The Pocket : A Hidden History of Women's Lives, 1660–1900 by Barbara Burman

A New York Times Best Art Book of 2019; “A riveting book . . few stones are left unturned.”—Roberta Smith’s “Top Art Books of 2019,” The New York Times

This fascinating and enlightening study of the tie-on pocket combines materiality and gender to provide new insight into the social history of women’s everyday lives—from duchesses and country gentry to prostitutes and washerwomen—and to explore their consumption practices, sociability, mobility, privacy, and identity. A wealth of evidence reveals unexpected facets of the past, bringing women’s stories into intimate focus.  

“What particularly interests Burman and Fennetaux is the way in which women of all classes have historically used these tie-on pockets as a supplementary body part to help them negotiate their way through a world that was not built to suit them.”—Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian     “A brilliant book.”—Ulinka Rublack, Times Literary Supplement

Format:Paperback / softback 264 pages, 200 color illus.
Publisher:Yale University Press
Imprint:Yale University Press
ISBN:9780300253740
Published:12 May 2020
Classifications:c 1700 to c 1800, c 1800 to c 1900, History of art & design styles: c 1600 to c 1800, History of fashion, Social & cultural history, Gender studies: women
Weight:614g