House Wife Collection

Pickled onion advertisement
A showcard for pickled onions, showing an humanised housewife onion posing by a jar

Olney Pancake Race
SHROVE TUESDAY The starter line for the Olney pancake race which has been held in the village for over 500 years. Any Olney woman over 18 can compete

Elizabeth Ann kitchen units advertisement
Advertisement for the Elizabeth Ann kitchen unit in stainless steel for the aristocrat of kitchen equipment for...a bright, easy kitchen. c.1955

Canadian Call to Women White Star Line poster
Poster produced by the White Star Line shipping company encouraging women to emigrate to Canada

St Margaret Clitherow
Saint MARGARET CLITHEROW (nee Middleton), respectable but Catholic housewife of York convicted of harbouring priests, crushed to death with those weights 24 March 1586

1940S Housewife Cooking
A housewife cooks on a simple stove in a bare and austere kitchen, adding milk to the pan she is stirring

Fanny Blankers-Koen hurdling, 1948 London Olympics
Fanny Blankers-Koen, a Dutch housewife, taking the victory in the 80 metres hurdles and setting a new Olympic record. Maureen Gardner of Britain took the silver

Older Woman Baking 1947
An older woman wearing a flowery apron rolls out pastry for some home baking

Gas refrigerator advertisement, 1950s
Advertisement for a gas-powered fridge depicting a carefree 1950s housewife gazing fondly at her gigantic baby. 1950s

English Rose kitchen advertisement
Advertisement for the wonderfully retro English Rose fitted kitchens of the 1950s depicting a housewife in a jolly yellow pinny proudly showing off her pristine new kitchen. c.1955

Woman Smoking 1940S
A young housewife exhales a stream of smoke as she takes a break from her household tasks. By the end of World War Two, nearly half of the women in Britain had a smoking habit

1960S Lady & Vacuum
A British housewife poses with Hoover and rag in the centre of her sitting room

Ewbank Master Washer
A housewife uses her Ewbank Master Clothes Washer for washing, wringing and ironing

Paddy Paws

Doing Laundry 1940S
A housewife uses a kind of dolly leg with a rubber plunger on the end of it to wash her clothes in a metal tub. Date: 1940s (re-enactment)

Carpet Sweeper
A young housewife using a carpet sweeper

Thor Washing Machine
This housewife is delighted with her Thor washing machine which converts to a dishwasher when she lifts out the Clothes Tub and slips in th Dish- Washing Unit

Ritemp Washing Machine
A housewife prepares to drain her English Electric Ritemp washing machine, simply and rapidly, into bucket or drain, according to the instruction book

Drying Clothes / Allingham
A woman in a pink bonnet check her washing line to see if her washing is dry

Japanese Woman Cooking
A young Japanese housewife cooking the family meal in her well-equipped kitchen. Chopsticks will be used for eating and the rice will be served in wooden cases. Date: 1930s

Making a Pie 1912
A young woman trims the excess pastry from a pie, prior to baking it

Electrolux Appliances
A housewife demonstrates some Electrolux products: a fridge, a water softener and a vacuum cleaner

Polishing a Floor
A housewife uses her Johnsons Wax Electric Floor Polisher

Ministry of Health Poster - Evacuation
Shes in the Ranks too! Caring for Evacuees is a National Service circa 1942

Young woman in a kitchen eating a plate of food
A young woman sitting at a kitchen table eating a plate of meat and vegetables. There is a large tin of Saxa Salt in front of her, and a wartime newspaper at the side of her plate. Date: circa 1944

Sainsburys Supermarket
A housewife wearing a mini skirt, outside a branch of Sainsburys supermarket, England. Date: 1970

Bendix washing machine advertisement, c. 1955
Advertisement for the Bendix automatic home washer, which, claims the woman in the advert, really does do everything. I find that hard to believe. c.1955

Formica kitchens advertisement
Advertisement for Formica kitchen surfaces and units featuring an illustrated cartoon-like housewife and her little girl amid a pristine and colourful kitchen. 1950s

Wendy Craig, English actress, with butterflies
Wendy Craig (b 1934), BAFTA award-winning English actress, seen here posing with butterflies, a reference to the popular sitcom Butterflies in which she starred between 1978

Pregnant Housewife
A young pregnant woman grills a snack in her kitchen

Advert for The General Electric Company 1942
G.E.C. household electric appliances Whats next ? Yesterday the dolly... next the copper; today the eletric washer... and tomorrow

Mending household items 1943
Make Do and Mend. During World War Two women became very resourceful, they tackled repairs and maintenance of many clothing and household items, that today we would just throw away and replace. 1943

Chopping Salade
A woman cuts up some tomatoes. Date: late 1960s

Z is the Zeal the housewife shews
Advertising for Puritan Soap. Alphabet series of 26 postcards featuring children using or holding the product. Date: c.1912

Smiling woman preparing a wholesome feast
A woman wearing a chequered apron and broad smile, leans over the stove and peels potatoes for the roast dinner she is preparing. 1937

Housewife Shopping
A young housewife, with her dog on its lead and her wicker shopping basket over her arm, looking at the display in a greengrocers shop window. Date: 1960s

Australian Fisherwoman
An Australian woman pulls on the rubber wading boots, that fit right over her clothes. They take the place of the housewifes apron in a unique catch-and-cook demonstration! Date: 1940s

Sissons sinks advertisement, 1950s
Advertisement for Sissons stainless steel sinks, bringing gleaming glamour to your kitchen. c.1950

Ezee Kitchens advertisement
Advertisement for Ezee Kitchens featuring a proud looking housewife showing off her new kitchen units. c.1950

Ideal Home kitchen 1951
A kitchen at the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia, 1951, featured in a spread in Sport & Country magazine: the country housewife at Olympia; this years Ideal Home Exhibition has much to interest her

Housewifes Cuppa
A smart housewife takes time out to enjoy a cup of tea in a china teacup and saucer. Date: 1960s

Advert for Ewarts Geyser hot water 1927
A contented housewife is about to fill her hot water bottle from her Ewarts Geyser water heater. Date: 1927

Advert for Esse cookers 1938
From beginning to end of every day, a happier cook in every way! From a cheerful beginning in a warm kitchen to a happy ending in front of the fire

Freshly Baked Loaves
A housewife takes her two freshly home baked loaves, one white and one wholemeal. from a hot oven. Date: 1940s

Scrubbing Kitchen Floor
A housewife kneels down as she scrubs the kitchen floor with a scrubbing brush and an enamel bucket of water. Date: 1940s

Vacuuming with a Chimp
Oh Mum, don t do any vacuuming, give me a cuddle instead! A young chimp clings to the leg of a hoovering housewife! Date: 1977

Cleaning Kitchen Floor
An ingenious housewife saves her back by cleaning her kitchen floor with a cloth and a sweeping brush. Date: 1940s

Mystery Household Task
A young housewife pours something from her teapot through a strainer into a bowl - but why? Is she removing stains from garments? Date: 1940s

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