Time-honored devices for improving and simplifying household chores and maintenance.
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Editorial Reviews
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This complete guide, first published in 1884, presents over a hundred devices whose aim was to "lighten the labor and 'save steps' for overworked house keepers" both inside and outside the home. Written at a time when a whole range of nonelectrical household mechanisms were first becoming widespread, Household Conveniences offers an amazing picture of everyday home life in the late nineteenth century. Perhaps even more amazing though, is how relevant and useful many of these devices continue to be today. With chapters on the kitchen, the cellar, and the sitting room, among others, the reader is introduced to such procedures as canning fruit and vegetables, easy handwashing of clothes, and the making of soap, as well as to such quirky tools as the foot scraper and the clothesline elevator. A refreshingly old-fashioned alternative guide to our modern era of mass production, Household Conveniences will prove an edifying read for history buffs or those who want to put this knowledge to practical use. (4 1/2 x 7 1/4, 240 pages, illustrations)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Household Conveniences & How to Make Them,
By C. Miller (Warsaw, MO 65355) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Household Conveniences and How to Make Them (Paperback)
This book, a Lyons Press reprint of an 1884 publication, is a gem. Even though the text is over 100 years-old, it is up-to-date in many ways. The homesteader, the do-it-yourselfer, those curious about the old-fashioned way of life, and history buffs will be delighted with the many innovative, practical projects detailed in the book -- some of which make more sense than their modern-day counterparts. Gain ideas to help you make a substitute for a cistern, filter water, make your own lye leacher, flour box, cheese press, clothes drying racks, ice boxes, water heaters, to carve a turkey, make a lamp shade and chairs from boxes and barrels. For the gardener are instructions to make a flower box for the yard, hanging planters and plant stands. There are dozens more "conveniences" detailed under the categories "Around the House," "The Cellar," "The Kitchen," "Pantries, Closets, and Cupboards," "The Dining Room," "The Sitting Room," "The Library," and "The Sewing Room." Instructions for making some things are very sketchy, and while there are many wonderful illustrations, there are few that will enable the less experienced builder/creator to sit right down and build a spice box. Some projects require the services of a blacksmith or tinsmith! For winter relaxation reading, for historical interest sake, for real practicality for those living the lifestyles mentioned in paragraph one, this book is a winner.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Earlier Gadgets,
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This review is from: Household Conveniences and How to Make Them (Paperback)
As our standard of living declines, these gadgets will come in handy once again. When you really need it, you won't have the money to buy it!
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