Item: 1883 Victorian Household Guide Decoration Cookery Social Etiquette Dress
Sold For: $1,725.00
Bids: 48
Date: May 21, 2012
Auction: Ebay
Seller: dreamcity1893
Description and Image By: dreamcity1893
Original 1883 Edition of “The Complete Home: An Encyclopedia of Domestic Life and Affairs. The Household in its Foundation, Order, Economy, Beauty, Healthfulness, Emergencies, Methods, Children, Literature, Amusements, Religion, Friendships, Manners, Hospitality, Servants, Industry, Money, and History” by Mrs. Julia McNair Wright :: Published by Bradley, Garreston & Co. Philadelphia :: Measures 6 x 9″ :: Complete with 584 Pages.
VERY GOOD CONDITION: A tightly bound copy, firm hinges (minor cracking to hinges, but remain solid), clean pages throughout, rear blank page & endpaper loose, complete with all pages and illustrations, covers remain in great shape; overall a very good copy of this rare 129-year-old Domestic Guide.
PRESENTED HERE is an antique guide intended to serve as a practical housekeeper for the aspiring Victorian Family of the time. Not only does it include instructions for living a productive and happy daily life, but throughout it contains wonderful information from yesteryear regarding Home Management, Home Economy, Dress, Social Etiquette, Decorating and Furnishing a Home, Cookery, medical advice, and much more. Throughout, the book is richly illustrated with black and white woodcuts and wonderful color lithographs. This particular volume is the very rare deluxe edition, bound in embossed leather & gilt covers, with full gilt pages—a very striking volume.
Included below is a sampling of contents which will give the most accurate depiction of what can you expect from this book:
THE CONTENTS INCLUDE:
ECONOMY & HOME MANAGEMENT CHAPTER III. ECONOMY — How shall we begin to economize? — Reducing A servant’s wages — Economy and charity — The seamstress’ view of hard times — How working-people should meet hard times —Where people begin their economies — Servants and employers —Fit expenses to your station in life — Don’t blush at wearing CALICO — Rights of masters and employees — How to meet a reduced income — The real cost of a new silk dress — Paying for breakages — What servants have no right to expect — Making-over dresses — Making-over neck-ties— To clean silk, velvet, and merino — Economizing on the table — Making the best of what we have on hand — Aimless savings — What to do with old clothes — A gems for Housekeeping — Charity pays — Foreign economy — Americans are extravagant — Why ? — Extravagance in coffee-making — Rich Frenchmen and poor Americans — Foreign Housekeeping — Saving in fuel — Buying in littles — Keeping meats and vegetables sweet — Manner of keeping milk and butter cool — Neatness in pantries — A home-made refrigerator — Charcoal, cold water, and a bit of netting — Ammonia and plaster of Paris
CHAPTER VI. Home Adornment — Building the walls of Home — What finishes the wall — Good taste— Beauty important in a Home — Cash value of beauty — How to ornament a country Home — Children who love Home are inexpensive in habits — Secret of hard times — A good start in life — How children can create Home beauty — How a Home increased in money value — Hester a housekeeper — How a poor girl made her Home beautiful — A beautiful western cabin — Good taste creative — How to find time for beauty — Winter ornaments — Dining-table ornaments — Value of a tasteful table — A centre-piece — Bouquets — A hanging lamp — How to arrange a table — Care of table-cloths — Trimming dishes — Ornamenting a boiled ham — Cold meat — Stewed meat — Serving boiled eggs — Sandwiches — Costliness is not beauty — Fancy napkins — What is needful to a beautiful room — How to buy furniture and carpets — Make comfort an aim — Care of furniture — Give children low seats — Do not crowd furniture — Children’s rooms — Servants’ rooms — An invalid’s window — An elegant screen- Ornamenting glass — Painted windows — A beautiful basket — Home decorations
CHAPTER VII. Industry in the Home — Books — Finding something to do — People and their work — Work a duty — A maiden lady of means finds work —— Helping servants — What ought girls to do ? — Housework should be learned — Are you making Home happy? — Duty of parents to train children to industry — Home a centre of activity — A family well trained —Well-directed industry — Making industry pay — We should study our children — Working for the future — Give children a share in work and profit — Boys’ help in the house — A nice pair of lads — Work not an end — What is the end? — How work injures — Fierce work — Work of pride — Work for the lazy— Fretting over work — Unsystematic work — Killed by fuss — Rest in the evening — Evening work — Sabbath rest — Holiday rest — Rest in change of work — Disease from indolence — Vigor rises from labor — Saving and earning — Escaping doctors’ bills — Hire your seamstress — Getting a summer seamstress — Two little children at work — Mischievous children — Work for a small boy — Teaching boys a trade — Every girl’s trade — Success from diligence — Model family
CHAPTER VIII. Literature in the Home — Train for the future — Dickens’ first library — Pilgrims’ Progress — How to lead children on in literature— Cultivating a love of science — What to read — When to read Milton and Shakespeare — Essays — Scientific reading — When to read novels — What novels — The most valuable book — Reading in the line of our work — What lawyers, doctors, and farmers should read — Books form our habits of thought — Systematic reading — Morning and evening reading — What to do Saturday evening — Learn what you can about authors — Study what you read— Seneca’s remarks on education — Choosing books for children — A Home without books
CHAPTER XIV. Methods of Doing Work — Over-work and under-rest — Work is a blessing — Dangers of ignorance — Value of resting — Needless work — Hard common-sense — The sewing machine — Saving hours — Different ways of doing the same work — John Rocheford’s story of pancakes — How to get supper — Knowing how to do it— Fear of seeming lazy —Need of firmness — Don’t bear imaginary burdens — How to clean an oil-cloth — To clean off rust — Cleaning knives — Shells for cleaning pots — Cleaning tins — Paper for cleaning — Keeping a stove clean — Paper for glass cleaning — Care of silver — Care of iron utensils — How to clear off a table — How to wash dishes — How to teach a servant — How to sweep a room — Care of carpets — Irving’s Dutch housewife — Let need form the rule — Washing — Why we have broken-down women — Cleaning lace curtains — Excellent recipes
CHAPTER XVI. The Use and Abuse of Money in the Home — Money a means, not an end — Unlawful love of money — Evils caused by money-loving — Right love of money — The good of money — All toil means money — Affectation of disdaining money — Virtue and poverty — Crime and poverty — Extravagance among the poor — The Home’s money basis — The comfortable position for the Home — Economy a revenue — Economy and meanness — Little savings — Rules for getting rich — What is it to be rich ? — Four rules for money-making — Which is the hardest ?— Economy in poverty — When not to save — Setting out in life — Begin moderately — Living beyond our means — What is extravagance ? — A portrait of extravagance — Know your income — Mark expenses — Keep accounts — Washington and Wellington as account-keepers — How to keep accounts —Debts shorten life — Poverty is only relative — Making haste to be rich — Avoid illiberality — A hard bargain is a bad bargain for the proposer — No mortgage on the farm — Worth of earned money
CHAPTER XVII. Attention to Dress — The duty of thinking about dress — Authorities on dress — Dressing the hair — The dressy daughter — Reason and common-sense in dress — Vast importance of dress — Dress as it regards health, honesty, charity — Fashion tried by laws Of common-sense — Ear-rings — Beauty of the ear — Frizzes — The human head — How to care for the hair — How to dress it — The hair in its Home appearance — Oriental and western fashions — High-heeled boots — Chinese and American absurdities — Evil effects of tight-lacing on the appearance — Hindering a figure — Modesty and immodesty in dress — Walking dresses — Great underlying principles — Dress as it adds to Home comfort — Carelessness in dressing children in winter — An extravagant woman — An untidy woman — Dress and health — Under-flannels — Care of the feet — Care of the head — Lightness in dress — Fashions for children — Questions in buying dress — Dress and honesty — Begging fine dress — Curious laws on dress — Beauty and taste in dress — Few clothes, but good ones — Rules of beauty — What dress suits large and small people — Colors for dark and fair folks — Dress for small companies — For children’s parties — For church — Durable goods — Flowers as ornaments — Ribbons — Jewelry — Too splendid articles CHAPTER XVIII. MISTRESSES AND SERVANTS — Importance of a servant’s position —— Inefficient servants — In a family and not of it — The Home-tie for servants —— Trusting our servants — Cultivating trustworthiness — A model mistress — Good rules — Permit no negligence — No disobedience — Allowing visitors — The servant-girl’s guardian — What hiring a maid means — A brutal maid — A generous maid — Servants’ instruction — Their rooms — A grateful servant — Politeness — See that children treat servants kindly — Kitchen conveniences — Mending household linen — Keeping too many servants — A new way of increasing efficiency — Care of brooms—What a servant may be — A wise servant — How to save sugar — Caring for servants’ comfort
SOCIAL DEPARTMENT CHAPTER IV. CHILDREN — Their Rights and Liabilities — Position of children in a Home — Variety in training —When to begin training — What is a child’s first lesson? — Teach a child patience — How to teach children to cry softly — Noise — Quiet needful to young children — Dangers in nurse-maids— How children are treated by maids — Dangers of baby-carts — What to require in a nurse-maid — An over-worked child — What every mother should do for her own child — Care of a babe’s food — Frightening children — How to treat terror in a child — English nurses — Teaching children engaging manners — Teach the child to be generous — Errors and crimes — Obedience — Truth — Generosity — Respect for authority — Early good habits — Common-sense — Worth of the will — Rules and rights — Variety in penalty — Teaching a boy to raise a dinner — Clean speech — Truthfulness — Teasing — Firmness — A root of dishonesty — Care of a child’s hair — Developing a child’s beauty — Elements of beauty — Clothe children plainly — Answering children’s questions — Encouraging a love of natural history — Mothers must read — Destructiveness and constructiveness
CHAPTER X. Religion in the Family —Morals and religion — Sanctity of the family — Family founded on the Bible —Religion and independence — A family anniversary — Home-building for eternity — Every-day religion — Family worship — No unkind criticisms — An irreligious family; — A church-going habit —Citizenship in Heaven — The family guide-book — A word from Plato
CHAPTER XI. Hospitality in the Home —The queen of social virtues—’ Varieties in hospitality — Ostentatious hospitality — Spasmodic — Nervous — Mrs. Smalley’s hospitality — Common-sense hospitality — Hospitality without apology — Biblical hospitality — Selfish hospitality — Excessive hospitality — Elegant hospitality — The right kind of hospitality — Plainness in hospitality — Manners of guests — A home view of hospitality — A guest-room — The mother’s room — Abuse of hospitality — Mountain cabin — A western settler’s Home — Good Samaritan deeds — Old-time manners — Choicest form of rural hospitality
CHAPTER XII. Friendships in the Home —A child is a social animal — Responsibility of mothers — Friends are a necessity of our nature — A young girl’s companion — Safety of brothers — Country Homes — Entertain your son’s friends— A wicked child — Life-long friendships — Grounds of friendship — Women’s friendships — Men’s friendships — Friendships of men and women.
CHAPTER XIII. Value of Good Manners — How to learn good manners — Books on etiquette — Cash value of elegant manners — What Emerson says — Train early in good manners — Little children’s manners — Manliness of good manners — Advice to a boy — Good manners in conversation — Kindness creates courtesy — How to teach children good manners — Dr. Guthrie on manners — French manners—Manners to our servants — To our children — Life’s small change — A polite young man — Cousin Ann’s rules — Virtue of reverence — Where taught — Manners of the present age — Saucy literature — Why we exalt the past — A good boy to his mother — Manners at meals — Farm-house tables — Take time for meals — Children and company — Shy children — Forward children — Cultivate children’s manners — Old-fashioned courtesies — Politeness to mothers — What not to do — Waiting on sisters — Be sincere — Be sympathetic— Be self- forgetful — Be thoughtful — Cultivate conversation — Politeness the sum of littles — Home deserves good manners — Be pleasant in the morning — Little sins — Be modest — A model girl — Accept reproof kindly — Chesterfield’s opinion — Courtesy the flower of Home
CHAPTER XIX. A Young Man who Expects to Marry — A deep question — The secret of Home happiness — How to buy furniture — Buy for use — Kitchen furniture — Choice of furniture — How to buy a carpet — Harmony in furnishing —— A compliment to a lady — How to make furniture — How to make a chair — A table — A sofa — Window-curtains — Shades — Divans — How to make a bracket — A toilette table — A lounge — How to make a paper-carpet — How to maintain the happy Home — Care of furniture — Small ways of destroying Home — Courtesy in the happy Home — A punctual housewife — Dinner to the minute — Keep calm tempers — Have enough to eat — A proper family-table — Where we waste and save — How NOT to cook beef — How to use cold meat — Cheap varieties of food — Foresight in housekeeping — How to make a luncheon — Need of lunch — A mid-day meal — A late supper — How to give a small dinner-party — How to set the table — How to arrange the dining-room — The two chief elements of a dinner-party — Salad for fish — How to cook potatoes — Nuts and salt — Calmness — Ease — No haste — Dinners without wines — Calculation — A model housewife — House-plants — The art of telling a story well — Tale-telling at meals MEDICAL
CHAPTER V. SICKNESS AND WICKEDNESS —Where diseases rise — Our bodies should be cherished — Too much and too little physical culture — The care of Household health woman’s work — Use of flannel —Thick shoes—Loose clothes — Exercise — Sunshine — A fine bed-room and a healthful bed-room — Beauty and health — The housekeeper is the health-keeper — Care of the garret — Care of the cellar — Cellar and parlor — Drains — Danger of refuse suds — Spores of disease — The germ theory — Use of sal-soda — Sink-pipes — Dangers of decay — House walls — Dish-cloths — Pot-closets — Cisterns — The eyes of Argus — How to have a healthful Home — A farm-home scene — How shall we have healthy children? — Dr. Guthrie on long life — Value of good rules — Cousin Ann’s tea-party — The sleep of children — A child’s food — When to eat — Care of a child’s sight — Infant’s toys — Care of a child’s feet — Care of beds — Exercise and play — Seats and pillows — Preventing curved legs — Baths — Nursing the sick — Helpless women — Choosing a sick-room — How to furnish it — Value of a fire-place Escaping infection — Manufacturing conveniences for a sick-room — Make it cheerful — Making a closet — A model nurse — Her dress — Her manners — Her authority — Sympathy — A nurse’s duties — Harmony between nurse and physician — How to sweep—How to put on coal — Morning cares — Too much medicine- taking — Take care of the beginning of disease — A case in point — Another case Never trifle with disease — Food for Invalids — A neatly served meal — How to poach an egg — How to bake an apple — Have a sick-room note-book — Variety — Forget nothing — Neatness — A beautiful dish — A Salad — Salad dressing-Sandwiches — Tea relish — Best way of roasting meat — Sleeplessness— Sleep a gift of God
CHAPTER IX. Accidents in the Home — Cutting a blood-vessel — The child in the well — A finger cut off — A burnt arm — A remedy for burns — Accidents by fire — Careless use of kerosene — Of powder — A lesson — Care of lamps — Of fires — Of ashes — Kindling-wood left on the stove — Clothes drying — Dangers of hot ashes — Peter Stuyvesant’s fire-law — Carelessness with matches — Insurance does not cover loss — Fighting fire — Danger from falls — Glass or cinder in the eye — A dog-bite — Sunstroke — A mad dog — Fear of horses — Child on fire — A child choking — Choking on thimbles — Dye in cloth — Antidotes for poison — Screaming and incapacity — Never frighten a child — Careless nurse. HOME MAKING CHAPTER XX. ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL HOMES — Patriarchal life —Description of Roman house—Fountains — Draperies — Heating — Ventilating — Slaves — Dress — A Roman dinner — The Roman table — Cooking utensils — Family life —The Celt and his Home — Beehive huts — Celtic cookery — Saxons and their Homes — The Jews as architects — Saxon houses — Clothes as heirlooms — Early English furniture — Western cabins — Indian wigwam
CHAPTER XXI. Model HoME—The sanctity of marriage —Building a house — General principles — Position — Frame work — Place for bed-rooms and kitchen — Chimneys — Closets — Beware of fires — Cisterns and filters — Open fires — Furnaces — Color of walls — Paper — Color in furnishing — Decisive hues — The surroundings of a Home — Rustic furniture — Gardens — Convenient houses — Use of Homes — Home comfort COOKERY & VARIOUS RECEIPTS
CHAPTER XXII. Things that all should know — Soup-making and serving — Meats and their cooking — Game — Fish — Frying and roasting — Vegetables — Cleaning and cooking — Good recipes for — When to use — What to use — Made dishes — Side dishes — Two hundred ways to cook an egg — As many ways of cooking a tomato — Cooking for children — For the sick — Puddings — Cakes — Something to please children- How to make candy — Desserts — How to clean and repair clothes and furniture — Cleaning silk — Cloth — Furs — How to make household linen last long — How to sew — How to make over old clothes — Very needful recipes for bread, yeast — Gruel — Tea and coffee — How to save — Poisons and their antidote — Fits and fainting — How to meet accidents — Hysteria — Care of children — Amusements in the Home — Safe games — Exercise — Gardening — Drains and sewers — Care and cure of diphtheria — Gas and gas poisoning- Plumbing — Smoke-houses — Cellars — Management — Economy