Coming out of the kitchen: women beyond the home

Until relatively recently, it was generally assumed that marriage was the only career for a woman, after which she was confined to the home, immersed in her domestic duties. In fact, the author of this text argues, there were numerous women who, with minimal education, little financial independence and only basic domestic skills, pursued active roles in the world outside the home. These roles were many and varied: writers, teachers, hostesses, entertainers, artists, photographers, translators, missionaries, astronomers, nurses, botanists, nannies, travellers, governesses, designers, gardeners, campaigners and explorers, to name but a few.