Resource

Housework and Electricity

An advertisement that raises questions about the impact of technology in the home.

A “Life” magazine advertisement from Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company for different electric appliances for the household. In the middle of the page, text reads: “Xmas Cheer Every Day in the Year” and describes how electricity is very helpful in powering household appliances. The text references that it is the holiday season and that progressive women deem electric appliances a necessity. Images around the text display different types of appliances such as toasters, coffee pots, and milk warmers.
Christmas Cheer Every Day in the Year

“Christmas Cheer Every Day of the Year,” Life Magazine, 1914. New-York Historical Society Library.

Background

By the early 1900s electric power was available in most middle-class homes. Relatively affordable new tools for cooking, cleaning, laundry, and sewing were available in department stores and through catalogs. In many homes, especially in the North, these new tools lessened the need for domestic workers. Domestic work was already seen as the lowest kind of work and there were virtually no labor advocates for domestic workers.  

Technological advancements made completing domestic chores easier, but they also led to some negative impacts for women. Unemployment increased among domestic workers. Some middle-class housewives who previously enjoyed leisure time while their servants cared for the home were now expected to spend most of their time operating appliances. As a result, electrical appliance innovations resulted in many women spending more time taking care of their homes, not less.

About the Resources

This advertisement appeared in the national magazine Life. The text is aimed at women readers and invites them to share electric appliances with all their friends during the holiday season.

Vocabulary

  • domestic workers: Paid employees who work in the home and do housework, including cooking, cleaning, and taking care of children.

Discussion Questions

  • This ad is written for women readers. Why do you think that is? What does that tell us about the role of women in the US economy?
  • What appliances are advertised and what do they do? Why would someone want this for their home?
  • This ad suggests buying household appliances for women as Christmas gifts. What does this imply about the role of women and what they did with their time? How do you think women felt about receiving such gifts?
  • The ad describes electricity as “the servant that is always at command.” What does that mean? How might these new inventions have changed the role of maids and other domestic workers?

Suggested Activities

Themes

DOMESTICITY AND FAMILY; SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND MEDICINE; WORK, LABOR, AND ECONOMY

Source Notes