Jane Ellen Panton (1847–1923) was the second daughter of the artist William Powell Frith, and a journalist and author on domestic issues. First published in 1896, this was one of a series of advice guides written by Panton on life and work in the middle-class home. In it she offers ideas to those with 'middle sized incomes' for overcoming the pitfalls of suburban life, such as selecting the optimal location, avoiding noise and disputes between neighbours, decorating and furnishing the home, and employing various domestic techniques in order to achieve the 'perfect house and housekeeping'. Drawing on twelve years' experience of suburban living, the author makes suggestions for each part of the house, and the concluding chapter addresses the question of whether to employ a servant. Providing a revealing snapshot of life in late nineteenth-century England, this book will be of great interest to historians and sociologists.
