Abstract
In the late-nineteenth century American middle-class women often searched for ways to earn money, hoping to discover alternatives to the menial and low-paying jobs usually open to females. Following the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, these women capitalized on growing interest in art, aesthetics, and home beautification. They established Societies of Decorative Art and Schools of Art Needlework, self-help organizations which provided salesrooms to market fashionable needlework, art, and crafts on consignment. The initial success of these efforts helped participants build confidence, but in the final analysis art needlework proved no better a means of self-support than plying the needle in the garment trades. The ultimate failure of the art needlework experiment helped convince women that they would have to push for educational and career opportunities traditionally closed to them.
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