Laundress

The laundress was the trade of washing other people's laundry. This service was also used by rich families who could afford to pay. It was hard and tiring work. It enabled many women, especially widows, to survive. Now replaced by the invention of the washing machine, there are several references in culture to the figure of the laundress, from the Odyssey to today's movies

Setting: Portugal Status: Extinct

From 'RETROSPECTRA: Vanishing Labors', Mirkolis 2023. Mixed AI, Digital post-production, Selenium toning, PNG 5376x3584