During the late 19th century, the home became the focal point for a number of debates concerning female employment and gender roles. As an increasing number of labour saving domestic devices came onto the market women found themselves increasingly targeted by manufacturing companies and utility suppliers, both as consumers and advocates. Foremost among these companies were representatives of the gas industry who actively addressed domestic issues. This study offers a social history of the English gas industry from the 1880s to the late 1930s, with a particular emphasis on the major corporations that served London and the Home Counties. It documents the hitherto unexamined role that women played in the development of the industry by considering two major, and interlocking themes: the expansion of sales occupations for women in the English gas industry, and the parallel growth and diversification of the industry's marketing strategies.
Through the exploration of women's relationship to the gas industry, as promoters, purveyors and consumers, this book presents a detailed insight into the often problematical relationship between women and the burgeoning "world of goods" within the public and private spaces of work and home.