Stitching Histories: Women in the Puerto Rican Clothing Industry between 1910-1930.

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Primary Sources and the Design of Research Projects" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This case study focuses on the reconstruction of stories of women who worked in the clothing industry, specifically dressmakers and seamstress in the Mercado neighborhood of San Juan, Puerto Rico, between 1910-1930. The aim of this research is to demonstrate the viability of using primary sources such as maps, population census and images to create a better understanding of this group. The information acquired was organized in a database that considers variables including the level of literacy, family composition, age groups, and generational characteristics. Also, the use of commercial registries permits the pinpointing of places where they most likely acquired tools and materials related to the aforementioned trades. The results of this study can be used as a point of reference for future investigations that will consider connecting this data to existing archaeological evidence, as well as promote the reassessment of women’s contribution to the local workforce.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• Primary Sources and the Design of Research Projects

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24736