Anna Jane Bodine
Anna Jane Bodine when she was around 18 years old, in 1885.
Anna with a friend.
Anna and her husband, John Franklin Young.
Anna Jane Bodine was a resident of Mahwah who witnessed many changes throughout her lifetime. Anna was born on May 10, 1867, in Pennsylvania to Reverend John Vought Bodine and Margaret Hughes Kern Bodine, and she had six siblings: Ambrose, Peter Backner, Emma Elizabeth, Frank Manhardt, Catherine Sigmond, and William Diener. Anna married John Franklin Young in 1893 during a snowstorm, the two being married by her father. Anna and John also had six children together: Violet Ruth, Alta May, Mildred, John, Freda, and Frank. Unfortunately, tragedy struck in 1905 when Anna's husband died, and Anna was left to raise her many children on her own. To do so, she worked various jobs: in 1900 she was a school teacher, in 1910 she worked on a farm (she is listed in the 1910 U.S. Census as being farm "help"), and by 1920 she was a laundress. Anna also went to college, according to the 1940 U.S. census. By 1940 she was living in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Anna died on March 16, 1952 in Rockland County, New York. She is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Ramapo, New York.
Anna lived through a period of time where life changed rapidly, and so too did women's fashion. Though she may not have experienced every aspect of change that occurred outside of Mahwah, her own fashion choices reflect the overall trends that were shifting throughout the United States.
The first picture on this page was taken around 1885, when Anna was around eighteen years old. As per the style of the 1880s, Anna's hair is worn tightly against her head, and her bangs are curled. Her dress has a high neck, buttons to the top, and appears to be form-fitting.
The second and third pictures appear to have been taken around the same time, a little later in Anna's life. The picture of Anna and her husband, John, was most likely taken around 1893 when they were married. In this picture, Anna's hair is still close to her head with curled bangs, but her dress is slightly embellished with a bow tied in the front. In the picture of Anna and her friend, Anna is wearing a coat, hat, and gloves. The collar of her coat appears to be made of fur.
Anna in the early 1900s with two of her children, Mildred and Frank.
Anna with her children, around 1911 or 1912.
These next two pictures were taken in the early 1900s. The first one features Anna with two of her children, Mildred and Frank. Frank was born in 1905, so it is likely that this picture was taken between 1905 and 1907, as Frank is a toddler. Anna's clothing reveal subtle changes in fashion trends for women; her hair is no longer curled, and her dress is loose and simple, and includes puffy sleeves.
The second photo was taken quite later, in either 1911 or 1912. Here, Anna is surrounded by her children, the older daughters and herself wearing popular clothing of the time period. By this time, tailored blouses, skirts, and shirtwaists were in style. Anna's older daughters are wearing simple dresses, while it appears that Anna is wearing a simple blouse and skirt. None of their outfits are embellished, and are instead very plain and natural. Each dress also creates the same figure, with a puffy bosom, nipped in waist, and a long loose skirt.
An older Anna.
In this final picture of Anna, she is much older. She has maintained the style of her youth, but with minor changes. Her blouse includes some frills and embellishments, namely, the lace collar. The neck of her blouse is not as high as necks were during her teens.
As Anna grew older and her life changed, so too did her fashion choices. Anna was a very active woman, raising six children on her own while working as a teacher, a laundress, and helping on a farm. Her increasing activity was a necessity, but also reflected the conditions of women across the country, as more and more women began to enter the labor force. Styles of clothing changed in order to support women's more active lifestyles, and Anna's clothing also changed over time in order to support her own changing life.