This, as the title indicates, is a fairly comprehensive overview of not only the work of the basic female domestic servants employed in private homes of the very early 20th century, but the skills and attitudes of their employers, required for successful selection, training and management of a few staff by the mistress of the house, and general relationships between them.

This is not, however, concerned with employment by large families of more than four people, for grand mansions and estates employing dozens of different staff members, or of male staff members of any kind. Housekeepers, butlers, grooms and the like are not mentioned, except as in passing in order to rule them out of the discussion.The focus is upon private homes of the usual size at the time, where anywhere from one to three staff members are employed, by families who could afford them, and managed by the mistress of the house.

Maids of All Work, Waitress-House Maids, Cooks and general housemaids who share all the work with one or two other members of staff are the focus of this volume. Specific types of duties and the manner in which they are generally done are covered, with the last chapter giving a specific list for each type of service by each individual are given.

Specialized duties of other types of service, such as Nurses for children, Ladies Maids, or any other similar type of service are not covered. And this is not covering any type of service in the UK or Europe, as it is specifically excluded, except in very brief comparison made in passing to the circumstances of such employment in the States.

I found it interesting and informative, and an easy read. Having an interest in the subject already made that possible, I'm sure, as it was not required reading for any formal educational purposes!

The only criticisms I would make are in regard to the results of the duplicating process. There is one page so poorly scanned as to be completely illegible, as if it were just wiped across the scanner, and since that happens to be the last page of the first chapter, it eliminates a good bit of what was likely very informative information.

On many other pages, there are quite a few finger images at the bottoms of the pages, seemingly in layers from page to page, with the absolute clarity of a photograph of the scanner operator's fingers in the middle of the series of errant images. Prior to and following the clearest image, there are less clear, almost shadows of the same image.

That is not a very clear description of the problem, I'm sure, but since I have never seen such marks on any other books I have read here over a period of several years, I am at a loss to know how to describe them more clearly. Even a brief glance through the pages will more clearly show what I mean, as they are not at all difficult to locate. While the marks don't interfere with reading the text above them, they are still quite distracting during the reading process, and interfere with the enjoyment of the material.