Postcard from a serving girl
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Postcard from a serving girl
A postcard message sent to Miss Elsie Underwood, Bournemouth from Lil, recently employed as one of ten servants working at No.2 Wilton Crescent, London S.W. She mentiones a trip taken to the Tivoli with the Butler and the Footman
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Media ID 4400317
© Mary Evans/Grenville Collins Postcard Collection
Butler Crescent Employed Employment Footman Maid Message Post Card Servant Servants Serving Tivoli Trip Wilton
EDITORS COMMENTS
This postcard, sent from London's No.2 Wilton Crescent in 1905, bears the handwritten message of Lil, a newly employed servant among the ten who worked in the grand household. Addressed to Miss Elsie Underwood in Bournemouth, the message shares an exciting account of a recent outing with her colleagues, the Butler and the Footman, to the popular Tivoli Gardens. The Tivoli, a renowned amusement park and pleasure garden, was a popular destination for London's elite and their servants alike. This excursion, a rare moment of leisure for the servants, was an opportunity to momentarily escape the rigid hierarchy and monotonous routine of their daily lives. The scene on the postcard, with its vibrant colors and lively atmosphere, offers a glimpse into the social world of the servants, revealing the contrast between their work lives and the brief moments of pleasure they found in their off-hours. The image of Lil, dressed in her uniform, stands in stark contrast to the joy and freedom she expresses in her message. As a servant in a wealthy household, Lil's employment offered her a means of survival, but it also placed her in a lower social class. This postcard, with its heartfelt message and glimpse into the servants' world, serves as a poignant reminder of the complex social dynamics of the past. The Tivoli outing, though a simple pleasure, represented a moment of camaraderie and respite for Lil and her colleagues. The postcard, now over a century old, remains a testament to the human connection and shared experiences that transcend time and social class.
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