Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg
Woman Pressing and Folding Laundry, John Krimmel: 1819-1820
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Woman Pressing and Folding Laundry, John Krimmel: 1819-1820
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Servants still worked hard during the Regency. Poor households (there
were many homeless) varied from small to palatial. If wealthy enough
there might be many servants:
Women
Men
housekeepers
valets
upper house-maids
gentlemen's men
house-maids
upper male servants
laundry maids
male servants
chamber-maids
gardeners
ladies' maids
doormen
nursery maids
coachmen
maids of all trades
carpenters
cooks
A servant for laundry duty might, in addition to washing, drying, needle-work,
iron, cook, shop, do cleaning, tydying, embroidery, and marking (embroidering
names on clothing for women, men, childrn). The lady of the house might only
be worrying about cosmetics, her hair, looking at periodicals of the latest
French fashions (multiple flounces this year), practice chattering about
nonsense, dream about her lover's inventiveness, plan the next trip to Bath to
look for more lovers, plan a cruise (Grand Tour), deciding upon the best
exercises: yoga, gymnastics, swimming at the "Y", tennis, golf, bicycling,
personal trainer, Kagel exercises, etc. (in other words, ordinary women's
business that made these women so attractive, though why the men in her life
don't seem to be interested in her is annoying: after all she is learning to
read French novels translated in Cliff Notes, theatre [just loved
"Vagina Monologues"!], even "Poetry for Dummies", taking adult
education courses).
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