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The Glory of Woman: Prescriptive Literature, 1920 - 1929
- Bourne, Eileen. Liberty's Book of Youth and Beauty. New York: Liberty Weekly, Inc., 1928.
Guidelines on losing and gaining weight, caring for the hands, skin, hair, eyes, and feet, preserving youth, and maintaining proper hygiene.
- The Bride. [Chattanooga]: The Chattanooga Community Advertising Association, [1928].
This example of advertising ephemera offers instructional essays and recipes for the new bride. Subjects include stylish dressing, beauty, etiquette, kitchen management, home-ownership, insurance, and the reasons men leave home ("It is frequently because of the desire for better food.").
- Enlightened Homes [serial]. New York: Ruth Brindze, 1929.
A magazine for the modern American woman, with articles on current events, instructions for massaging the face to prevent wrinkles, a recipe for plum pudding, and a photo essay on “Radio’s Most Beautiful Girls.”
- The Flapper [serial]. Chicago: Flapper Pub. Co., 1922.
“What the FLAPPER stands for: short skirts, rolled sox, bobbed hair, powder and rouge, no corsets, one-piece bathing suits, deportation of reformers, non-enforcement of Blue Laws, no censorship of movies, stage or the press, vacations with full pay, no chaperons, attractive clothes, the inalienable right to make dates, good times, [and] honor between both sexes.”
- Goddard, Gloria. Marital Discords and How to Avoid Them. Girard, Kan.: Haldeman-Julius Publications, [1927].
Examines the causes of marital discord, such as incompatibility and financial difficulty. A section on “temperamental differences” highlights the conflict between “the stay-at-home man and the delicatessen or restaurant wife.”
- Goldsborough, Lillian Purdy. The Modern Home. New York: McCall's Magazine, 1923.
This booklet shows women how to take advantage of "mechanical servants" - including the vacuum cleaner, washing machines, electric iron, and fireless cooker - to save time and effort in the home.
- Goldsborough, Lillian Purdy. The New Hospitality: correct table service for breakfasts, luncheons, teas, dinners, suppers. New York: McCall's Magazine, 1924.
Discusses the unique requirements of modern entertaining. "Original touches are...in great demand. Refreshments, plans, menus, decorations, color-schemes, must possess novelty to be acceptable. And all this means that far more is expected of the hostess than ever before."
- Hutton, Isabel Galloway Emslie. The Hygiene of Marriage. London: W. Heinemann, Ltd., 1923.
Opposed to the secrecy surrounding sexuality in marriage, the author instructs couples on consummating the marriage, day-to-day married life, and contraception.
- Sanger, Margaret. What Every Girl Should Know. Girard, Kan.: Haldeman-Julius Co., [1922 or 1923].
Sanger discusses sexuality, reproduction, and venereal disease, in an effort to prevent young women “from entering into sexual relations whether in marriage or out of it, without thinking and knowing.”
- Shaw, H.L.K. Your Baby: how to keep it well. Albany, NY: NY State Dept. of Health, 1923.
Shaw provides an alarming overview of infant mortality rates, and advises mothers on breastfeeding, bathing, clothing, sleep, and childhood illnesses. A list of “Things bad for all babies” warns against candy and “allowing any person with tuberculosis to take care of the baby.”
- Splint, Sarah Field. Time-Saving Cookery. New York: McCall's Magazine, 1925.
“A woman must take short-cuts to those necessary ‘three-meals-a-day’ if she wants time to enjoy friends, books, music and clubs, an occasional motor-ride, an hour or two in the open.”
- Wanger, Ruth. What Girls Can Do. New York: H. Holt and Company, [1926].
Advice on choosing an occupation, etiquette on the job, and achieving success at work: “…be careful to avoid the idea that people will always try to impose on you and give you more than your share of work. Greet new tasks gladly, as long as you have the time for them. They give you experience which is valuable.”
- Wynne, Shirley Wilmotte. Slimming Safely. Albany, NY: Bureau of Milk Publicity, Dept. of Agriculture and Markets, [192-].
"This little booklet will help you select foods properly. It contains helpful suggestions, 18 days of reducing menus, height-weight tables for men and women, a calory [sic] list, and other aids to safe, sensible weight control. Carry the booklet with you in your purse or pocket; consult it at mealtimes."
