Description
48 full-length figures from a single 1887 chromolithograph card series, Occupations for Women — every card a woman shown at a trade, profession, uniformed post or pastime, in bright costume color on a plain ground. The whole series was drawn by one hand and printed in one shop, so all 48 sit together on a page.
The occupations
Trades & crafts
- Apothecary — holding a medicine bottle up to the light, a second bottle in hand
- Apprentice — the cobbler’s apprentice, carrying a finished boot in each hand
- Hairdresser — standing beside a bentwood salon chair, towel over her arm
- Miner — in a helmet with a pick and lantern, leaning on a rock
- Fisherman — rod over one shoulder, a fresh catch dangling from her hand
- Hunter — shotgun in hand, game bag at her hip, a dog at her feet
- Painter — palette and brushes in hand, in a yellow smock and beret
- Photographer — standing behind a wooden bellows camera on its tripod
- Sculptor — at her modeling stand, chisel raised to a small figure
- Servant — a maid in cap and apron, carrying a filled glass on the go
- Sweep — the chimney sweep in soot-black, coiled rope and brush at her side
- Journalist — at her writing desk, pen in hand, mid-sentence
Professions & public service
- Commercial Traveller — the traveling saleswoman, hat in hand, sample case at her feet
- Conductor — a streetcar conductor in numbered cap and jacket, fare punch ready
- Custom House Officer — opening a traveler’s trunk for inspection
- Door Keeper — in a fur-trimmed cape with a tall ceremonial staff
- Lawyer — in a black gown, brief under her arm
- Minister — in clerical black with a sash of office and medal
- Physician — the doctor with her medical bag and a red book
- Postman — holding out a letter, mail pouch at her hip
- Scholar — hand raised, declaiming, a book tucked under her arm
- Teacher — at the lectern, pointing at the lesson
- Tourist — with field glasses raised and an alpenstock, out sightseeing
Uniforms & parade
- Bandmaster — baton raised, leading the band
- Bodyguard — in a plumed shako and scarlet tunic
- Captain — a ship’s captain with telescope on her shoulder, at the rail
- Commissioner — the street porter with a basket on her arm and a parcel on her shoulder
- Drummer — a drummer with snare drum and sticks
- Fireman — in a fire helmet with axe and coiled hose
- Gendarme — a French police officer in cocked hat, rifle at her side
- General — in a cocked hat with epaulettes and sword
- Herald — in a tabard, holding the herald’s staff
- Hussar — a cavalry hussar in braided jacket, sword at her hip
- Imperial Counsellor — a court official in red coat and powdered wig, reading a dispatch
- King of the Amazons — crowned, in ermine-trimmed robes of state
- Policeman — in a green uniform and helmet, truncheon in hand
- Postillion — the coach rider with her post horn and whip
- Ulan — a lancer in the square-topped czapka cap
Sport & stage
- Aeronaut — the balloonist, holding the basket rope
- Athlete — in a leopard-print leotard, holding a kettlebell weight
- Boat Racer — in a rowing singlet with oar and cap
- Clown — in polka dots and a tufted cap, with her hoop
- Cyclist — standing beside a high-wheel bicycle
- Dandy — the fashionable gentleman in striped trousers, cane and cigar
- Fencing Master — with foil, glove and wire mask
- Gymnast — swinging a pair of Indian clubs
- Highwayman — in a plumed hat and cape, pistol drawn
- Jockey — in striped racing silks, whip in hand, leaning on the rail
What’s in the pack
- 48 transparent PNG cutouts, cleaned and brightened, about 2,200–2,500 px tall
- 48 full-card scans (JPEG) with the original printed border
- A SOURCES.txt in each part listing the museum object number for every file
- Four ZIP downloads (about 230 MB in all), split to match the four groups above
A natural fit for vintage and curiosity shops, market signage, stickers, tags, greeting cards, and any brand with a playful Victorian streak.
License
Included with every Ephemera Exchange membership. Use the files in personal and commercial work: products, packaging, tags and labels, signage, social media and advertising. You can’t resell or redistribute the files themselves. Read the full license.
Previews are watermarked and reduced in size. Member downloads are full resolution with no watermark.
