Prang’s Aids for Object Teaching – The Kitchen, c. 1874. This lithograph was one of a set of twelve used to teach elementary students about trades and occupations. Women are pictured in only three of the prints – in the kitchen, as an assistant to the male tailor, and working at the sales counter for a male baker. The other nine occupations featured only men, reinforcing the ideal of separate sphere for men and women.
Lithograph, Prang’s Aids for Object Teaching – The Kitchen, Boston: L. Prang & Co., c. 1874. (Courtesy Library of Congress)
Image featured in Investigating Family, Food, and Housing Themes in Social Studies by Cynthia Resor
I really like this image because it can show how occupations have changed throughout the years. This could also be a good image to show about the evolution of women’s rights. It can show how women were viewed, what their role was in society, and how much it has changed through the years. Women have gone from being stuck in a kitchen or working for a man to being whatever they want to be!
I plan to use this historical image in a lesson on how women’s rights has evolved throughout the centuries. With the above image, students could learn how women were portrayed and valued during the 19th century, and they can then compare this with how women are viewed in modern society.
I could use this image to teach a Woman’s Rights lesson in middle school. The primary source image of ‘Women in the Kitchen’ is perfect to teach gender roles and how women have gained more rights over time.