Anna Maria Thalén (1781-1851) was a Swedish

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

trader. She belonged to the leading in her profession in early 19th-century

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

and are mentioned in contemporary

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobi ...

s and

diary A diary is a written or audiovisual record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwritten but are now also often digital. A personal ...

literature. Anna Maria Thalén was married to the

candle A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. A person who makes candles i ...

manufacturer Vilhelm Casper Thalén. She is referred to as "Fashion maker or Fashion trader", milliner and trader of accessories. Officially, she sold accessories and a number of fashion items such as

shawl A shawl (from fa, شال ''shāl'',) is a simple item of clothing from Kashmir, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, which is often folded ...

s and

feather Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and a premier ...

s, repaired, remade and washed such items, and provided her clients with the names of

seamstress A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Nota ...

es and other fashion workers with whom she worked. This profession was a result of the fact that seamstresses worked in a grey zone prior to '' the abolition of the guilds in 1846'' and formally only allowed to repair and remake old clothes so as not to intrude upon the taylors'

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

privilege, while in practice, they were both tolerated by the authorities and favored by the clients. In the 1820s, Thalén reportedly managed one of the leading fashion companies in the capital of Stockholm.Du Rietz, Anita, ''Kvinnors entreprenörskap: under 400 år'', 1. uppl., Dialogos, Stockholm, 2013 At that time,

Märta Helena Reenstierna Märta Helena Reenstierna (16 September 1753 – 12 January 1841; married name: von Schnell), known as ''Årstafrun'' (The Årsta lady), was a Swedish diary writer. Her diaries were written in the period 1793–1839, and are kept at the archives o ...

belonged to her clients and mentioned the high prices she demanded in her diary.

References

* Du Rietz, Anita, ''Kvinnors entreprenörskap: under 400 år'', 1. uppl., Dialogos, Stockholm, 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Thalen, Anna Maria 19th-century Swedish businesswomen 19th-century Swedish businesspeople Swedish businesspeople in fashion 1781 births 1851 deaths Milliners

See also

References