Gender Studies at the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library

Numerous seventeenth- and eighteenth-century authors in the Clark Library collection construct rigid gender hierarchies and craft inflexible requirements for young girls and women. While men are pigeonholed by expectations of gallantry, women are expected to transform their physical, moral, and social characteristics to meet societal codes. In many of these books, education is a pretense for intense regulation of women’s bodies and souls. While men wrote the majority of these books, women also wrote educational treatises with an equally rigid tenor. The following subsections are a sampling of the collection.

Examples: 

• An Essay upon Modern Gallantry. Address’d to Men of Honour, Men of Pleasure, and Men of Sense. With a Seasonable Admonition to the Young Ladies of Great Britain. London: Printed for A. More, 1726. Clark Library Rare Book Stacks; HV6584 .E78 *: The author writes about the failed state of modern gallantry, including topics like adultery, sex, and debauchery, as well as a warning to women to regulate their conduct. 
• Brathwaite, Richard. The English Gentleman ; and the English Gentlewoman : Both in One Volume Couched, and in One Modell Portrayed: To the Living Glory of Their Sexe, the Lasting Story of Their Worth. Being Presented to Present Times for Ornaments; Commended to Posterity for Presidents. With A Ladies Love-Lecture and a Supplement Lately Annexed, and Entituled The Turtles Triumph [sic]. London: Printed by John Dawson, 1641. Clark Library Rare Book Stacks; f PR2214.B3 .E5 1641 *: Richard Brathwaite (1588–1673) was an English writer who wrote about social conduct, particularly gendered behaviors. 
• Bruys, François. The Art of Knowing Women: Or, The Female Sex Dissected, in a Faithful Representation of Their Virtues and Vices ...By the Chevalier Plante-Amour. Made English from the French Original, with Improvements, by Mr. Macky. London: E. Curll, 1732. Clark Library Rare Book Stacks; HQ1201 .B91E 1732 *: The chapters include “General Ideas, Concerning Women,” “Of Young Ladies, and of their Education,” “Of Self-Love,” “Of the Religion and Devotion of Women,” “Of Love, and the Excesses caused by it in Women,” “Of Continence and Chastity,” “Of Wit and Learning. The Progress of Poetry. By Lady Mary Wortley Mountague,” “Of Secrecy,” “Of Beauty and Dress. With Reflections upon Fashions,” “Of Flattery and Dissimulation,” and “Of Friendship and Hatred.”

Examples:

• Essex, John. The Young Ladies Conduct, or, Rules for Education, under Several Heads : With Instructions upon Dress Both before and after Marriage and Advice to Young Wives. London: Sold by John Brotherton, 1722. Clark Library Rare Book Stacks; BJ1681 .E78 *: Written by John Essex (c. 1680–1744), a British dancing master and author. It includes topics of respect, humility, temperance, chastity, industriousness, modesty, idleness, exercise, recreation, beauty, proper employment, marriage, and dress choices. 
• Fénelon, François de Salignac de La Mothe. Instructions for the Education of a Daughter : To Which Is Added, A Small Tract of Instructions for the Conduct of Young Ladies of the Highest Rank, with Suitable Devotions Annexed  / by the Author of Telemachus ; Done into English, and Revised by Dr. George Hickes. London: Printed for Jonah Bowyer, 1707. Clark Library Rare Book Stacks; PQ1795 .E22E 1707 *: François de Salignac de La Mothe Fénelon (1651–1715) was a French Catholic archbishop, author, and theologian. His perspectives on education were considered progressive. This treatise covers topics like scriptures, heaven, baptism, confirmation, matrimony, clergy, beauty, delicacy, housewifery, health for all young women; and it covers topics like reputation, beauty, coquetry, merit, honor, reading, complexion, love, good breeding, the court, curiosity, gaming, and dying well for aristocratic young women. 
• Woolley, Hannah. The Gentlewomans Companion, or, A Guide to the Female Sex : Containing Directions of Behaviour, in All Places, Companies, Relations, and Conditions, from Their Childhood down to Old Age ... : With Letters & Discourses upon All Occasions : Whereunto Is Added, a Guide for Cook-Maids, Dairy-Maids, Chamber-Maids, and All Others That Go to Service. London: Printed by A. Maxwell for Edward Thomas, 1675. Clark Library Rare Book Stacks; BJ1601 .W91g 1675 *: Hannah Woolley (c. 1622–c. 1675), a British medical practitioner and author, was renowned for her writing on domestic activities and the household. Topics in the manual include the duties children have towards their parents; how women should interact with their governesses and servants; proper gait and gestures; respectable ways to converse with others; new fashions; recreations and pleasures; marriage; how to treat a husband; cookery recipes; how to stop bleeding; how to deliver a child; advice for women who want to be chambermaids or nursery maids; and courtship methods. 

To find printed books and fine press books go to UC Library Search. Click on “Advanced Search,” select the “Subject” field, and type either “Adultery,” “Gender identity,” “Women – Education,” or “Etiquette – Early works to 1800.” To find works by specific authors, select the “Author” field and type “Woolley, Hannah, active 1670,” for example. You can also do a keyword search either in the simple search or in the “Any field” field of the “Advanced Search.” Once you have search results, you can limit to the Clark Library by selecting it from the “UCLA Locations” facet.