A Treatise on Domestic Economy, for the use of young ladies at home, and at school

Boston: Marsh, Capen, Lyon and Webb, 1841. First Edition. Hardcover. Fair. 12mo 7" - 7. Published in Boston by Marsh, Capen, Lyon, and Webb, 1841, in First Edition state and in overall Fair condition because an oblong shape is missing from the backstrip, else tightly bound, a perfectly serviceable reference copy, bound in brown cloth over boards; nothing fancy, but complete and still pretty sturdy. The interior is tightly bound and clean, the hinges are slightly cracked but still holding firm. The bite of the type is satisfying. Light foxing. Gift bookplate denotes this as having been a gift from the Sontheimer Foundation of Greenwich, Connecticut. The author was the eldest of nine children borne by Roxana Foote, her father having been Lyman Beecher. She was the sister of Henry Ward Beecher, and of course Harriet Beecher. An important early work in "domestic economy" and ecology, it went through over a dozen editions in its life. The Treatise deals with many, if not all aspects of domestic life including standardization of routines and practices and the instillation of particular values. Granted, Beecher believed that a woman's proper role was in the home where she could affect values and morals and behaviors of her charges, but she was also an early proponent of (at least) white girls' education beyond intellectual. In 1823, she and her sister, Mary Foote Beecher Perkins, co-founded a girls school (the Hartford Female Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut). She also taught physical and domestic education there and mentored eventual famous women students. 441 pp.Member, I.O.B.A., C.B.A., and adherent to the highest ethical standards. Additional postage may be required for oversize or especially heavy volumes, and for sets.