Description:

Queen of Home Her Reign from Infancy to Age Book.

This exceptional circa 1892 book (first printed in 1888) is entitled "Queen of Home, Her Reign from Infancy to Age", and the author of Emma Churchman Hewitt. The inside contents are quite comprehensive, and entertaining as well, with gorgeous black and white illustrations. A fine gift items for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day indeed.

The cover is a grey-blue hardbound cloth, with gilt and silver decoration. It depicts a home scene, with a grandfather clock, a spinning wheel, and home scenes. The spine is also decorated. This book is quite substantial, at 8 x 9.75 inches and very thick, 528 pages. It is very SCARCE, and a prize for any library or those who collect women's and etiquette books.

The front opens to a colored frontispiece, with Queen of Home in bold lettering. The title page goes on to tout: “From Attic To Cellar, twelve departments, treating of Home Occupations; Nursery; Home Training; Home Amusements; Social Relations; Entertainments; Library; Dress; Occupations for Women, including papers by eminent authorities on home decorations, infancy, and the sick-room.

There are so many, many illustrations in this text, but we are limited to only 9 photos on Ruby Lane. So do ask for more if you like! They are all grand, many full-page engravings, and others the chapter page with gorgeous illustrations, many with cupids.

Under the Title of “Home Occupations:

Chapter 1: Housekeeping

Chapter 2: Planning the Week’s Work

Chapter 3: Baking Day

Chapter 4: Sweeping and Dusting

Chapter 5: Marketing

Chapter 6: Household Conveniences

Under the Title of Home Decorations: Chapter 1: Color and Decoration in the House Chapter 2: Carpets Chapter 3: Wallpaper Chapter 4: Draperies Chapter 5: Furnishing Chapter 6: The Dining Room Chapter 7: Bedrooms Chapter 8: The Family Sitting Room

Under the Title of The Nursery: Chapter 1: It’s Sanitation, Uses and Conveniences Chapter 2: Avoidable Deformities Chapter 3: Holiday Evils Chapter 4: Children’s Nerves

Under the Title of Infancy: Chapter 1: The infant Chapter 2: Feeding, Food Chapter 3: Artificial Food Chapter 4: Diet and Care of Children Chapter 5: Definition

Under the Title of Home Training: Chapter 1: Home Education Chapter 2: Why? (as regards to developing children) Chapter 3: Small Trusts Chapter 4: Home Relations and Home Manners Chapter 5: Observation Chapter 6: School Chapter 7: Selection of Profession

Under the Title of The Sick-Room: Chapter 1: Nervous Disorders Chapter 2: Small Ailments Chapter 3: The Nurse and Patient Chapter 4: Cleanliness Chapter 5: Ventilation Chapter 6: Light, Bathing, Clothing Chapter 7: Diet Chapter 8: Food for Invalids Chapter 9: The Emergency Box

Under the Title of Home Amusements: Chapter 1: The Mission of Fancy Work Chapter 2: Pets, Flowers, Music Chapter 3: Games Chapter 4: Amusements in the Country Chapter 5: Some Homemade Toys

Under the Title of Social Relations: Chapter 1: Who is my Neighbor? Chapter 2: Mistress and Maid Chapter 3: Gnats Chapter 4: Form, the Daughter in Society Chapter 5: Social Visiting Chapter 6: Social Circles and Clubs

Under the Title of Entertainments: Chapter 1: Soap-bubble and Pop-corn Parties Chapter 2: Candy Parties (to make French candies) Chapter 3: Lawn Parties Chapter 4: Masquerades Chapter 5: Entertainments for Charity

Under the Title of The Library: Chapter 1: Considered as a Room Chapter 2: Considered as Books Chapter 3: Pen, Ink, and Paper Chapter 4: Preparation of Manuscript Under the Title of Dress:

Chapter 1: The Influence of Dress Chapter 2: Dress versus Cost Chapter 3: General Care of the Person

Under the Title of Occupations for Women: Chapter 1: Woman’s Sphere Chapter 2: What Shall I do? Chapter 3: Advice to Young Women Chapter 4: Selection of a Calling Chapter 5: Women as Business Women Chapter 6: The Trained Nurse Chapter 7: Arts and Sciences Chapter 8: Dentistry Chapter 9: Medicine Chapter 10: Schools, Scholars, and Teachers Chapter 11: Literature Chapter 12: Charities and Opportunities Conclusion: Woman, Her Position, Social, Civil, and Political

And to think if you were “proper”, you would each and every one of these sections like the back of your hand! And only by conforming to these social norms could one aspire to highest society! This book is chock full of all quirky and wonderful with regard toVictorian etiquette and society, and how to conduct oneself. The illustrations within are just beautiful, again, many couched with cupids. Here are some entertaining excerpts from the text…

“Bedrooms…One of two ideas must always be expressed in a bedroom; one, makes the apartment suggest a luxurious, cozy nest, filled, as it is, with the countless knick-knacks of the toilet, and the many nothings, to which the little mistress pays more or less devotion; while the other, which is infinitely to be preferred, makes the bedroom as simple, as neat, and nearly bare, as one can, with due regard to daily needs and good taste…In your own room, let the walls be of a pale pinky terra-cotta, the very lightest shades, the design being small, and closely covering the ground”

“Mistress and Maid…Many of us are physically unfit for any manual labor at all, others unfit to take all the work of the house…a household should be considered from a business standpoint…I maintain that servants in a household, where such can be afforded, are not a luxury but a necessity, as allowing time and strength for the pursuit of more merely intellectual occupations”

“Entertainments…Much beauty is added to the scene, if the garb for the occasion is what is known as fancy dress, and the hostess should state so in her invitation…a lawn prettily and artistically decorated with lighted lanterns, looks almost like a fairyland”

“Dress…If a child have pretty, curling hair, do not plait it in tight braids on the plea that it is less trouble, or that you do not wish to encourage vanity…above all else, never permit a child to acquire the notion that he or she is possessed of a homeliness so hopeless that nothing can be unattainable… on the contrary, teach a child that everyone has some good points in appearance”

This book just goes on and on about corsets, the complexion, social interaction, just all things women should know and adhere to. It is amazing in its content, definitely a coffee table book to entertain!

The inside is Very Good, clean with minimal wear. The text block is tight. I would think this was a cabinet book, as the wear is mostly confined to the cover board corners and spine. The cover boards ad spine have little wear, and still have the gilt and silver imprinting. It is a heavy book with exceptional illustrations. It’s a beautiful example of Americana, and a delight to read.

We ship books inexpensively using USPS Media Mail insured, but can send at the Priority Mail rate. We do have book layaways, please inquire for terms.