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ROBERTSON, UNA A: : THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE HOUSEWIFE: 1650 - 1950

UK.STROUD,GLOUCESTERSHIRE.SUTTON PUBLISHING LIMITED,1997.

ISBN 0750909250.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.FINE/FINE.No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright, crisp,clean,glossy laminated,montage'd monochrome+colour photographic illustrated front panel of dw/dj with orange+white lettering,rear panel of dw/dj with b/w historical illustration reproduction; with negligible shelf-wear or creasing to edges and corners - no nicks or tears present.Top+fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog- ear reading creases to any pages' corners,appears unread - apart from my own collation.Bright,crisp,clean,sharp-cornered,publisher's original plain air-force blue cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked gilt letters to spine/backstrip and immaculate b/w line illustrated endpapers.UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,vi-xiipp+1-204pp [paginated] includes recto of contents list/table,illustrations list/table, a preface,acknowledgements,fifteen chapters, profuse contemporary b/w historical illustrations,facsimile reproductions and photographs interspersed throughout the text and the book,notes,further reading an index; plus [unpaginated] half-title with b/w facsimile reproduction of title page of 17thC book (5th edn of 1637) 'The English Housewife.' by Gervase Markham illustrated frntis to reverse,title page and verso of contents list/table. Throughout history,effort,enterprise and energy have been expended by women in the ways of the household: cooking,cleaning,lighting,heating and laundrywork.This highly illustrated and delightfully written account looks at the changing role of the housewife over three hundred years.The period covered was one of immense social change - new social and family relationships,scientific advances and economic developments all had an effect on the housewife, some dramatic,others more gradual.Much of what we now take for granted - instant hot water,heat and light at the flick of a switch,fresh food all year round - would have been inconceivable to the many 'household managers' represented in this book.Some of the evidence comes from the hands of the housewives themselves via account books and domestic memoranda.Here are Elizabeth Grant of Rothiemuchus,in the Scottish Highlands in 1812,who was amazed that anyone could imagine that her life was dull,Mrs Purefroy complaining in 1737 that the fish you [the fishmonger] sent last week stank' and Hannah Robertson,proud of the fact that in 1749 she was the first person in her country to own 'an entire tea equipage of plate.' Other material has been gathered from biographies,letters and the staff they employed. The lives of women from all walks of life and from all parts of Britain are discussed,creating a convincing picture of the similarities as well as the differences that have characterised women's domestic work from the early modern to the post-war period. Each chapter covers a different aspect of the housewife's work,including lighting and heating, water and drainage,servants, cleaning, laundrywork,cooking and providing food,storage and preservation of food,meals and mealtimes, drinks and (surprisingly!) leisure pursuits.The final chapter looks at the role of the housewife outside the home,where women pursued their educational,reforming or creative interests in the wider world. With its many illustrations,its use of original primary material and its sure feel for the social history of domestic life,this book will be an entertaining and informative guide to the many changes which have not only made life easier for the housewife but altered our perceptions of the role itself. Una A. Robertson is a history graduate who has taught for the University of Edinburgh's Continuing Education Department.Her interest in social and domestic topics has led to such diverse activities as producing dinners based on 18thC recipes and re-creating a Victorian butler's pantry. Please contact seller,because of the weight/ value of this item for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! ** N.B. UK and all overseas buyers please note, stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order receipt and before the order's despatch, especially if item is offered P+p included or postage free. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIR postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. between 1/2 to 2/3rds of standard AIR quote/ rate - sometimes arriving within a week or so,and sometimes before the quoted 42 days - but not always.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.
Not SIGNED.

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