Between Washes and Stitches. The city of Buenos Aires Seen through Female Labor in the second half of the 19th century

Abstract

What insights can be gained about the city by studying sites, circuits, and female work arrangements in mid-nineteenth century Buenos Aires? This article proposes an exploration of the spaces where women engaged in various occupations, aiming to identify the changes experienced by the city and its inhabitants that opened up new opportunities for women's work. By analyzing census sources, press materials, police and judicial files, employment records, and commercial yearbooks, this research aims to reconstruct the occupations of laundresses and dressmakers, shedding light on their role in the daily life of the city. By focusing on their experiences, it becomes possible to discern the hierarchies and inequalities shaped by gender and race, which influenced distinct ways of inhabiting the city within the context of alternating political projects that, in turn, impacted the physical and legal boundaries of the urban area.