periodicals of the time. These include The Graphic, The Bystander and Punch, which were at their height of popularity. This exhibition will give you an insight into the mass production and consumption of the printed image and the impact that the women depicted had on the consumer.

The works of art curated for this online exhibition explore issues relating to the role of women in early 20th century society. These issues include the depiction of female fashion, class, and how ‘the gaze’ affects their representation on the illustrated page.

The Edwardian Era

The Edwardian era, also regarded as the 'Gilded Age', corresponded with the reign of King Edward VII. He was a modern ruler from 1901-1910 who lead an elite society and aristocracy that valued and promoted the arts and fashion during a time when the British Empire was at the height of its colonial power. The Edwardian period saw drastic changes within society through the introduction of innovative technological and societal advances of the early 20th century. An example of this is the mass production of printed images that appeared throughout periodicals. At this time, the women's suffrage movement was beginning to gain significant momentum, which challenged the traditional, passive role of women in the Edwardian Era.

The Women's Role in Edwardian Society

The Gaze

The Graphic

The Graphic magazine was first published December 4th, 1869, by Illustrated Newspapers Limited, co-founded by William Luson Thomas, who also worked as a wood-engraver. The publication ran for over 60 years under differing names such as The National Graphic and The Daily Graphic producing 3,266 issues. It was originally sold for a sixpence, equivalent to around £1.60 today, with a new issue published weekly. It covered news from both Britain and the British Empire, focusing on subjects from literature and art to science and sport. The Graphic catered to a middle-class audience who would have looked at the contents for information on contemporary society, celebrity, and human-interest stories.

The Royal Enclosure, Ascot

Frank Craig (1874-1918)

1905

Scottish Express, Euston

Gilbert Holiday (1879-1937)

Circa 1900- 1903

Gilbert Holiday was a British painter working during the resurgence of British sporting art in the early 20th century. He served as a gunner in the royal field artillery during WWI where his ability to capture fast-paced scenes was exemplified. He worked as an illustrator for a variety of periodicals such as The Graphic, Tatler, Illustrated London News and The Strand magazine. His artworks typically focused on elite male activities such as polo, riding and hunting. It can be estimated this image was created around 1900 - 1903 as this is when Gilbert Holiday published many of his works in The Graphic and the use of trains among the upper class was on the rise.

Holiday captured images that were in the movement and this image is no different. The artwork is portrayed in motion, as a busy and hectic scene.

The original artwork is a chalk sketch drawn on paper, it depicts aristocrats boarding the Scottish Express at Euston station for the shooting season. On the right-hand side a train is portrayed with one of its doors open, at the forefront of the scene are two women admiring their dogs.

The image is centred around the woman talking to the man and viewer's eyes are almost immediately drawn to her as she is the only figure fully depicted. Positioning her as the focal point suggests she is the ideal Edwardian women. In the background, the male train workers are handling passengers’ luggage and people are waiting to board the train. Holiday, in this sketch-like metropolitan scene has used the technique of chiaroscuro, the juxtaposition of light and dark, to engage the viewer.

The scene portrays the stark contrast between high society and the working class. The high-class women boarding the train are dressed in luxurious fur coats, extravagant hats and holding clutches. Through female fashion, this image is succumbing to the gaze as it caters to societal expectations on elite fashion and women’s passive role in society.

The Bystander

Lady with a Fan in a Chair

Charles H. Taffs (1876-1964)

1905

C.H. Taffs’ Lady with Fan in a Chair is an oil painting that was originally commissioned as the colour supplement for The Bystander magazine that was published on 3rd May 1905. The printed illustration of this painting was given the title In Maiden Meditation.

The inclusion of this painting as an illustration in The Bystander appealed to both the men and women of the upper-middle classes and was in keeping with the themes of lifestyle and fashion.

The subject is a fashionable woman in upper-middle class Edwardian society, who would have been admired for both her looks and her fashion. She, as the focal point, spans diagonally across the entire composition and is emphasised through the plain beige background. The warm tones in the brushstrokes frame her hair and highlight the pale skin of her exposed shoulders. She is positioned elegantly on the chair with her legs extended to show off her red evening gown. The use of impasto brushstrokes and a variety of red tones in the dress creates texture which catches the light, creating dimension and depth that draws us in. This makes the fabric look all the more expensive and elegant in order to heighten the admiration felt by the female viewer towards this outfit.

The depiction of this woman with upswept hair, rosy cheeks, fashionable clothing and a general theme of elegance and grace mimics the Gibson Girl look. The Gibson girl was an idealised feminine type at the beginning of the 20th century; popularised by the artist Charles Dana Gibson through his pen and ink illustrations. This ideal 'new woman' was less restricted by the patriarchal society and promoted a newfound independence that is seen through her confidence, style and looks.

At the same time, this ideal of beauty also appealed to the male audience and their obsession with the female body. The woman’s shoulders and bust are exposed by the off-the-shoulder neckline of her dress. This instils a voyeuristic response in the male viewer, who wishes to further unveil the female body. The dominant red tones create a sensual atmosphere, which presents the women as the object of male desire. The use of colour was carried through into the illustration in The Bystander. Furthermore, this woman appeals to the male viewer as it creates a standard for how women should dress.

The woman’s elegance and high fashion is, in turn, projected upon her husband. This appeases the male ego by raising his social status through her appearance to society. This image caters towards both the male and female gaze. It comments on how fashion is used to teach women to present themselves well as they are always being looked at and objectified, whilst also breaking them out of the constraints of a patriarchal society by embracing the confident look of the 'new woman'.

Golden Age of Illustration

Illustrated magazines, newspapers and books were at the height of popularity from the mid-19th century until the early 20th century and their images were vital to the success of these publications. This 'Golden Age of Illustration' coincided with the second industrial revolution during which new technologies were transforming how peole lived, worked and travelled.

The commercial demand for cheaper and faster print production drove forward innovative advancements in printmaking. This was seen through the developments of photomechanical methods such as line block and halftone, which promoted the mass-production, circulation and consumption of images. Illustrations provided an important role in how different classes navigated societal changes in the Edwardian era, such as the rise of labour movement, fears of Britain losing its imperial influence on world stage, and the feminist idea of the independent ‘New Woman'.

The images throughout this exhibition reinforced the boundaries of class distinctions and were concerned with illustrating contemporary life.

Printmaking

Illustrations were deemed as the best way to capture the speed and essence of everyday life. Parallel to this, a new style of tabloid journalism emerged no longer concerned with reinforcing moral instruction but with visually conveying entertainment and everyday pleasures through the use of shorter articles and opinions delivered in a conversational tone.

The innovative printmaking techniques meant that these illustrators broke from the artistic constraints of the reproductive process. Illustrators no longer had to draw in reverse or to an exact size and their work no longer needed to be interpreted by a wood engraver, which enabled the artist's individual styles to come to the forefront. However, illustrators still needed to be aware of the effects of reproductive process. The sharpness of the printed line was lost through photo-mechanical production and for images to be printed on cheap paper, artists needed to use a minimal amount of bold lines to form their work.

Click here to read more about printmaking processes

The Dog

Fred Pegram (1870-1937)

1904

Frederick Pegram was one of the most prolific magazine illustrators and cartoonists of his time. His work consisted of multiple mediums such as pencil, paint, watercolour, chalk and pastel.

In this drawing, the main focus is the two figures in the foreground. The man of the left of the composition seems to be introducing himself to the woman by taking off his hat and leaning forwards to engage in a polite bow.

Pegram cleverly introduces a sense of depth in the drawing through his use of contrasting tones. The main figures in the drawing are depicted with harsher shadows and more definitive outlines, whereas the background details are softer with lighter shades.

With observation of the architecture and actions of individuals within this piece, it seems as if they are standing on a pier, or a sidewalk overlooking water. Such a leisurely activity as promenading would often be associated with those of the upper class. This is further shown with the type of clothing they are wearing; the lady is dressed in a long fur coat, dress and floral hat. The man seems to match this elite style with a formal coat and bowler hat.

In the bottom right of the drawing, there is a small pug on a lead, also a symbol of high status and loyalty. The dog does not take up much space on the paper, but it makes a vital contribution hence the name 'The Dog'. It serves a purpose in that it is a conversation starter. There may even be an implication that it is the dog that lures the man into conversation and then marriage with the woman! It is the only aspect within the illustration that makes direct eye-contact to the viewer, maintaining the spectator’s engagement. Another interpretation of this could be a derogatory association with the woman through the similarities they possess (e.g. fur coat) and the title of the piece. The breed of dog which is portrayed in the piece is also an important factor. A pug is often viewed to be an unattractive dog, which reinforces the negative view of women.

Within this drawing the male gaze is not a pressing theme. Although the man is directly looking at the woman, instead of a possessive, objectifying gaze, it reflects a more polite, well-mannered conversation. This is an important factor which further reinforces their high social status and class.

Punch

Punch was a satirical middle-class magazine published between 1841 and 2002 and was an easy way for the middle-class readers to release frustration with the government by consuming the cartoons and articles in a leisurely fashion without any risk of consequences. Its slogan, “Why is Punch like the current government?” ...“Because it will be out soon” embodied what it set out to achieve, to poke fun at the middle and upper-class and British government.

In many ways the magazine was harmless, yet it did bring to light issues facing the country at the time through its columns and cartoons. The turn of the century saw Punch become a household name with many famous writers and actors working for the magazine. The Punch staff dined weekly at 'The Punch Table' where ideas for illustrations and columns for the next edition were conceived by the men present. This relaxed way of curating such a prominent publication is potentially one of the reasons it survived so long and so prosperously.

Punch can be viewed as a magazine written by men for men. Their illustrations depict the male ideals of women from different classes and how they should interact within society. Their presence in the periodical is there merely to accentuate the aims of Punch, rather than conveying women as members of Edwardian society who exist on their own terms.

Amateur Photographer

Tom Browne (1870-1910)

1904

Tom Browne was a popular illustrator and cartoonist who created this humorous pen and ink illustration to be published in Punch on 10 February 1904. Black sketch-like lines scatter the surface to suggest the bold outlines of these figurative forms.

In the foreground, to the left, the ‘amateur’ photographer who is placed at an angle, faces away from the viewer adopting a characteristic pose as he takes a photograph of the woman. The viewer is placed behind the camera creating a voyeuristic separation, where they anonymously objectify and project their own desires onto her passive image. Browne has visually codified the ‘amateur photographer’ through visual cues such as his unfitted, matching checked suit and vulgar-like stance, in order to differentiate him from the upper class 'gentleman photographer'. This represents the contemporary societal concerns about a ‘new’ kind of everyday photographer, who would lower the status of photography due to their lack of understanding of the camera (which had recently become an affordable commodity for a broader section of society).

This humorous dig at the ‘amateur photographer is further emphasised by the handwritten text seen below the illustration, stating:

Whilst this satirical sketch is making fun of the contemporary ‘amateur photographer’ it is catered towards the male gaze. We see this in the focal point of the tilted plane, where the posing woman is being displayed as the ‘image’, not only for the camera but for the Edwardian male gaze. She leans on the park bench, her head tilts down over her shoulder, whilst her right arm rests on her curved hip as she glances down at the camera. The woman is being objectified as this passive ‘image’ whose body is being used as a commodity of consumption to attract the male readers to the pleasures of periodical reading, which would promote Punch’s sales.

This objectification is conveyed though her frontal editorial pose and her fur shawl and upturned hat that cascades off her posing stance, accentuating her curving form.

A Fellow Feeling

Tom Browne (1870-1910)

1905

A Fellow Feeling was illustrated in 1905 by Tom Browne for the periodical Punch Magazine. It calls humorous attention to the wide social gaps in 20th century society. The women's clothing, as well as their posture and facial expressions, displays their differing class positions in society. To the left of the composition an older woman is illustrated relaxed in the comfort of her home, wearing simple clothing, her hair tied in a neat bun. Her plain, practical attire indicates her lower social standing. This heavily contrasts to the well-dressed women who’s sitting formally to her left. Her elaborate ruffled dress and decorative hat reflects her higher social status.

Much like other magazine illustrations at the time it is accompanied by a short text that gives it context:

This text creates a comedic aspect by highlighting how the characters are attempting to relate to one another, despite their different social standings, and failing in this endeavour.

It is interesting to note the reliance the image has on the text, without which the true meaning of the drawing would be lost upon the audience.

Lady and Vicar's Wife

FH Townsend (1868-1920)

1904

This indicates that the Vicar’s wife is indeed of lower status because she believed that a bibliophile was a lover of bibles rather than books. In its gentle social satires (as opposed to its political cartoons), Punch was always happy to make fun of its middle class readership. The point was that people should recognise themselves and familiar social situations. This illustration explores distinctions within middle-class life.

This illustration also demonstrates a male interpretation of a female interaction. There are no men present in the illustration meaning the interaction between the women would be genuine. Yet, as it is an illustration from the male gaze, it could not be an accurate representation of such a meeting. In this sense, the illustration demonstrates how female culture was commonly represented through a male lens within the patriarchal society of Edwardian Britain.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Naome Glanville, Arts and Culture University of Exeter for her dedicated time and assistance in bringing this project to life. Additionally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Catherine Flood for her contributions and support in providing us with valuable information. Her extensive knowledge and expertise in this subject matter have greatly enriched the content of our exhibition.

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