things that would be different: -presents - These are a pull in from Christianity. The boys with parents or culturally aware adults are more likely get some small amount of pocket money to gamble with -the food - Jelly Donuts–sufganiya is a Hebrew term, and they’d be more likely to know them by European names -the Yiddish term is ponchik, German is Berliner, Polish is Paczki Russian is Ponchiki Latkes would likely be the same, but both they and pontshke (plural for ponchik) would be more likely to be fried in chicken fat (schmaltz) or goose fat, not oil. This also means that the pontshke wouldn’t have custard* and the latkes wouldn’t have sour cream *it would also break the laws of kashrut to eat it with something cooked in schmaltz aka it wouldn’t be kosher cause mi l k and dairy together are no go’s (Modern sufganiyot is normally fried in vegetable oil to avoid this issue) things that would be the same: -Menorahs would still be lit at sunset, either increasing or decreasing one light every night depending on tradition. They’d be more likely to be used for light though rather than purely ritual purposes -Ma o tzur, though most other Hannukkah songs we know of/can think of are newer -Dreidl - it is not a stretch to imagine that it was very popular among newsies, who were already known for playing dice things we’re not sure about: -i don’t know if they’d be lighting candles or if they’d be sticking wicks in schmaltz or what kind of feel like candles, but we’re not sure which it would be exactly
This post will be added to as we come up with more stuff!
now that the holiday season is starting here’s a reminder
the jacobs, the delanceys, wiesel, katherine, pulitzer, and i think jack are all jewish
please don’t draw/write them celebrating christmas
thank you
Yes, this, but please if you’re doing any fic rooted in historical canon, while Katherine/Pulitzer are Jewish, Katherine by patrilineal line, Pulitzer made a super big deal about renouncing any connection he had to being Jewish So he celebrated Christmas, kept a Christian calendar, it’s all because the antisemitism he would’ve faced was worse than not celebrating his holidays if that makes sense? Religion was seen differently, and there even were lots of records of immigrated Jews celebrating Christmas once they arrived in the states because it was just considered the American thing to do, and assimilation was better than preserving a pure culture
Hello!! I’m trying to procrastinate on a ton of work atm, and while I am putting together another BIG info post that should be coming out later this week, if you want to know any questions about our boys or labor law (guess who is maybe declaring their specialty at the end of the semester????) or NYC or the 1800s or American history in general, please feel compelled to do so. I miss all of you! Hugs and love,
A ticket to a movie would have cost anywhere from a Nickle to a dime for a viewing. Films would be running 5 to 8 minutes long; and they were called “one reelers” earlier in the period. A short list of films released in 1899 with their run times. Keep in mind each viewing would be a Nickle.
the newsies would absolutely protest for blm every night no matter the tear gas or curfews but some of the fandom isn’t ready to have that conversation.
This blog supports all social movements looking to better society. Black Lives Matter.
This is not a headcanon, and may be considered a controversial idea, but rather than looking at a piece of fictionalized media as a factual reference source, we as a fandom need to separate the source material (aka the strike) from the fictionalized media (the movie and stage production). If you would like to include more women in your fanfiction or productions, you do you, go right ahead, but don’t claim historic accuracy. If you are looking to romanticize the poverty and hardship the boys went through by reducing them all down to children, this blog is not going to give you the basis for that.
When wanting women and girls to be included among the historic newsboy strike or among fandom spaces, we need to acknowledge that our labor laws we have today in the US were created based on the abuse and the deaths of millions of lower class, primarily immigrant women who worked in factories and sweatshops. Women were the ones to effect change in strikes, to hold the picket lines, to bring attention to the injustices that were faced.
Just one example, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory tragedy, of the 146 deaths, 123 of those were women. They were literally locked inside a burning building, and forced to jump out of a 12-14 story building or be suffocated or burned to death. This history is horrifying. It makes my stomach hurt just to think about it, because at the end of the day, realistically, many of us on this website would have historically been there, working 14-18 hour days for pennies.
As for divorcing the source material from the show or movie, the newsboys lost their strike. No matter what the musical may say. They only got one of their demands, and at the end of the day, it took adults to make the changes. This is a much more depressive view of the events than the musical portrays. When studying history, it is important to keep in mind that even if you do not like how something turned out, you can not deny it. You can not change something just because it does not fit how you would like it.
The newsboys should not be romanticized. Hundreds, close to a thousand, of CHILDREN, CHILDREN died each year as newsboys. And that is not counting those that fell sick or were injured in other jobs. Boys living in the lodging houses who passed were placed into blank pine boxes, without their names attached, without anyone there to mourn them and their small pine boxes were stacked in wagons just high enough to not tip on their way to mass burials. Here is the source for those of you who want to read, unfortunately, it’s behind a paywall that I get access to through my work. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3790564?seq=1
This stuff is depressing as F&%#. And I’m sorry for this long post but it needed to be said. Though Newsies is a musical, it is not a Disney-perfect story.
A paraphrased quote from Dave Simmons, leader of the strike, from his rally speech. “ 10% girls, beggars, physically disabled, old women, black people, and such “
Paraphrased due to ableist and racist language, full Quote here
Mr. Jacobs Job: $12.00 Weekly Mrs. Jacobs Laundry: $3.50 Weekly Sarah’s Lace Making: $0.50 Weekly Davey Attending School Les Attending School
Yearly family budget: ~$800 a year
Rent would be about $10-$13 a month => $120-$156 a year Yearly cost for food about $320 Davey Schooling if private school $75 a semester (most likely helped with philanthropic efforts) $150 a year [I found lists of private secondary schools and averaged the lower price ones together]
Between Food, Housing, and Davey’s schooling alone, the Jacobs after a year would have to spend a minimum of $600 on necessities I have not included other necessities like fuel such as coal, or oil for lighting. That would leave $16 a month for anything that was not a bare necessity, any new clothes, possible healthcare needs, donations for their shul or other charitable organizations, extra sugar for a baked treat, money enough to take a trolley rather than walking, etc.
The Bureau of Labor listed a yearly budget of $718 in 1908 for a family of five that were mill workers as having a “fair” Living condition. NYC even back in the late 1800s had higher prices for almost everything, so I would equate the Jacobs’ living situation to be fair.
It is also understandable why the Jacobs were so panicked when Mr. Jacobs was unable to work. His rather large economic contribution to the family kept them in a comfortable position.
I hope this provided some good and useful information! And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Department store workers,on their lunch break, ca.1900.
Mood:Vintage
Here’s a very good look at what some middle class women might be wearing! Any of these looks would be very good for a Katherine inspiration! (I especially love the one on the far left)
Hello! So I promised a second part and look at that I’m actually following through in a timely manner! So Katherine’s post yesterday was Really Long, today’s about Sarah will be shorter.
The first garment again will be a chemise, hers will probably be much plainer, worn and patched from many repeated washings.
Next will once again be stockings and shoes, her stockings would most likely be black and once again, mended many times. Also, they most likely would be made out of wool or cotton, not silk like Katherine’s. Some might have some decoration around the ankles called “clocking” but Sarah’s would probably not have this.
Sarah’s shoes would be second hand, they’re one of the most expensive parts of the average person’s wardrobe. She would need sturdy comfortable shoes for standing and working long days. (I know what the date says on the label, but from images, these are closer to what she would wear)
As for a corset, she may not actually wear one. (This is the only time I will approve of a female character not wearing a corset.) But this is dependent on her financial status and also how recently the Jacobs immigrated. If they had been in the States for a while already, Sarah would most likely want to assimilate and get a corset but Mrs. Jacobs most likely is not wearing one. Feel free to figure that all out. For my purposes, I am saying she isn’t wearing one.
In winter, She would probably layer some flannel underwear. It would be made out of wool and it’s a very very warm garment. If she wore this, it would be under her chemise or she may have a separate pair of drawers/ shirt she could wear over her chemise.
For her final layers, a shirt waist would be worn. These were made very cheaply in mass production so here is where a bit of extra money might be spent for some decoration.
And then A skirt, made out of a lightweight wool in a dark blue, black or brown. She may wear a petticoat underneath but if so, only one, maybe two in the winter and they would be very simple. The skirt length would be at least above the top of the foot, most likely at the ankle especially if she is not doing factory work as if you are carrying items in your arms, you won’t have a hand free to lift your skirt as you walk up the stairs. Certain kinds of factory work allowed women to dress slightly more fashionably due to higher wages, a static position and less danger of the equipment. Someone in a Mill for example would want their skirts higher to not risk getting them caught in the machines or to be sweeping up all the gross crap that had fallen on the floor.
The final layer would be an apron. If Sarah is doing factory work like spinning, weaving or the like, she will most likely be wearing an apron like the lady on the left where it has a blouse part. For work around the home or if she were doing factory work like sewing, the apron on the right is more commonly seen. Personally, I believe that this would be a personal preference as to what would rather be worn. For example, working in a mill, it is much messier work than say sewing shirt waists where you will just get thread and such in your lap rather than risk oil or a substance getting on your blouse.
Hats were seen much more rarely on very poor women. Instead, they may tie handkerchiefs around their hair when going out. Once Sarah had been working for a while and saved up some pocket money, her first spend would probably be on a hat to be a bit more fashionable. Hats were the easiest accessory to have because you could keep the base (or blank in technical terms) from year to year and then only need to buy new trim or decorations every couple of seasons. By the end of the century, hats were getting very very large and were secured with hatpins.
I hope that this helped in writing and seeing the differences in Katherine vs. Sarah! As always, any questions, feel free to send in an ask! Hugs and Love, Mod Syd
I recently found a copy of a Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog from the early 1900s, and I decided to use it to look into roughly how much basic art supplies would have cost Jack in 1899.
For reference- 1 dollar in 1900 is equal to about $30.46 in 2018, and if a newsie were to sell 100 papers in a day he would make about $0.50 (not counting what he would, of course, spend on food and lodgings, and any tips he may have received).
Sheets of drawing paper ranged in price from $0.18 per quire (a quire is equal to 24 sheets) to $4.65 per quire, depending on the size and type of paper.
Sketchbooks also ranged in price depending on the size, from $0.22 each to $0.60 each.
Drawing pencils cost $0.08 each for regular ones and $0.19 each for ones with “movable leads” (I’m guessing an early form of mechanical pencils). Individual refills for the pencil leads cost $0.48 for a box of 6.
Colored pencils cost $0.09 each, or $0.54 for a case of 6 colors.
French Charcoal cost $0.15 for a box of 50 6-inch long sticks and $0.35 for a box of 50 8-inch long sticks.
Paintbrushes cost anywhere from $0.05 to $0.35 each depending on the specifics of that particular brush.
Oil paints in a single tube cost $0.05 each and $0.55 for a dozen, and oil paints in a double tube cost $0.08 each and $0.90 for a dozen. They came in a wide array of colors, including “Burnt Roman Ochre”, “Mummy”, “Prussian Blue”, and “Scarlet Lake”.
Bottles of India Ink ranged in price from $0.10 to $0.25 each based on the size of the bottle.
Hi Yall, I hope you had a nice winter holiday season and your new year is going splendidly so far! I’ve decided to take this moment to discuss the differences between Katherine and Sarah’s clothes, because there would be A Lot of difference there. So let’s begin today with just Katherine! (Long Post Warning so below the cut)
Katherine
The First thing she’d put on is a chemise. This would be a sleeveless garment that she’d wear to prevent chafing of her corset. (Any time you see someone wear a corset without something underneath it in a movie, know that that is Wrong. Seriously. Nothing feels good)
After that would be stockings and shoes (trust me, easier to put on now rather than later) Stockings could be very colorful and have patterns on them! They’d be held up by being tied under or over the knee with garters which were basically wool ribbons. Stockings could be out of silk or cotton or wool.
Shoes! These would go to a bit above the ankle and provide very good support. She would need a button hook to close them but they’re very easy to put on and take off with practice.
The next would be a pair of Drawers. These have an open crotch and are worn over the chemise, tying around the waist.
After that would be her corset. Every respectable lady wore one when out in public, and often in her own home as well. (Think of it like a bra, almost every women wears one but you can take it off at home, of course, there are some that don’t just as there were back in the day) The corset would not hurt Katherine.* It was custom made to her, she will be used to it. But changing styles are happening and it is starting to shift from the traditional hourglass style to the later s-bend style. *the most she would be able to reduce her waist by is about 3 inches, after that, organs come in to play and they’re not easily moved
After the corset would most likely come two petticoats, the first would be about knee long, the second would be midway between the bottom of the calf and the ankle. (In the winter these would be made of wool flannel and are very very warm. Layer Layer Layer!) Additionally, they could be very decorated if desired.
Final Petticoat would be a duster or dust petticoat. This petticoat would be the most commonly washes and many times had a big ruffle that was removable to be washed, it prolonged the life of the garment. Especially if there was any sort of train to the skirt.
Done with the skirts! (For now *evil laugh*) Katherine would be wearing a corset cover. this is basically like a button up tank top. She’d wear this over her corset so that it wouldn’t show through once she put her bodice on. For fancier occasions, they could have ruffles sewn in to act as “bust improvers”
NOW FINALLY COMES THE OUTER LAYERS
A shirtwaist would be worn, basically a blouse, not much to say here. Hers would most likely be out of silk or a fine cotton for the summer while more common ones would be of poorer quality cloth. Also, she probably would have more lace/decoration.
A skirt would then be worn but unfortunately I can’t find any good pictures :(((( Personally though, I think that Katherine would be wearing a suit. It would be professional, low fuss yet also stylish.
For the Meeting with her dad, she probably would have worn a proper dress. A day dress like this would also be a bodice and skirt but they coordinate.
Now Last but not least! A Hat! No respectable women went out without at least something on her head. Decoration was really up to the wearer
To complete the outfit, gloves would be worn in either a white, brown, or black
And that’s it! I’m sure I missed something! Thank you so much for getting this far and as always, if you have any questions, feel free to send in an ask! Hugs & Love, Mod Syd
Assuming Race is able to push 150 papes in the morning and 100 in the evening, he would sell 1600 papes a week. This means he’d make $16 dollars a week give or take. But, he’d need to spend $9.60 just to *buy* those papers. He’d make $6.40 in profit a week
lmao i know all i talk about is mexican jack kelly but jack would be one of those annoying bitches to sing the whole mariachi de las mañanitas on birthdays instead of the shortened version
the best part of 92sies is in the world will know where jack is like “are we nothing?!” and the rest of the newsies reply like “YEAH!!” and davey’s like “NOOO!!!”
Race: Spot freaked out ‘cause I told him I never drink water, so now he’s making me drink eight glasses a day. It’s like, there’s water in soda, there’s water in coffee, there’s little pools of water on pizza-
