Books from 1800s – 1900
Moore, Frank, Women of the War; their Heroism and Self-Sacrifice, S.S. Scranton & Co., Hartford, Conn., 1866.
“It is the object of this book to gather and present narratives of the services in the war (Conflict for the Union) of some of the women who shared its perils, and ought to inherit its glories.” With illustrations.
Brockett, L.P. MD, Woman: Her Rights, Wrongs, Privileges and Responsibilities, L. Stubbiness Publishers, Hartford, 1869.
“a sketch of the condition (of woman) in all ages and countries,from her creation and fall in eden to the present time: her present legal status in England,France and the United States; Her relations to man, physiological,social, moral,and intellectual; her ability to fill the enlarged sphere of duties and privileges claimed for her…her true position in education, professional life,employment, wages…Woman Suffrage, its Floyd inexpediency,and the injury and deterioration which it would cause in her character…”
Bushnell, Horace, Women’s Suffrage: the Reform Against Nature, Charles Scribner and Co., New York, 1869.
Book discusses the reasons against giving women the vote, chapters include: “No Right of Suffrage Absolute in Man or Woman, Women Not Created or Called to Govern; Scripture Doctrine Coincides: Subtle Mistakes of Feeling and Argument.”
Pancoast, S. MD, The Ladies’ New Medical Guide, John E. Potter and Co., 1892
“The nature and mystery of the reproductive organs in both sexes – love, courtship,marriage, pregnancy, labor and childbirth with the causes, symptoms and treatment of all their own special diseases and the disease of children; how to retain health and beauty and suggestions for the toilet, etc.” Includes photographs, drawings and color plates/illustrations.
Pancoast, S. Pancoast’s Tokology and Ladies Medical Guide, Revised Edition.
“The revision…has been chiefly a rearrangement of its chapters and additions to its already rich fund of information. The collection of facts contained in the original edition surpasses anything ever attempted by any other writer upon this class of topics….This volume now embraces every subject of known interest and value to womankind regarding her physical being, its care and relationship.”
Gordon, Anna A., The Beautiful Life of Frances E. Willard, Woman’s Temperance Publishing Association, Chicago, Illinois. 1898.
Character Sketches, Memorial Tributes, Photographs, Illustrations
Peterson, Charles, Book of Beauty, Philadelphia, 1887.
Famous poems about women with illustrations.
Hughes, D.D., Female Characters of Holy Writ, James Hogg and Sons, London, 1861
Mrs. Humphrey, “Madge” of Truth” Manners for Women, London: Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, Warwick House, Salisbury Square, E.C., New York and Melbourne, 1897.
Cover also says “author of ‘Manners for Men.”
Cover page stamped: Mitchell’s English Book Store, 578 Cangallo 580, Buenos Aires.
Discussion about author in Gender and the Victorian Periodical.
Books from 1900 -1920
MacFadden, Bernard, The Power and Beauty of Superb Womanhood, New York, 1901.
Chapters include: The Corset Destroys Beauty, The Corset Ages Woman Prematurely, The Evils of Tight Skirts, Shoes etc., Operations that are Crimes, Self-Abuse, The Curse of Prudishness, Exercises for Bust Development, Childbirth made Painless by Exercise and Proper Carriage of Body.”
Conger, Horace MD and Crane, Caroline MD, Obstetrics and Womanly Beauty, American Publishing House, Chicago. 1901.
“Treatise on the physical life of woman. Complete guide to health and beauty,with hints on courtship,marriage, hereditary descent, mental conditions etc. together with diseases peculiar to the female sex.”
NOTE: Includes back pocket with chapter on Obstetrics, Scientifically Illustrated. “This book on Obstetrics is the first and only complete book on this subject ever sold by subscription. In order that it might not attract the attention of children and yet be perused by all and placed either on the table or in the library, we had the illustrations left out and bound into a chart which will be delivered to the subscriber with the complete book…as the chart can be hidden away from youngsters and used as a private study.”
Drake, Mrs. Emma F. Angell, MD, What A Woman of Forty-Five Ought to Know, Self and Sex Series, The VirPublishing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., Copyright, Sylvanus Stall 1902.
Dewey, Edward MD, Chas., A New Era for Woman, Health without Drugs, Haskell ,Norwich, Conn. 1903.
Intro by Alice McClellan Birney “…the tendency of the age is toward a lightening of labor in all directions, but in the one is which it is most needed, least has been accomplished. I refer to the homes all over the world, where the lives of weary women are being ground out by daily routine of work from which a strong man might well shrink appalled.”
Melendy, Mary R., MD. PHD., The Perfect Woman, 1903
“Perfect Womanhood for Maidens, Wives, Mothers. Creative Science, Bearing, Nursing and Rearing Children, Hints onCourtship and Marriage, Limitation of Offspring, Health,Mental and Physical Beauty including Diseases peculiar to Women.”
Peterson, V.C. MD, Obstetrics, a manual for students and practitioners, Lea Brothers, New York, 1903.
Butler, Pierce, Woman in all ages and in all countries, Rittenhouses Press, Philadelphia. 6 volumes. 1908
Women of Medieval France, Women of Modern France, Greek Women, Women of England, Early Christian Women, Women of the Romance Countries
Rupp, F.A. MD., Letters of a Physician to His Daughters, VIRPublishing,Philadelphia, 1910.
“Dedicated to my mother, whose life was an exemplification of purity; to my daughters, that they may a have inherited and may retain that pearl..to all daughters and sisters, that,knowing its value, they may live its life, thereby securing health, honor, happiness.”
Roe, Hon. Clifford G., The Great War on White slavery or Fighting for the Protection of Our Girls, 1911.
“Truthful and chaste account of the hideous trade of buying and selling young girls for immoral purposes, Graphic accounts of how white slaves are ensnared and a full exposition of the methods and schemes used to lure and trap the girls.” Il. w/32 half tone engravings.
Bel, Ernest, Fighting the Traffic in Young Girls, or Ware on the White Slave Trade, the Greatest Crime in the World’s History. 1911.
A book designed to awaken the sleeping and to protect the innocent. A complete and detailed account of the shameless traffic in young girls, the methods by which the procurers and panders lure innocent young girls away from home and sell them to keepers of lives.”
Schreiner, Olive, Woman and Labor, Frederick A. Stokes Co., 1911.
Reviews: “Mrs. Schreiner’s thesis is the necessity, both for their own sakes and for that of the race, that all women should take an active part in the productive labor of the world.” Also, “It is the clearest, deepest note yet struck ion Th.e groping campaign for woman’s readjustment to the world’s industrial life.”
Lowry, E.B. MD., Herself, Forbes and Co., Chicago, 1911
“talks with women concerning themselves…women realizing the necessity for more knowledge concerning the hygiene and physiology of their own bodies…with the hope that the plain facts herein set forth will aid some women to have healthier and happier lives and healthier and happier babies this series of talks has been written.”
Cabbage, Sallie Macrum, Bull Moose Mother Goose, Stewart Co., 1912.
“To the wold and the tame, to the halt and the lame, and the bold, bold segregate…”
Grey, Lady Marian, A Guide to Beauty and Health, The New York Book Company, New York, 1913.
“Containing Recipes for Improving the Complexion, Care of the Hair, Hands, Feet, Etc., with chapters on: How to acquire flesh, How to reduce flesh, How to prevent and eradicate wrinkles.”
Melendy, Mary R., MD, PHD, The Ideal Woman,
Chapters include: “Creative Science: Bearing, Nursing and Rearing Children; Hints on Courtship and Marriage; Limitation of Offspring; Health,Mental and Physical Beauty; Disease Peculiar to Women.” color photographs, as well as half-tones and illustrations. 1915.
Picken, Mary Brooks, The Secrets of Distinctive Dress, Scranton, Pa., 1918.
Autographed 1st edition abut “Harmonious, Becoming, and Beautiful Dress–its value and how to achieve it.” Complied and written for The Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences, Inc., Scranton, Pa. Includes beautiful photographs.
Mencken, H.L., In Defense of Women, published at the Bozoi, New York, 1918.
Books from 1920 to 1940
Hale, Mabel, Beautiful Girlhood, Gospel Trumpet Co., Indiana, 1922.
Author: The little book is born of a desire to help and encourage our girls who are struggling with the problems that come up in teens. It is ;not always a smooth path to the perfection of woman hood.”
Porter, J.W.l, Feminism, Baptist Book Concern, Louisville,Ky. 1923.
Several authors, edited and partly written by Porter. Re-appraisement of the Scripture teaching upon the position of women in Christian churches, study of subject among Southern Baptists. “Baptist scholarly conviction in the period immediately preceding that of modern liberalizing tendencies, to the effect that the teachings of the Scriptures do define and limit the position of women, both in regard to their general place in life and in regard to their position in the church.”
Hoerle, Helen Cristene and Salzburg, Florence B., The Girl and the Job, Henry Holt and Co., 1924.
Reports and interviews with people who have succeeded in their chosen occupations in order to present the opportunities which are available to the average girl. Included are: office workers, department store workers, hotel workers, agency work, professional jobs, arts, industry, business.
Kraft-Ebing, Dr.R., Psychopathia Sexualis, with special reference to the Antipathic Sexual Instinct, a Medico-Forensic Study, Physicians and Surgeons Book Co., New York, 1924.
Bennett, Charles MA and Hoff, Charles MD., Sex Control or Philosophy of Life, Circle Publishing Company,New York, N.Y., Copyright by The John Hertel Co., 1925.
Book III Increasing Man Power – Follies of Prevention,Impotence and Sterility, Hereditary Descent,Conception, Pregnancy, Premature Birth, Table for Calculating Duration of Pregnancy, Monthly Conception and Barren Periods and Progress of the Embryo.
Langdon-Davies, John (signed copy), A Short History of Women, The Literary Guild of American, Viking Press, Inc., New York, 1927.
The biological background, women in primitive society (the birth of fear and contempt), the ancient civilization (Asia, Egypt, Greece, Rome), women and the early Christian church, the middle ages, modern times.
Keller, Dr. David H., The Sexual Education Series, Roman Publishing Company, New York,, N.Y., 1928.
Assistant Superintendent Western State Hospital, Bolivar, Tenn., Fellow-American Psychiatric Association. Series of Paperback books, included:
Love, Courtship, Marriage; Mother and Baby; Sexual Life of Men and Women after Forty; Diseases and Problems of Old Age.
Frances, Dare, Lovely Ladies, the Art of Being a Woman, Doubleday, Doran and Co., Garden City, N.Y., 1929.
Thirty chapters including eating wisely, romance of perfume, information on hair,eye and complexion, sense of humor, daintiness, leisure,hospitality etc.
Booth, Evangeline, Woman, Fleming Revell, New York, 1930.
Commander-in-Chief of the Salvation Army in the United States of America.
Schmidt, Minna Moscherosch, Edited, 400 Outstanding Women of the World and Cosmology of Their Time, Minna Moscherosch Schmidt Publisher, Chicago, 1933
“Portraits and Biographies Selected by Leading Representatives of Their Respective Countries.”
A Private Anthropological Cabinet of 500 Authentic Racial-Esoteric Photographs and Illustrations, Falstaff Press,New York, 1936.
Copies of the “originals from Scientific Explorations, Field Studies and Museum Archives portraying Intimate Rites and Customs, Racial Types of Beauty, Phenomena of Childbirth, Freaks, Ethnic Mutilations and many other Curiosities of the Erotic Life of Savage and Civilized Races of Mankind.
Spruill, Julia Cherry, Women’s Life and Work in the Southern Colonies, The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1938.
“…I decided to limit the subject to the life and status of women in the English colonies of the South.” Illustrations.
Hall, Carrie, From Hoopskirts to Nudity, Caxton Printers, Caldwell, Idaho, 1938.
A review of the “Follies and Foibles of Fashion 1866 to 1936.
Books from 1940 to 1959
Collins, Clella Reaves, Army Woman’s Handbook, Official Guide for the Association of Army Wives, Published under the auspices of The Women’s Defense League of Macon and The Infantry School Women’s Club of Ft. Benning, Ga., 1942.
“Compiled at the instigation of my husband, Colonel Carter Collins.” and “Written for the Woman, Behind the Man, Behind the Gun.”
Robinson, William, MD, Woman: Her Sex and Love Life, Eugenics Press, New York, 1944.
Childhood to Adolescence
What Girls Should Know About Marriage-Before the Wedding
The Sex Relations and Other Factors in Marriage
What WomenShould Know about Motherhood
The Menopause: Woman’s Danger Period
Whitman, Ardis, How to Be a Happy Woman, Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, 1952.
“…sets out to explore the possibilities of happiness for women within the circumstances of modern living…the problems which face women–their nostalgia and sense of inadequacy, biologic dilemmas, experiences with a hostile world, inner confusions, despair of finding a faith…we shall look at the woes which have plagued women in the past and admit that they still plague us…but it’s still a better world for women than iot’s ever been before and it’s time we said so.”
Kinsey, Alfred and Popery, Wardell, Sexual Behavior in The Human Female, W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia and London, 1953.
“By the Staff of the Institute for Sex Research, Indiana University.” 8,000 women contributed the data. (2 copies)
Welton,Thurston MD, The Modern Method of Birth Control, Grosset and Dunhap, New York, 1954.
“The Modern or Rhymic Method of Birth Control” explained with charts; includes pocket with Calendar Wheel.
Turner, E.S., A History of Courting, E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., New York, 1955.
Whitton, Mary Orbs, These Were The Women USA 1776 to 1860. The story of women who helped make American Culture, Hastings House,Publishers,New York, 1954.
“Here is an amusing and enlightening review of woman’s role in the development of American civilization from Revolutionary days down to the Civil War.”
Fickle,Eva, Woman in the Modern World, Fides Publishers Association, Chicago, Illinois,. Translation from the original German. 1957.
In 3 parts, “Woman’s Nature, The Development of Woman, Perfected Woman
Hilliard, Dr. Marion, A Woman Doctor Looks at Love and Life, What women should know about being female. Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, New York, 1957.