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Redistributing Wealth |
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The Take-ing Woman. [ca. 1840-1880?]. (McAllister Collection) |
“A Female Shoplifter,” from James D. McCabe Jr. Lights and Shadows of New York Life. Philadelphia: National Publishing Co., 1872. |
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| Several factors contributed to the rise in shoplifting from the mid-19th century on, such as the increasing availability of consumer goods and the myriad ways new department stores displayed them, heightening their desirability. Some women turned to shoplifting because they wanted but could not afford such luxuries. Others stole out of economic need, handing their loot over to fences for ready money. Shown here is a comic valentine lampooning a woman’s “itching palm,” desirous of ribbons, laces, and diamonds. The plate of the shoplifter shows that women’s ample fashions abetted their crimes. | |||
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![The Take-ing Woman. [ca. 1840-1880?]. (McAllister Collection)](images/section3/2-13 valentine-10-39.jpg)
