Wonderland
Duration
1 month
Type
Studio Project
Tools
Autodesk 3ds Max
Adobe Photoshop
Project Brief
Select a scene from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Conduct historical period and geographic/cultural location analysis and contextualize the scene between 1930s to 1970s New York City .
Set in 1930s, New York City Alice passes by her local newsstand on her daily walks, often stopping and reading about the latest news and trends. She is unsure of what the future holds for her, as she contemplates whether she should pursue her college education or follow the traditional path as a housewife.
Growing up Alice frequently read her favorite magazines Seventeen and 'Teen. As a young women, these magazines and newspapers played a critical role in shaping Alice's perspective on a woman's place in society, suggesting that a woman's role was mainly as a housewife. However, magazines such as Journal and Redbook began showcasing powerful women and revealing that the 1930s called for a change.
Alice struggled to find her identity. She continued on her journey of self discovery, as she hoped that one day woman would no longer have to solely be just a homemaker.
Text Inspiration
'Who are you?' said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I — I hardly know, sir, just at present — at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'
'What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. 'Explain yourself!'
'I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, 'because I'm not myself, you see.
Historical Context
1933 NYC Newsstand
1939 NYC Newsstand
In the 1930s, newsstand were one of the primary sources of the news and trends. Stacked with piles of newspapers with jarring headlines and a variety of magazines tailored to both men and women, readers were always able to find something for their liking. Most importantly, magazines such as Good House Keeping and Home notes shaped society's gender perceptions and critically impacted women's role in society.