Thursday, March 03, 2011

A LOVELY PORTRAIT

Ref: 47
Title: Liverpool diocese nurse.
Date: Around 1910
Location: Liverpool
Creator: Unknown
Description:
Many of the nurses and doctors that visited the Homes were not paid and worked in their free time for this good cause.
Rights: © The Children's Society


I was reading, over at The Thinking Housewife blog about nineteenth century waifs. After clicking one of the pictures, I was brought to a site which houses several photos of institutionalized children of that period and workers who cared for them.

I was so moved by this picture of this kindly looking nurse.  As the caption states, many of the nurses and doctors who tended to the children in institutional care were not paid, but rather did it as an act of charity.
It is also true that nursing was considered more than a profession, but a true vocation, as one is called to the consecrated life.  Many nurses and school teachers (also a vocation), were single women, as were quite a few missionary ladies, who devoted themselves to their life's work in the service of others. 

The website hosting this photo is fascinating and goes into much detail about the lives of the children cared for by the Waifs and Strays of England during the late Victorian and Edwardian times. Here is the site:
http://www.hiddenlives.org.uk/ 

3 comments:

  1. That is a sweet look and a sweet life..
    Rene
    THANKS for the visit to my place and your sweet words...

    ReplyDelete
  2. She does look like she has a welcoming lap and ready for hugs - my daughter is student teaching 5th grade - the teacher has a tape stretched across the floor with the words, don't step beyond this tape - she doesn't like the children getting into her space. On the other-hand - my daughter is getting to know the children and is willing to be touched and to hug them - they love her.
    Hope you have a blessed day,
    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks, Miss Gracie, and Kathy, your daughter will be the one they remember, even when they are old and in the nursing home they will remember their time with that sweet young teacher. Sorry I didn't post these comments before, but I have been away from the blog for awhile and did not know anyone had commented.

    ReplyDelete

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