To the Woman Who Works
- Worcester, Massachusetts: Royal Worcester Corset Company, 1910
Worcester, Massachusetts: Royal Worcester Corset Company, 1910. Very good. Minor soiling, toning. Unrelated pencil notes to wrappers and p. 9.. A printed booklet marketing the Royal Worcester Corset Company to women, offering "Suggestions for the care of the body, how to take care of clothing, how to avoid disease, first aid to the injured, simple rules for sanitation, easy methods for housekeeping, how to breathe and bathe, and cheerfulness and its good effects" (title-page). Provides fascinating insight into gender roles and the role of homemakers as consumers in the American marketplace. Includes advice for laundry care, avoiding catching ill, cooking tips, and how to juggle chores. Note the gender roles at play ("If you are a working woman who has no home, you have certain household duties also to perform", p. 31) and implicit ageism and pressure to stay beautiful and fresh ("The age of 40 is the critical point in existence of all women. The working woman should keep her system built up for that she will have something to draw upon to meet this drain on her vitality", p. 16). Single vol. (6" by 4.25"), pp. 42, in original printed wrps. Published at a time when women were slowly beginning to enter the workforce, challenging traditional gender norms.