Being an intelligent woman in the late 1800s and early 1900s must have been pretty unpleasant. There were few opportunities for smart females to exercise their intellectual prowess, and even fewer thought-provoking diversions. Most women were confined to the kitchen for hours and hours each day. The literature of the day states that the average woman spends 3/4ths of her day in the kitchen.

Now that’s just scary.

The Comfort Swing (shown below) was perhaps a woman’s only solace during such a harried day. If you look at the woman’s face, it also looks like she helped herself to a double-scoop of laudanum before settling into her swing.  (1898 Ladies’ Homes Journal.)

Just a'swinging