Domestic Science and the Modern Home

The popularity of pattern books coincided with the rise of the concept of domestic science, pioneered by educator Catharine Beecher. Her books promoted the importance of the home as the center of moral and physical health. Women became important clients who demanded that a house function efficiently and economically so they could excel as homemakers.

The New Housekeeper’s Manual, 1873, by Catherine E. Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe

Courtesy of University of Maryland