At this outing of friends along the Mokelumne River in about 1910, Blanche McCarty (far right) is dressed for the occasion in the current vogue for modern women, a tailored suit with a shortened skirt, topped by a jaunty checked cloth hat. Employed as the operator of Mokelumne Hill’s first telephone exchange, her look contrasts with the style of her friend Florence Moser (far left) who keeps to a long dress suitable for her role as a school teacher. The third woman of the group (yet to be identified) sports a more casual look with a wide leather belt cinching her natural waistline, while her wide brimmed hat, like Florence’s, is festooned with the exotic bird plumes so beloved by Victorians.
