Newhaven Fishwives, Three Figures with Letter

Category

Library Item

Item no

3575

Title

Newhaven fishwives, three figures with letter

Description

A seated fisherwoman wearing a shawl and a striped skirt holds a letter while another woman has her arms around her shoulder. A third woman stands on the flagstones beside the other two.

Artist / maker

Hill, David Octavius

Date

1847

Size

19.5 x 14.5 cm

Type

Salted paper print

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Newhaven was founded by James IV in 1504 as a royal dockyard. It became an important fishing village, famous initially for oysters and later herring. An indoor fish market was built there in 1896. Newhaven fishwives, with their distinctive striped clothes, sold their goods around Edinburgh. David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson famously photographed these fishwives and other Newhaven residents in the 1840's. The area now has a population of roughly five thousand.

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Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Garments > Shawls

Clothing and dress > Garments > Skirts

People > Adults > Women

People > Agriculture and fisheries > Fisherwomen

Places > Edinburgh areas > Newhaven

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

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