Life Below Stairs
eBook - ePub

Life Below Stairs

True Lives of Edwardian Servants

  1. 192 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Life Below Stairs

True Lives of Edwardian Servants

About this book

"As a companion to  Downton Abbey  . . . Maloney's study satisfies . . . [a] thorough glimpse into the lives of British house servants in the early 1900s." — Shelf Awareness
 
UPSTAIRS, an Edwardian home would have been a picture of elegance and calm, adorned with social gatherings and extravagantly envisioned dinner parties.
 
DOWNSTAIRS, it was a hive of domestic activity, supported by a body of staff painstakingly devoted to ensuring the smooth running of the household.
 
Brimming with family secrets, society scandal, and of course elaborate parties, dresses, and social customs, the world of an aristocratic Edwardian household as depicted on the hit show  Downton Abbey has captivated millions. But what was life really like for the people who kept such a household running: the servants? In  Life Below Stairs, international bestselling author Alison Maloney takes readers behind the scenes to reveal a lively and colorful picture of what went on "downstairs," describing servants' daily life in this now-vanished world.
 
Detailing everything from household structure, pay and conditions, special duties, and rules and regulations, to perks, entertainment, and even romance, Maloney examines the drudgery and hardships below stairs, as well as the rewards and pleasures. Thoroughly researched and reliably informed, this charmingly illustrated volume also contains first-hand stories from the staff of the time, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the lifestyle and conduct of a bygone era.
 
"This handy compendium is a digestible introduction to the dos and don'ts of the highly stratified upper-class households of the era. Especially revealing are the interspersed anecdotal snippets culled from the memoirs of both domestic staff members and their well-heeled employers." — Booklist

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Yes, you can access Life Below Stairs by Alison Maloney in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Social Sciences & Modern British History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Notice
  4. Contents
  5. Introduction
  6. CHAPTER ONE Social Background
  7. CHAPTER TWO Household Structure
  8. CHAPTER THREE Pay and Conditions
  9. CHAPTER FOUR A Day in the Life of a Country House
  10. CHAPTER FIVE Toil and Technique
  11. CHAPTER SIX Special Occasions
  12. CHAPTER SEVEN Code of Conduct
  13. CHAPTER EIGHT Hiring and Firing
  14. CHAPTER NINE The High Life
  15. Conclusion
  16. Sources and Bibliography
  17. Picture Acknowledgements
  18. Index
  19. Copyright