Turks-in-Gotham-1851-Bloomer-parody

"Halloo! Turks in Gotham!", an 1851 caricature print, satirizing the feminist "Bloomer costume" (skirts considered short at the time worn over ankle-length harem pants) as being similar to Ottoman Turkish attire, with the comic premise that from wearing Bloomers it's only one additional small step to going whole hog and adopting full Turkish clothing (or rather, the caricaturist's humorous version of Turkish clothing) -- down to the lady's parasol, which has a crescent on top. ("Gotham" is of course the old nickname of New York City.)

For additional (but somewhat unrelated) humorous effect, the woman is smoking a cigar, which was one standard method Victorian caricaturists used to signal an unwomanly woman.

Caricature caption: "Mrs. Turkey having attended Mrs. Oaks-Smith's Lecture on the Emancipation Dress, resolves at once to give a start to the New Fashion, and in order to do it with more Effect, she wants Mr. Turkey to join her in this bold Attempt."

(The word "bold" was emphasized by the caricaturist, because in 1851, women weren't really supposed to be bold -- in many contexts, the word "bold" as applied to a woman would be an insult.)

Bibliographic information at LoC:

TITLE: Halloo! Turks in Gotham

CALL NUMBER: PC/US - 1851.A000, no. 18 (A size) <P&P>[P&P]

REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-89604 (b&w film copy neg.)

MEDIUM: 1 print : lithograph.

CREATED/PUBLISHED: 1851.

NOTES: Title appears as it is written on the item. Signed in stone: WA.

SUBJECTS:

Women--Clothing & dress--New York (State)--New York--1850-1860.

FORMAT: Political cartoons. Lithographs.

DIGITAL ID: (b&w film copy neg.) cph 3b35975 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b35975