Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Book, Woman's World, c1960
Vintage Australian book for the homemaker c1958.
The book is published prior to granting of equal pay, affirmation of women's rights, acceptance of working mother and career woman as the norm . The book reinforces the socially accepted concept of the married homemaker and mother as perceived at the time, now the idealised concept is questioned. At the time of publication and reprints this book was envisaged to empower women. Whether' a teenager, career woman,a young married or mother' as a 'guide, philosopher, and friend'
The editor Alleyne Jukes was born in Warrnambool to Charles and Mary Jukes of the Floral Farm Warrnambool. She attended Braemar Grammar School and Warrnambool High School. She lived and worked in Melbourne as a journalist and secretary living in St Kilda and Elsternwick 1949, Bentleigh 1954, Oakleigh 1963. In 1961 she gathered together a number of writers and consultants to produce Woman's World, a book designed as the woman's Bible to enable her to have access to expert advice and information about home and outside work fields.The book was hailed at the time at the time as the only work of its type produced entirely for Australian conditions and was an immediate success appealing to a wide range of readers.
A similar subject book of smaller size and format has been sighted 'The People's Home Library', 1910 reprinted in 1923 by RC Barnum published by The Oceanic Publishing Company. A Library of three practical books, Medical 478 pp, Home Recipe 238 pp and Home Stock 315pp.This book is a guide for everything from how to answer a telephone correctly to sorting out marital problems. A reference guide for how to be a complete and successful young woman. Courses on Beauty, Fashion, Poise and Personality, Cooking,Every Wise Woman, Love and Marriage, The Home, The Family and Interests and Hobbies. This book has significance for Warrnambool as Alleyne Jukes was born in Warrnambool and has strong family connections to the district.A hardback reference book 'Woman's World' with a cream vinyl binding of flecked fabric outside cover and spine. Gold gilt lettering for the title and a gold gilt rose motif on the front; gold gilt lettering and publisher's name on the spine; plain back cover.
The endpapers are repeated of black and white pen ink drawings showing the roles of women on varying splashes of a vairety of mono-coloured backgrounds.
A general index on page 602 plus cooking index page 606 and dressmaking and sewing index page 607. The 607 pages are printed on thick, gloss white paper for 64 pages and coarser, white matt paper for the remainder. The table of contents lists a pictorial Introduction and nine chapters (courses) 'that is a 'bible' to the woman 'cares' and is vital to her as her femininity'.
The editor has a heading "WOMAN" The Unacknowledged Specialist" and signed with her printed signature...Alleyne Jukes.'
No dedication included although a text from Proverbs.alleyne m jukes, woman, self improvement, 'bible', warrnambool
Federation University Art Collection
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Melbourne Legacy
Melbourne Tram Museum