A Gentlewoman’s Home: The Whole Art of Building, Furnishing, and Beautifying the Home

Jane Ellen Panton (1847-1923) was the second daughter of the artist William Powell Frith, and an expert on domestic issues. First published in 1896, this is her guide to creating the ‘dream house’. In it she draws on the experiences of Deborah and Dick, clients who sought her advice after looking unsuccessfully for a suitable home. The book is based on the notion that turning an existing building into a dream house is impossible, and begins by offering advice on finding land and building on it to create a home that could be ‘the cradle of the race’, passed on to successive generations. Panton devotes a chapter to each of the different parts of the house, from the governess’s rooms to the maids’ quarters. Providing a revealing insight into domestic middle-class tastes and concerns in late nineteenth-century England, this book remains of interest to social historians.