nmah sweatshop exhibition -- the seamstress

The Seamstress

Sewing Girl, from Harper's Bazaar,
February 18, 1871

Courtesy New York Library

Impoverished seamstresses were familiar figures in early-19th-century American cities, filling the needs of an expanding garment industry. Working at home, they stitched bundles of pre-cut fabric into clothing worn by Southern slaves, Western miners, and New England gentlemen. Dressmakers were responsible for producing an entire garment and could earn a decent wage. Seamstresses, however, were poorly compensated for work that was both physically demanding and unpredictable. Paid by the piece, seamstresses worked 16 hours a day during the busiest seasons, but their income rarely exceeded bare subsistence. Making matters worse, shop owners were notorious for finding fault with the finished garments and withholding payment. Consequently, seamstresses often relied on charity for their own and their families' survival.

Return to 1820-1880