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March 1936. "Women washing clothes. Crabtree Recreational Project near Raleigh, North Carolina." 35mm nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
My wife, a slat bonnet historian, was wondering if the women were posed at the tubs. The dresses are plain, but a little too nice for wash day, and the women would probably be wearing aprons. The woman on the left has her rings on and has an inexpensive looking cameo pin. Their hands look wet, but yet we do not see a lot of wash day paraphernalia about. They are likely wash tub veterans, but are they only pretending for the camera?
[No. - Dave]
Madge would have had a great TV commercial for Palmolive with these women.
[First they had to invent the apostrophe. - Dave]
Wow, having you picture taken by a guy that will become one the greatest photographers of his generation. Even the great ones have to start somewhere.
This pic was taken just a few mins down the road from me in what is now Umstead State Park. Thanks Dave for a great local pic from the past!
Imagine the fun they had after they added some soap.
The faces say maybe 25 at the outside; the hands say 45.
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