Snapshots of the Past

[Policewoman and policeman practicing self-defense] – Historic Reproduction

[Policewoman and policeman practicing self-defense], [between 1909 and 1932] — historic photograph
[Policewoman and policeman practicing self-defense], [between 1909 and 1932]. Historic photograph from the Historic Print Archive collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

A window into the past: [Policewoman and policeman practicing self-defense], preserved in this historic photograph. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. Perfect for a home, office, library or classroom wall, and a gift with a story behind it. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

[Policewoman and policeman practicing self-defense]

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A pair of uniformed officers, one a woman, squares off in a training exercise in self-defense, a detail that sets this picture apart from the many photographs of early twentieth-century police work that show only men on patrol. The National Photo Company, a Washington, D.C., firm known for its large commercial and press output, made the print sometime between 1909 and 1932, a span when women were slowly entering American police departments. Its staged posing reflects how such departments and the press wanted the new policewomen presented: capable, disciplined, and fit for the job. The record gives no further detail on the session, so the image is best read as a document of changing expectations about women's roles in public service.

Created / published[between 1909 and 1932]
Medium1 photographic print.
GenrePhotographic prints 1900-1940.
NotesNational Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress).
SubjectsPolicewomen--1900-1940. Police--1900-1940. Self-defense--1900-1940.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan3,236 × 4,096 px · prints to 11 × 14 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-192934

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