The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-01-17
WOMEN AS DESIGNERS
FOUR THOUSAND OF THEM
EARNING GOOD LIVINGS.
They Make Designs for Everything
From Silks to Houses--Do Well In
Competition with Mcn-Expcri-
ences of Some.

When woman founded the
School of Applied Design for Women
In 1892, II was a work of faith on
her part. says the New York Times.
Ever since the world began to talk
about women at all one thing that
was always insisted on was that they
had not the inventive or creative
faculty.
To-day there are women regularly
employed to design silks, rugs or
other goods which are extensively
advertised as imported wares. The
goods are imported, for they are
made In foreign countries. where
they can be made better and cheaper
than In America; but they are made
from designs by New York women.
One graduate of the school works
for Turkish firm in New York.
She is constantly designing patterns
and color schemes which are suited
to the New York market. These are
sent to the Orient and made up into
Turkish and other Eastern rugs.
The same is true of French and
japanese silks and various other
goods. The American designers may
not excel the foreign ones, but they
understand better what Americans
want.
Four thousand former pupils OF
this school are now earning a living
in designing. They are scattered all
over the country, but the majority
are in and around New York. Most
Of them are employees Of manufactur-
ing firms at salaries ranging from
$40 to $25 a week, few receiving
less than $15.
A firm which makes very fashion
able tailored garments sends out on
each one label with a special de-
sign woven in. Two girls get SIS Il
week for designing these labels.
Everything connected with femin-
Inc fashions offers an abundance of
well paid work. All fashion maga-
zines employ designers for their
plates.
Designing for trade catalogues Of
fers an almost inexhaustibe field.
Girls under twenty make $40 and
$25 a week at this. An independent
worker makes a good income by de-
signs for shirt waist fronts, allover
lace and embroidered dress patterns.
The slowest of all offices to open
to these women have those of the
architects, for here they encounter
the only disability attendant upon
their. sex. 1t is customary for the
architect who desingns a building to
superintend its erection, and this
is difficult for women. There are,
however, about fifty women me-
chanical draughtsmen in architects
offices in New York.
One Of them recently designed a
court house for a Long Island town.
Her employer will superintend the
erection of the building. but the de-
sign was really accepted as she sub
mitted It.
AS to the differences between tho
work of men and women In this line
tho management of the school has
noted only two. Women excel in col
or rather than drawing and are
more interested In beautiful color
schemes than In the line work
Women are inferior to men in free
hand printing, a qualification so de-
sirable that woman possessing II Is
nearly always sure of employment.
AS for pay. special orders given
out to independent workers have q
hxed price, whether a man or WON,
an executes them. Among regular
employees women generally receive
less than men. but not always.
Nearly all these women have some
one dependent upon them Some are
supporting parents or invalid rela-
tfves. some educating younger broth
ers or sisters. Many Of them were
poor girls who supported themselves
while taking their course.
Girls have fought their way
through the school by typewriting,
sewing, or keeping books at night to
get money to live on