In one of those happy accidents on the internet, I stumbled upon a wonderful website hosted by Cornell University called Hearth, which documents the history of Home Economics in the US. Perhaps you cannot imagine that this would be an interesting topic, remembering you own seventh grade experiences or humorous depictions of Home Ec classes in movies. I hope this site will convince you otherwise!

Historically, Home Economics departments were havens for academic women who were not welcomed elsewhere at the university. They taught design, marketing, nutrition, hygiene, and a host of other topics that now are integrated under other programs and schools. The website is a treasure, with full text journals, the texts of rare books, and amazing photographs. In my quest for information on how older women have dressed (and been advised to dress) in the twentieth century, this is an amazing resource. There are sources on design as well…and the best thing is that you can search it all in your own hearth and home.