Princess Louise of Orléans

Princess Louise Françoise Marie Laure of Orléans was a Princess of the Two-Sicilies and paternal great grandmother of King Felipe VI of Spain.

Sunday workwear with a white cravat

A 7 November 1880 “tableau de Wenzel” shows four women gathering olives, including one wearing a neat work costume with a white cravat and a yellow fichu over a white headcloth. The source notes the outfit seemed “too coquettish” for work, explained by the fact it was Sunday.

Quimper workers kept festal clothes apart

In Quimper (Brittany), rural workers could keep their everyday work clothes separate from festival clothing, sometimes commissioned for weddings. This made clothing a visible marker of identity and social position.

Large regional music competitions drew thousands

Musical societies frequently performed at regional competitions, such as one in 1891 in Aurillac that brought together over 1,000 performers to parade and compete.

Rural brass bands were popular musical associations

In the late 19th century, rural French brass bands often consisted of about 25 members, with many musicians starting as young as 8 or 9 years old.

Poor conditions for train passengers

During the late 19th century, trains were often poorly lit, forcing passengers to bring portable candles to read, and heating was only provided in first-class carriages using hot water bottles.

Walking was a common mode of travel

Ordinary people frequently traveled long distances on foot, with a common unit of measurement being the league, which roughly corresponded to one hour of walking.

Protective headgear for children

Children often wore protective headgear called a bourrelet, a thick tress of straw designed to shield them from bumps and falls.

Strict posture training devices

To encourage upright posture, children were sometimes forced to wear heavy wooden armatures shaped like a cross tied to their backs.

Worker food budget in Paris, 1885

In Paris around 1885, a working-class woman spent 1.20 francs per day on food, including 0.50 francs for a meal of boiled beef with vegetables and broth, 0.20 francs for wine, 0.15 francs for bread, and 0.15 francs for cheese.

The Ordinary Worker Lunch: Ordinaire

A typical working-class lunch, known as an ordinaire, consisted of boiled beef, broth, vegetables, cheese, bread, and wine for about one franc. Many workers saved money by eating only the broth and vegetables at lunch and taking the beef home for dinner.

Clothing costs for workers

A female worker in Paris around 1885 could purchase basic clothing items such as a shirt for 1.55 francs, a handkerchief for 0.20 francs, trousers for 1.75 francs, or a pair of stockings for 0.55 francs.

Wages for a female Paris worker

In Paris around 1885, a young female worker earned between 30 and 45 francs per week during the busy season, but this dropped to 12 or 15 francs during the off-season.

Memorable details of mining and daily diet

Lamp trimmers in mines were often young women responsible for maintaining and distributing lamps, which could contain over one hundred individual parts. At home, working-class families frequently relied on dried chestnuts boiled for four hours as a cheap, nutritious meal staple.

The grueling routine of Parisian water carriers

A Parisian water carrier transported water in two 20-liter buckets, making 35 to 40 trips daily while climbing up to the top floors of houses. This physically demanding work was often supplemented by wood sawing or moving furniture to earn extra income.