Catherinette
Videos
Catherinette was a traditional French label for a woman of twenty-five years who was still unmarried by the Feast of Saint Catherine. A special celebration was offered to them on this day and everyone
Catherinettes in Paris on rue de la Paix in 1932
Spinster
Videos
Spinster or old maid is a term referring to an unmarried woman who is older than what is perceived as the prime age range during which women usually marry. It can also indicate that a woman is conside
Catherinette
…Although the term has become rather old-fashioned in France, it is still sometimes used to refer to 25-year-old single women. The derogatory terms "spinster" and "old maid" were used in a similar context in the English-speaking world. In modern China, the slang term sheng nü describes "leftover women". Since…
The Spinner by William-Adolphe Bouguereau shows a woman hand-spinning using a drop spindle. Fibers to be spun are bound to a distaff held in her left hand.
Monument to Peg Woffington (1720–1760) in St Mary's church, Teddington which describes her marital status