Edison

Luke:

Business Machines

Kerri: The advancement of the machines in the society had a large impact on the roles of women.
The typewriter-many men lost their jobs because people could hire women for less money to do the same job.  Typewriting then became a women’s job.

“By the end of the 1880s, about 50,000 American women were working in offices, most as typists or stenographers, and in the early decades of the twentieth century, women increasingly dominated clerical positions.  Although jobs as typists and other office staff broadened employment opportunities for women, they were restricted from climbing up the corporate ladder once hired.  That situation contrasted with the older business model in which males often moved upward from office boy to clerk to manager.” (http://blackboard.assumption.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_1063_1 <http://blackboard.assumption.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_1063_1> )

The advancements in technology and machinery made the jobs done by men before a lot simpler.  I didn’t realize that even though women did get to be in the work force now it was still degrading in a way.  Its like saying it was too hard for you to do before, but now since we have a new machine you can do it.

-The Calculator, Typewriter, The Dictation machine, The Copy machine, the Stenograph, fax machine, Key Punch, and the answering Machine were all things that made the business world adaptable to women to be the “secretaries”  this was all done by hand before by the men but now since the new machines women started to play a role in work place.

Tony: I just concentrated on the purpose of each machine and its impact on the business world and culture, as expressed in Harper's Weekly.
-The Calculator, developed by M. Thomas in France, called it the Arithmometer, a substitute for human intellect. It's an old device, further evolved in the 19th century, for adding, subtracting, division and multiplication, as well as square roots, involution, resolution of triangles, and so forth. Takes a minute to extract a square root up to 16 figures among other things. It was advertised as a genious device in Harper's Weekly, 1857.
-The next machine, to chronological date, was the Typewriter. It was advertised in Harper's Weekly in 1876, can write 5 times faster than with a pen. Explains the whole device and the keys and how the paper moves as one types. It was a key device for the business world, making it easy to write more documents.
-The Dictation machine, otherwise known as a phonograph, was created in 1878, by Edison. He started a successful business in producing them, as well as being key for the business world. It's purpose was recording sound. Primary office machine afterwards, and also thought of being used for songs, speeches, and so forth. Harper's Weekly described how it works in its 1878 article. It was very portable for decades after, despite dificulties in its operation.
-The Copy machine, came out soon after, 1880, was a very profitable item for the business world, like all of them. Harper's Weekly describes it as "one of the most useful, and valuable patents ever used." It's explained that a master copy is pressed down onto a tray with a gelatin pad. After a few moments blank paper was rolled across the pad to gain the copy information.
-The next machine made was the Stenograph, or Shorthand Typewriter, in 1883, still used today, in courts and what not. Made by Miles Bartholomew. 10 keys typed codes of dashes, that stood for different letters. Later a 14 key stenograph was produced, which was a lot more successful in 1889.
-The fax machine is an amazing device, first made by Fred Bakewell, and soon made better, in 1888 by Elisha Gray. Sends messages long distence in facsimile handwriting from sender.
-Next machine, the Key Punch machine was created by Hollerith in 1880s. It records punch cards for various census data. First used for vital stats for Department of Health in Baltimore.
-The last and one of the most useful is the answering Machine, invented by Graham Bell two hours before Elisha Gray. It was quickly incorporated in the Business world. It was good for locating people and businesses on floors of skyscrapers and buildings.

Centennial Exposition

Ann-Marie: The Centennial Exposition that took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1876, was a showcase for new technology, art, and any changes that would impact society.  While looking through the website I became fascinated with the impact that the Centennial Exposition had on women and the impact that women had on it.  Although there weren’t many websites linked to women about the Centennial Exposition, there were still a few and I thought it would be interesting to explore it a little deeper.  

Among these links led us to one the Declaration and Protest of the women of The United States.  The National Women Suffrage Association printed out a text concerning their rights on July 4, 1876.  It is interesting to see the movement towards women suffrage at this time.  Some of the main points they touched on were Advanced Legislation for Women, Representation for Women, and Universal Manhood Suffrage.  Of the many women that signed this petition was Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=rbpe=rbpe16/rbpe160/16000300/rbpe16000300.db=3=r?ammem/rbpebib:@field(TITLE+@band(Declaration+and+protest+of+the+women+of+the+United+States+National+suffrage+association))=0 <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=rbpe&fileName=rbpe16/rbpe160/16000300/rbpe16000300.db&recNum=3&itemLink=r?ammem/rbpebib:@field(TITLE+@band(Declaration+and+protest+of+the+women+of+the+United+States+National+suffrage+association))&linkText=0>

 Although these women were campaigning for their rights, they were still separated at the Centennial Exposition.  One hundred years after our country had gained its freedom, women still had not.  They had their own separate place at the Centennial Exposition.  In a picture shown, of all the fair ground, there was only one building dedicated to women involved with the exposition.  

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/1876/1876_14.jpg

Emily: http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?frames=1&coll=moa&view=50&root=%2Fmoa%2Fscmo%2Fscmo0012%2F&tif=00748.TIF&cite=http%3A%2F%2Fcdl.library.cornell.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmoa%2Fmoa-cgi%3Fnotisid%3DABP7664-0012-117 <http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?frames=1&amp;coll=moa&amp;view=50&amp;root=%2Fmoa%2Fscmo%2Fscmo0012%2F&amp;tif=00748.TIF&amp;cite=http%3A%2F%2Fcdl.library.cornell.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmoa%2Fmoa-cgi%3Fnotisid%3DABP7664-0012-117>
In and About the Fair: Picturesque Aspects; on page 742 it talked about the way private builders built houses with similar characteristics, which Philadelphia is famous for today. The houses were orthodox Quaker patterns of bright red brick and white marble trim yet some were a yellow-greenish stone.  This shows that there is still some tradition even in building houses yet times were changing and along with it were the ways houses look.

Architects and engineers at work
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/1876/1876_archs.jpg <http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/1876/1876_archs.jpg>
The men in this image are very hard at work, all clearly making sketches or working on models, the way they are dressed is also interesting, they seem too look very proper and not like they are spending the day hunched over working at a desk in a big room.
 
Women's Building,  art exhibit
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/1876/1876_women_art.jpg <http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/1876/1876_women_art.jpg>
This picture looks like everyone is at a very big social event, all dressed up too look at the different pieces of art work.  There are men, women, and children taking part and they all look to be very interested in whatever they are looking at.

 
Agricultural Building
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/1876/1876_12.jpg <http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/1876/1876_12.jpg>
The detail in this particular image is unbelievable, showing all the lines and arches that make up this building, it gives you the actual feeling of what it would be like to be inside.  Its done with such precision that you can clearly see what this building was like, like a photograph.