From Catharine Beecher to Martha Stewart: A Cultural History of Domestic Advice (Paperback)

~ Sarah A. Leavitt (Author) "In Julia McNair Wright's 1879 domestic-advice manual, The Complete Home, she took the voice of "Aunt Sophronia" and discussed home-making with her three nieces, Helen,..." (more)
Key Phrases: domestic advisors, most influential house, domestic advice manuals, New York, Good Housekeeping, New England (more...)

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Review

Today's domestic-advice writers--women such as Martha Stewart, Cheryl Mendelson, and B. Smith--are part of a long tradition, notes Sarah Leavitt. Their success rests on a legacy of literature that has focused on the home as an expression of ideals. Here, Leavitt crafts a fascinating genealogy of domestic advice, based on her readings of hundreds of manuals spanning 150 years of history.

Over the years, domestic advisors have educated women about everything from modernism and morality to sanitation and design. Their writings helped create the idealized vision of home held by so many Americans, Leavitt says. Investigating cultural themes in domestic advice written since the mid-nineteenth century, she demonstrates that these works, which found meaning in kitchen counters, parlor rugs, and bric-a-brac, have held the interest of readers despite vast changes in women's roles and opportunities.

Domestic-advice manuals have always been the stuff of fantasy, argues Leavitt, demonstrating cultural ideals rather than cultural realities. But these rich sources reveal how women understood the connection between their homes and the larger world. At its most fundamental level, the true domestic fantasy was that women held the power to reform their society through first reforming their homes.

Product Description

Today's domestic-advice writers--women such as Martha Stewart, Cheryl Mendelson, and B. Smith--are part of a long tradition, notes Sarah Leavitt. Their success rests on a legacy of literature that has focused on the home as an expression of ideals. Here, Leavitt crafts a fascinating genealogy of domestic advice, based on her readings of hundreds of manuals spanning 150 years of history.

Over the years, domestic advisors have educated women about everything from modernism and morality to sanitation and design. Their writings helped create the idealized vision of home held by so many Americans, Leavitt says. Investigating cultural themes in domestic advice written since the mid-nineteenth century, she demonstrates that these works, which found meaning in kitchen counters, parlor rugs, and bric-a-brac, have held the interest of readers despite vast changes in women's roles and opportunities.

Domestic-advice manuals have always been the stuff of fantasy, argues Leavitt, demonstrating cultural ideals rather than cultural realities. But these rich sources reveal how women understood the connection between their homes and the larger world. At its most fundamental level, the true domestic fantasy was that women held the power to reform their society through first reforming their homes.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (December 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807853712
• ISBN-13: 978-0807853719
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #844,358 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gleaned from research into hundreds of manuals, August 10, 2002

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

From Catharine Beecher To Martha Stewart: A Cultural History Of Domestic Advice by historian Sara A. Leavitt is a thoughtful and informative overview of the history of domestic advice, gleaned from research into hundreds of manuals written throughout the past 150 years. Cultural themes, the broad appeal of domestic advice across the decades in spite of radical changes in women's rights and roles in America, and the connection between women's homes, and the world outsides the home, mark From Catharine Beecher To Martha Stewart as a fascinating, accessible, insightful, scholarly treatise. Especially recommended for personal and Women's Studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections, From Catharine Beecher To Martha Stewart is also available in hardcover (0807827029).