Domestic Goddess

2009 - 2010

The domestic goddess: female who excels at baking, cooking, cleaning - housework of all sorts. She may sew, knit, and have domestic hobbies that come out well. She doesn't have to have children to be considered a domestic goddess. (Urban Dictionary definition).

This definition may be a little tongue in cheek, however, it is a brave individual who would doubt the extraordinary time, effort and talents required of the average woman tasked with  running the family home.  It was predominantly women, as history  dictates, who carried the burden of this responsibility, often with expectations well beyond those with only  average skills.

With the challenges that could arise came the invention of necessity, from the evolution of the washing machine to the hurdy gurdy pantry. The tools of domesticity have been captured here in this unique and unashamedly female oriented exhibition.

This display informs us of the hardship many early pioneer women endured, struggling to provide the comforts of home for her family even during times of drought, flood, poverty and illness. It allows us to observe how improvements in technology brought the modern era of electrical appliances into the home, bringing conveniences and luxuries such as the first vacuum cleaner and the mix master. For some this will be a walk down memory lane and for others, an opportunity to have insight into the historically vital role of the domestic goddess.

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