Domesticity In Laura Wexler's Tender Violence

History is often relegated to the realm of old books and manuscripts telling the stories of the past. Laura Wexler and Kristin Hoganson rejected this view and brought the domestic life of 19th and early 20th century women to life through their visual analysis. Laura Wexler’s Tender Violence examines the photography of 19th century women showing their perspective on United States international policies and the interracial interactions that shaped the female experiences in the American South and West. Kristin Hoganson’s Consumers’ Imperium, in contrast, examines the interactions of white, middle class women with the international marketplace and its impact on home life as documented in women’s magazines and the records of travel clubs. Although

Consumer’s Imperium employs two definitions of domesticity. First, domesticity refers to products and practices originating in the United States in contrast with the imported products that captivated American consumers. Then, domestic culture refers to household life and culture usually considered reflections on feminine culture. Hoganson examines the fascination of American women with international products and designs and how their incorporation of these elements into their homes and social lives reinforced Americans perceived place in global culture and international

Wexler argues that the same middle-class identity that enabled women to become photographers also made compliant in the subjection of minority groups and the working class. Alice Austen’s photography in Street Types of New York documents the working class on the streets of New York. She shows people at work and shows them in their context; however, the egg sellers and cab drivers are only shown within the context of their work rather than their intimate lives as emphasized by the inclusion of Austen’s personal photographs which show her relatively relaxed middle class world The working class are explicitly confined within their work while the middle and upper classes can afford leisure and relaxation. Austen documents their existence, but does not take the time or effort to show their truly intimate