Fixtures and Fittings of a Working Woman's House

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The Working Woman’s House was published in 1919, summarising responses to a survey sent to all women by the Labour Party’s Women’s Housing Sub-Committee.

The survey asked women what they most desired from a home. Responses included a want for sunlight, labour saving devices inside and co-operative measures outside.

Women wanted their houses to be visually appealing outside and comfortable inside and to have good cupboard space and gardens.

‘She wants her house to be fit for a hero to live in, but she wants also to free herself from some of that continuous toil which is the result of the bad housing conditions of the past, and has prevented her from taking her full share of work as a citizen, wife and mother.’

In Burnage, fixtures and fittings were added to the kitchen area to try to ease some of this toil.

Ann Davies remembers some of these fittings, from the ceiling rack to hang washing from, to the mangle which folded out from a wooden table.

Are any of these features familiar to you? Let us know!