Happy Labor Day to all my readers, friends, followers, and lurkers who live in the States and Canada. So glad you took time to visit while you are enjoying this three day holiday. Today is designated as a day of rest, which is what I intend to do. I found it surprising to learn that Labor Day has a checkered past that’s deeply embedded in the history of the American labor movement. And while Labor Day has spread around the world in different forms, it has distinctly American roots, much like the tenacious roots of my bamboo.
The modern holiday unofficially began on September 5, 1882, when 10,000 workers took an
unpaid day-off to honor the labor force of America. The idea for a general labor festival may have originated in Canada,
which also celebrates “Labour Day” on the first Monday in September. Until Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, workers were not paid
if they chose to participate in parades and celebrations. If you live in Canada or the U.S., enjoy your final summer festival with a picnic, fireworks, binge on TV marathons, or spend time at the lake or beach. In other words, relax and enjoy the extra day off work.
Now let's join Wendy, our host this month at Art Journal Journey, with her theme which is Vintage.
Today I give you The Gibson Girl. One of the most iconic features of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was this lovely beauty 
created by the pen of illustrator Charles Dana Gibson. Although Gibson was also known for his humorous drawings, and later, his oil paintings, he is best known for creating the Gibson Girl. BTW, I didn't notice that I misspelled individuals until I had added this photo to my blog post!
These are considered composites of many beautiful young women who represented the upper middle class.
The Gibson Girl was always stylish. She wore the latest clothes and stylish fashions.
Gibson Girls were competent, youthful, and self assured. They might smile, but never laugh.
Gibson's most famous drawings were of the Gibson Girl. 
Her hair was always piled high in curls and often in bouffant style.
The Gibson Girl was athletic and emancipated.
For this page, I started with my current go-to background of two colors of Staz-on reinkers mixed with 91% isopropyl alcohol. I computer generated the text and fussy cut all the Gibson Girls I copied from
this book (put out by Dover Publishing) which contained nearly 150 pages and hundreds of images of the Gibson Girl, as well as information about Gibson and his favorite subjects. Since these images (and the information) came from various book pages, I'm joining the lovely ladies at Try it on Tuesday with their latest theme which is to Use Book Pages.
Dollar Exchange Rate
24 thoughtful remarks:
Classy and elegant page just like Gibson's drawings.
A lovely page.
Happy Labor Day. And how nice that it is celebrated as a day of rest.
Wonderful page, Elizabeth, I always love the Gibson girls, and have them as stamps. Those Dover books are great, too, I have several and they are always a good source of information and pictures. Happy Labour Day, hugs, Valerie
Thanks for the information on Labor Day, I only new it as an American Day of rest.
Thanks also for the information on the Gibson Girls, I had no idea why they were called that but I did buy several rubber stamps of their images when I first began stamping. Their beauty interested me, I love faces, and so they became a regular feature of my early cards etc.
A lovely page which has got me wondering where all my stamps are.
Hugs Neet xx
So cool.
Beautiful images of the Gibson girls, they seem to be timeless in style and somewhere I think I have a couple of stamps stashed, never used in years. Its fabulous inspiration for the AJJ theme.
I enjoyed reading the information you added about Labour Day as well.
Yvonne xx
Sorry I forgot to say thank you for joining us over at TioT's as well. A super way to use the book print quotes
Love those ladies! What awesome images!! Thanks for sharing at Try it on Tuesday!
These Gibson girls are really lovely. That's a great book of images.And so perfect for vintage, Thanks for sharing these. Your background is also quite pretty too. I love those colors. I think their time period works well with it being Labor Day also. I didn't know the story behind Labor Day. It's quite interesting, isn't it? I also didn't know it was Labour Day in Canada. Nice. Have a great start to the new week and see you later for T. hugs-Erika
Gosh, that brought back some memories, I also have some of those stamps somewhere. Great idea for the theme, thank you.
Hugs Wendy
The Gibson Girl hair styles are neat, but I always loved the "Shirtwaist" blouses they wore even more.
best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Happy Labor Day! I stand in praise on unions and their work to establish the middle class I grew up with. I bow my head to mourn the death of the middle class in these days since Reagan :(
Those Gibson Girls! I've never had a stylish day in my life, but I can appreciate style when I see it. Sweet :)
Enjoy Labor Day Elizabeth.
I had never heard of the Gibson girls drawings, but they are very pretty with their stylish hair-dos :)
I always thought the Gibson girls were so pretty. But now that my hair is longer, I realize what a pain it was for them to pull it all together to look so good!
These are great. I do remember seeing pictures of "the Gibson Girl" and I must say the hair style is so lovely. I think there was even a blouse style with Gibson Girl sleeves: puffy above and tapering below the elbow. The style certainly reflects a bygone era, doesn't it. Although I really like the current permed hair styles. It would be hard to get ready for your day if you had to start it with a Gibson Girl look. Lol. I didn't know the history of Labor Day, so I enjoyed finding out.
Thank you for all the information about the Labor Day, it's very interesting :) I like the way you show the theme using the Gibson girl pictures :)
Always a worthy visit
Tenacious as your bamboo roots. Heh.
Gibson was an amazing artist wasn't he?
Hope your holiday has been both restful and glorious.
Many thanks for the information about Labor Day.
I hope you had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend.
All the best Jan
I just noticed you linked up to Try It on Tuesday also. I must have missed that at the end of your post. Thanks so much for joining us.
Lovely page with the iconic Gibson girls
Thanks for joining in at Try It On Tuesday challenge
Joan
I love those Gibson Girls! Great page Elizabeth.
Alison
I can remember seeing many of thses faces in magazines that my granny had. They are lovely.
A fabulous page Elizabeth, those Gibson Girls were very elegant.
Thanks for sharing this with us at Try it on Tuesday. Avril x
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