1864 Author "Jennie June" Early Book on Women in the workplace, Women’s access to Education and Equal pay

[Women's History] Croly, Jane Cunningham (Aka Jennie June). Talks on Women's Topics. Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1864. First Edition. Hardcover in original green cloth boards and gilt lettering on spine. 240 pages. Measures 5" x 7.25". A collection of essays on the importance of women in the workplace, women’s access to education, equal pay, and fashion. These essays are a valuable insight into the women's liberation movement of the late 19th century. Topics covered in the text range from household responsibilities of women to raising children, inspiring girls, social amusements, matrimony and the role of women during holidays. In one talk titled "Beautiful (truncated) Women", she states: "Every woman has a right to be beautiful; that is the secret of her power, her mission, the key which unlocks her destiny. But while she has a right to be beautiful, she has no right to be its opposite - that is an injustice to society, which has a right to expect from her its loveliness, its grace and its attraction. There are many different kinds of beauty, and it is a great mistake to imagine that consists wholly, or even mainly, of color form or texture. There is the beauty of innocence and the beauty of truth, the beauty of childhood and the beauty of the matron, the beauty of wisdom and the beauty of simplicity, the lowest kind of beauty is that merely physical perfection..." Croly was a pioneer feminist, dedicated to the betterment of her sex. She called for more efficiency in women's dress and ridiculed bloomers as bizarre. She insisted that women's finest work was to be "the caretakers, the homemakers, the educators of children". She strongly supported equality and equal rights, giving special emphasis to new careers for middle-class women such as secretary, bookkeeper, nursing and department store clerk, in addition to traditional roles of teaching. She called the first congresses of women in 1856 and 1869, organized Sorosis in 1869; it was an organization that advocated for greater acceptance and more professional opportunities for women. Rubbing at the head/tail, gold spine decoration is nice and bright. ownership name on front endpaper, hinge breaking at title page. Overall, in very good condition. (Inventory #: 20159)