I find this kind of stuff fascinating (and makes me grateful it's waaaaaay in our rear view mirror). A great source of info is your state land grant university's archives. Betty Crocker was an alum of ours and there are some really fun pictures of her and stories about her research. Many state 4-H programs have info as well as Extension Home Economics groups (if those still exist).
I'm glad you enjoy the subject as much as I do! I have also done research into the land grant university's support and leadership in the home economics field. They led the way in educating women. (As for Betty Crocker, she was fictitious, did you mean someone else?)
Drudgery is definitely dusting and vacuuming. I have to admit, though, I always try to find more efficient ways of doing things, whether at home or when I was working. Sometimes I get more efficient, sometimes not.
I'm envious of people who can listen to books and podcasts. I'm a visual person, almost totally (on the autism spectrum and can super focus), but my mind wanders, and goes off in other directions, if I listen to someone talking. I got through school by writing down almost every word the teacher said.
me too...and I still have piles of laundry in my bedroom that are in need of folding. but, but, i find researching and writing about kitchen history wayyyyy more interesting.
My mom energetically ignored “Iron Mountain” (aka the pile of laundry needing to be ironed) for, basically, my entire childhood. She’d pay me to iron, a dime per item which was rare because I was happier writing. In fact, one of my kid stories was called “The Ironing Lady,” and even at age six I was writing micro fiction. “There once was a lady who loved to iron. She ironed from morning to night. The End.”
What a great essay! I still have many little booklets and brochures from the 40s-70s of recipes and such for particular products. Looking for a way to display them. I have memories of my grandmother’s kitchen (I have her kitchen pie safe/cabinet that is now 100 years old). I have the Fannie Farmer cookbook as well as some other old ones. Drudgery? Honestly it is staying on top of the things that covers flat surfaces; the things I set down and don’t go back to and put away or discard. Things that don’t take long, so therefore I put them off. And it is also not using the tools I have to make the jobs easier.
I am not neat by nature; but after living with a very scattered mother for 20 years I learned to at least put items back in ONE PLACE in my own home. Cleaning? I like it clean but it's very hard when you live with 3 males (husband, son, dog) who really don't care about neat or clean. Same goes if you live with messy roommates. It is endless. So, yes, it is DRUDGERY.
Well, I know I’m in the minority, but I don’t have a dishwasher- except myself or occasionally my husband. That said, it’s not my favorite thing in the world ( that would be reading all day while someone brings me food), but there is something satisfying about going into a kitchen piled with dirty dishes and meal prep detritus and cleaning everything to spotless. I do get joy from knowing each dish and utensil is in its place and ready for the next cooking adventure.
What I really feel is shear drudgery is dusting and vacuuming!
There's a great book that covers a lot of this history—"Perfection Salad" by Laura Shapiro. It also talks about how American taste (or lack of it) was developed through the home economics movement (this is a gross oversimplification—read the book).
It's important to note that I am responding to you INSTEAD of emptying the dishwasher. I suppose I hate loading the dishwasher more, but still it's drudgery and the same-old (no matter how efficiently Mrs Frederick's managed it) and I'd rather be doing 100 other things. (Although not folding and putting away laundry, as the piles in my bedroom would attest. )
For years, the laundry was simply moved from the bed to the carpet and back again. Now, somehow (through the magic of watching videos while folding laundry), it gets folded and, sometimes, put away.
The repetitiveness of that woman's day is bleak and depressing. No wonder she turned to the distraction of 'efficiency'. I would have lost my mind for the lack of intellectual stimulation! By the way- I'm guessing Jell-O, Ritz Crackers, Velveeta, Oreos, and Marshmallow Fluff in that order.
Eeeeeeeeegads! The woman's schedule!
Makes a gal greatful for her dishwasher. I think I shall go give it a very big hug.
Give it a hug from old E. Jean too, Marissa!!!
I find this kind of stuff fascinating (and makes me grateful it's waaaaaay in our rear view mirror). A great source of info is your state land grant university's archives. Betty Crocker was an alum of ours and there are some really fun pictures of her and stories about her research. Many state 4-H programs have info as well as Extension Home Economics groups (if those still exist).
Thanks for the fun peek into history, Marissa!
I'm glad you enjoy the subject as much as I do! I have also done research into the land grant university's support and leadership in the home economics field. They led the way in educating women. (As for Betty Crocker, she was fictitious, did you mean someone else?)
Drudgery is definitely dusting and vacuuming. I have to admit, though, I always try to find more efficient ways of doing things, whether at home or when I was working. Sometimes I get more efficient, sometimes not.
I find listening to books makes me more willing to stick with drudgery.
I'm envious of people who can listen to books and podcasts. I'm a visual person, almost totally (on the autism spectrum and can super focus), but my mind wanders, and goes off in other directions, if I listen to someone talking. I got through school by writing down almost every word the teacher said.
Dusting? What is this dusting of which you speak?
😂 & Laundry! Piles heaped upon more mountains of clothes~ still have my mother’s Fannie Farmer & The Boston School Cook books
me too...and I still have piles of laundry in my bedroom that are in need of folding. but, but, i find researching and writing about kitchen history wayyyyy more interesting.
(patting the chair next to me while the dishes & laundry wait) so glad you are here! ☺️
let's sit and eat cookies!
My mom energetically ignored “Iron Mountain” (aka the pile of laundry needing to be ironed) for, basically, my entire childhood. She’d pay me to iron, a dime per item which was rare because I was happier writing. In fact, one of my kid stories was called “The Ironing Lady,” and even at age six I was writing micro fiction. “There once was a lady who loved to iron. She ironed from morning to night. The End.”
When’s the last time you wielded an iron?
What a great essay! I still have many little booklets and brochures from the 40s-70s of recipes and such for particular products. Looking for a way to display them. I have memories of my grandmother’s kitchen (I have her kitchen pie safe/cabinet that is now 100 years old). I have the Fannie Farmer cookbook as well as some other old ones. Drudgery? Honestly it is staying on top of the things that covers flat surfaces; the things I set down and don’t go back to and put away or discard. Things that don’t take long, so therefore I put them off. And it is also not using the tools I have to make the jobs easier.
I am not neat by nature; but after living with a very scattered mother for 20 years I learned to at least put items back in ONE PLACE in my own home. Cleaning? I like it clean but it's very hard when you live with 3 males (husband, son, dog) who really don't care about neat or clean. Same goes if you live with messy roommates. It is endless. So, yes, it is DRUDGERY.
Well, I know I’m in the minority, but I don’t have a dishwasher- except myself or occasionally my husband. That said, it’s not my favorite thing in the world ( that would be reading all day while someone brings me food), but there is something satisfying about going into a kitchen piled with dirty dishes and meal prep detritus and cleaning everything to spotless. I do get joy from knowing each dish and utensil is in its place and ready for the next cooking adventure.
What I really feel is shear drudgery is dusting and vacuuming!
I love this! Thank you so much. And I’m thrilled you’re going to be sharing more kitchen and home economics history with us.
There's a great book that covers a lot of this history—"Perfection Salad" by Laura Shapiro. It also talks about how American taste (or lack of it) was developed through the home economics movement (this is a gross oversimplification—read the book).
"Perfection Salad" is a terrific book.
Drudgery... emptying the clean dishes from the dishwasher. It’s because it was always my childhood chore that I hate it so badly.
I was exhausted just from reading that woman’s daily schedule!!
It's important to note that I am responding to you INSTEAD of emptying the dishwasher. I suppose I hate loading the dishwasher more, but still it's drudgery and the same-old (no matter how efficiently Mrs Frederick's managed it) and I'd rather be doing 100 other things. (Although not folding and putting away laundry, as the piles in my bedroom would attest. )
For years, the laundry was simply moved from the bed to the carpet and back again. Now, somehow (through the magic of watching videos while folding laundry), it gets folded and, sometimes, put away.
🪄😄
The repetitiveness of that woman's day is bleak and depressing. No wonder she turned to the distraction of 'efficiency'. I would have lost my mind for the lack of intellectual stimulation! By the way- I'm guessing Jell-O, Ritz Crackers, Velveeta, Oreos, and Marshmallow Fluff in that order.
jello, marshmellow fluff, ritz, velveetta(sp)oreo, dusting, vacuuming, unloading the dishwasher
Wasn’t Taylor the father in “Cheaper by the Dozen”, one of my favorite books as a girl?
Wonderful.
thanks for this fascinating history!! remarkable and how much simpler life was back then
I didn't know that about Amazon delivery. How absolutely grim. I suspect Jeff Bezos does not respond to beeps and timers...LOL.
(and thanks for the nice comments)