Housewives Collection

English Rose kitchen advert, woman with desserts
Advertisement for English Rose Kitchen Equipment featuring a young housewife with a tea trolley and a selection of desserts, cakes and tea. Date: 1952

WW2 - Chef cooking in a bombed-out street - Blitz, London
WW2 - His restaurant and kitchen destroyed by German bombing, a Chef continues to cook al fresco in a bombed-out street - Blitz, London. Date: circa 1941

1930s woman cooking in her kitchen
A woman stands at a kitchen pantry or dresser trying out new recipes. Attached to the work service is a hand operated meat mincer. Date: c.1930

Advert for English Rose kitchens 1952
Young housewife cooking in her new English Rose fitted kitchen. Comes with a cause of softglow worktop colours, scarlet red, steel blue and amulet green. Date: 1952

Pancake Race / Olney
SHROVE TUESDAY The starter line for the Olney pancake race, 1951, which has been held in the village for over 500 years. Any Olney woman over 18 can compete. Date: 1951

Liverpool housewives seen here gossiping in the street. Women holding parcel June 1962

A Busy Corner in Arles, 1891 (w / c)
HMP86607 A Busy Corner in Arles, 1891 (w/c) by Hodgkins, Frances (1869-1947); Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston, Lancashire, UK; © Harris Museum and Art Gallery; New Zealander

Fish Market, 1568 (oil on baltic oak)
3472147 Fish Market, 1568 (oil on baltic oak) by Beuckelaer or Bueckelaer, Joachim (c.1530-73); 128x174 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA; Netherlandish, out of copyright

Advertisement for Tala Colourful Kitchenware (colour litho)
8655276 Advertisement for Tala Colourful Kitchenware (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Advertisement for Tala Colourful Kitchenware)

A housewife's monthly work throughout the year (colour litho)
8634927 A housewife's monthly work throughout the year (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A housewife's monthly work throughout the year)

Dinner table setting, mid 1930s (b/w photo)
8634922 Dinner table setting, mid 1930s (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Dinner table setting, mid 1930s)

Modern methods of cooking (b/w photo)
8657628 Modern methods of cooking (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Modern methods of cooking)

Butcher cutting a piece of steak, mid 1930s (b/w photo)
8634931 Butcher cutting a piece of steak, mid 1930s (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Butcher cutting a piece of steak, mid 1930s)

Plan of work for housewife and one helper, 1930s (colour litho)
8634930 Plan of work for housewife and one helper, 1930s (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Plan of work for housewife and one helper, 1930s)

Plan of work for a small servantless house, mid 1930s (colour litho)
8634929 Plan of work for a small servantless house, mid 1930s (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Plan of work for a small servantless house, mid 1930s)

Plan of work for housewife and one helper, mid 1930s (colour litho)
8634928 Plan of work for housewife and one helper, mid 1930s (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Plan of work for housewife and one helper, mid 1930s)

Lighting in a sitting room, mid 1930s (b/w photo)
8634926 Lighting in a sitting room, mid 1930s (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Lighting in a sitting room, mid 1930s)

Housewife at work on the sewing-machine, mid 1930s (b/w photo)
8634924 Housewife at work on the sewing-machine, mid 1930s (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Housewife at work on the sewing-machine, mid 1930s)

With paper at 9d, per pound, housewives stored old newspapers for re-sale to fishmongers etc during World War One
3502781 With paper at 9d, per pound, housewives stored old newspapers for re-sale to fishmongers etc during World War One, from The Pageant of the Century, pub.1934; (add.info.: With paper at 9d)

Letter M: Everyone holds the sheet with a tip and laughs. What is that? a great M, 1861 (engraving)
DUV4214911 Letter M: Everyone holds the sheet with a tip and laughs. What is that? a great M, 1861 (engraving); (add.info.: "ABC Trim, Alphabet enchante" Texts of "Trim")

Haushaltsabrechnung / Household Accounting (colour litho)
8666217 Haushaltsabrechnung / Household Accounting (colour litho) by Christophe (Colomb, Georges) (1856-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: Haushaltsabrechnung)

A lighted coal cellar, mid 1930s (b/w photo)
8634925 A lighted coal cellar, mid 1930s (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A lighted coal cellar, mid 1930s)

Larder, mid 1930s (b/w photo)
8634923 Larder, mid 1930s (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Larder, mid 1930s)

Advert of "Sutton's Compound Cream of Ammonia". 1907 (lithograph)
FGL5471156 Advert of "Sutton's Compound Cream of Ammonia". 1907 (lithograph); (add.info.: English advertisement for a multi-purpose ammonia product: bath, tableware, carpet washing)

Letter M: Everyone holds the sheet with a tip and laughs. What is that? a great M, 1861 (engraving)
DUV4214896 Letter M: Everyone holds the sheet with a tip and laughs. What is that? a great M, 1861 (engraving); (add.info.: "ABC Trim, Alphabet enchante" Texts of "Trim")

Publicity Poster Advertising Singer Sewing Machines, 1930 (litho)
IND54612 Publicity Poster Advertising Singer Sewing Machines, 1930 (litho); Private Collection; Index Fototeca.

A slate on the back door is very useful for the servantless house (b/w photo)
8658834 A slate on the back door is very useful for the servantless house (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Dorpsstraat, 1832-1880. Creator: Jan Weissenbruch
Dorpsstraat, 1832-1880. Village street

El Paso housewives after a day's shopping in Juarez, Mexico, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
El Paso housewives after a day's shopping in Juarez, Mexico where they benefit by the rate of exchange. Texas

The last remaining corporation wash house on Shipley Street, Byker, Newcastle - local residents use the facilities for the last time 30 September 1971

Mc Vities cookies Antique advertising 1930

Newcastle women washing their clothes at Snow Street Wash House, Newcastle. 16th November 1970

Houses in Stockley Park affected by flies on rubbish brought from London and tipped into the disused clay pits. Londoners would load barges on the canal and come to tip the industrial

Mrs Ada Jameson and her daughter Jean, pictured standing outside the steps of their condemned home on Ellison Street in Liverpool, after receiving visit from Housing Minister, Dr Charles Hill

The housewives of Glasgows Drum Chapel housing project seen here queuing for the mobile shop. 26th April 1955

Shopper browsing the butchers counter at a newly opened self service food store in North London. 14th November 1958

Shoppers browsing the dairy counter at a newly opened self service food store in North London. 14th November 1958

Any day is washday for the housewives of Talworth, Surrey, thanks to the ten automatic machines in this new shop. Here is Miss Doreen Borcham who runs the new sevice, receiving a customers laundry

Woman Looking Through a Magnifying Glass

Cookery demonstration
Eager housewives enjoying an in-store cookery demonstration Date: circa 1960

LCC election leaflet, Conservative Party
Conservative Party London County Council Election Leaflet, 7 March 1946 Date: 1946

Cartoons showing the activities of a diligent wartime housewife, operating without the assistance of a maid. Date: 1943

Scene from the annual celebrations of Dr. Barnardo's Homes in The Royal Albert Hall. Here in the Training Housewives display, the young women demonstrate laundry work

By the window, 1899 (oil on canvas)
7062539 By the window, 1899 (oil on canvas) by Lauge, Achille (1861-1944); (add.info.: By the window, 1899, Achille Lauge, oil on canvas); Photo © Stefano Baldini

The visit, 1868, Silvestro Lega (painting)
7063018 The visit, 1868, Silvestro Lega (painting) by Lega, Silvestro (1826-95); Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Rome, Lazio, Italy; (add.info.: The visit, 1868)

Sunny Day, 1899 (oil on canvas)
LAF470905 Sunny Day, 1899 (oil on canvas) by Claus, Emile (1849-1924); 92.7x73.5 cm; Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent, Belgium; © Art in Flanders

The domestic dog has many puppies, the housewife has given a bowl of milk for the puppies
7278830 The domestic dog has many puppies, the housewife has given a bowl of milk for the puppies by Unknown Artist, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The domestic dog has many puppies)

The Drama Of Costa-Piana (Chiavari), A Courageous Peasant Woman Who Saves The Life Of Her Husband Gia... (colour litho)
2798763 The Drama Of Costa-Piana (Chiavari), A Courageous Peasant Woman Who Saves The Life Of Her Husband Gia... (colour litho) by Beltrame

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"Housewives: The Unsung Heroes of Domesticity Through the Ages" From the English Rose kitchen advert in the early 20th century to a woman proudly displaying her desserts, they have always been at the heart of culinary excellence. Even during World War II, amidst the chaos and destruction of the Blitz in London, a resilient chef could be found cooking in a bombed-out street, ensuring that meals were still prepared with love and care. In the 1930s, another dedicated housewife was captured effortlessly creating delicious dishes in her cozy kitchen. Fast forward to 1952, an advertisement for English Rose kitchens showcased how these women embraced modernity while keeping their traditional values intact. The Pancake Race in Olney became an annual tradition where housewives displayed their skills flipping pancakes with grace and precision. Meanwhile, Liverpool they were seen gathering on streets exchanging gossip as they went about their daily routines. History reveals that even centuries ago, women took charge of household affairs. A painting from 1568 depicts bustling fish markets where strong-willed housewives negotiated deals and selected fresh catches for their families' meals. Cookery demonstrations provided opportunities for aspiring homemakers to learn new recipes and techniques. In political campaigns like LCC election leaflets by Conservative Party members or wartime cartoons showcasing diligent housewives operating without maids' assistance in 1943 demonstrated how these women played vital roles beyond domestic duties. Not limited to just home management tasks, some young women showcased their laundry skills at Dr. Barnardo's Homes annual celebrations held at The Royal Albert Hall. This exhibition highlighted not only good work but also emphasized how training empowered future generations of capable homemakers. Even outside England's borders, Italian they were celebrated as they skillfully managed households while maintaining cultural traditions within communities such as Lazio's Formia Amphitheater scene captured in 1955.