The Philosophy of House-Keeping: A Scientific and Practical Manual for the Preparation of All Kinds of Food, the Making Up of All Kinds of Dress, the Preservation of Health, and the Intelligent and Skillful Performance of Every Household Office
Hartford: Goodwin and Betts, 1867. First Edition. Octavo, xiv, 560 pages, publisher's original blind-stamped and gilt decorated green cloth covered boards. Illustrated in black-and-white. The Philosophy of House-Keeping: A Scientific and Practical Manual by Joseph B. Lyman and Laura E. Lyman is a substantial 19th-century American domestic economy manual, first published in Hartford in 1867. Far more than a simple cookbook, the work presents housekeeping as both a practical skill and a scientific discipline, offering detailed guidance on food preparation, cookery, household management, health, clothing, dressmaking, cleaning, domestic labor, and the efficient organization of the home. Written in the post-Civil War period, it reflects the growing Victorian interest in domestic science, women’s household education, and the application of reason, order, and practical knowledge to everyday family life. With its broad treatment of cookery, home medicine, domestic economy, and household arts, the book is an important resource for the study of 19th-century American home life, women’s history, culinary history, and the development of scientific housekeeping.
Provenance: From the library of Dr. William Woys Weaver, acclaimed American food historian and author, acquired directly from his historic home, Roughwood, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Hinges cracked, some rubbing and wear, some discoloration and foxing, corners bumped, else in good + condition. Item #411
Price: $125.00