The Trades Union Congress (TUC) Library Collections at London Metropolitan University comprises over 10,000 archive and pamphlet boxes. Its geographical extent is far-reaching, and encompasses a number of subject areas, like Social Justice, Politics and Architecture, all through the lens of Trade Union history. In our first blog post, we explore the Social Work of the ‘Over Thirty Association’, found in TUC pamphlet box series HD 7333. Discover more on our online catalogue.
This summer our team met with academic staff in The School of Art, Design and Architecture to discuss how to embed Primary Sources into the research practice of Postgraduate students studying Architecture. Examples were found in the TUC Library Collections and The Archive of the Irish in Britain.
One pamphlet of particular interest to me, was ‘Consider Her Palaces’ (1936), which - alongside the striking graphic design of its front cover (see below) - provides a fascinating perspective on research conducted into the living conditions of working women during the 1930s in London.
Background
Against a backdrop of high unemployment in London during the early 1930s, a newly formed London Council for Voluntary Occupation During Unemployment commissioned one of its members, Mrs M.M. Stiff to research the conditions of women out of work. Her initial conversations with different Employment Exchanges led to the formation of the Fitzroy Club, and temporary premises were found to provide unemployed women with food, warmth and advice on finding work. During this period, the label 'older woman' was often applied to women over the age of thirty and on 19 November 1934 the Fitzroy Club held a meeting at which the 'Over Thirty Association' was founded.
Detailed in its First Annual Report (1935-36), the Association aims included:
'... to explore the field of employment to older women, to create a better understanding of their position and value in the mind of the public in general, and of employers in particular, to extend social work among those women who needed it, and to help forward the establishment of clubs which would be of educational as well as of recreational value.'
Membership was open to both men and women, and came with a small subscription. The profile of the Association was raised following a visit by Queen Mary to the Fitzroy Club, and was governed by a Council presided over by Lady Cynthia Colville (Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Mary). The Council also had three Vice-Presidents who each represented the main political parties - the Viscountess Astor (Conservative), the Rt. Hon Margaret Bondfield (Labour) and Mrs Wintringham (Liberal). Miss Rosamund Tweedy was Organising Secretary, Miss Constance Colwell Honourable Standing Counsel, and Messrs Carnaby Harrower, Burham & Co. acted as Honourable Auditors. There was an executive committee chaired by Mrs M. M. Stiff.
During 1936-7, the Association aimed to conduct a more comprehensive report of the 'Older Woman' and began this work with a questionnaire sent to the London County Council (LCC), the Corporation of the City of London, the Metropolitan Borough Councils and various housing associations and trusts. The questions asked by the Association were simple. They wanted to know the level of demand for one-room accomodation for single people, if any of the participating organisations offered such rooms, and whether they intended to, moving forward. Each organisation confirmed this type of dwelling was not a priority, with any one-room flats (a number found to be 277 of the LCC's 68,629 dwellings*), being rented to old-age pensioners.
Consider Her Palaces
In 1936, 'Consider Her Palaces: A Study of the Housing Problem of Lower Paid Single Women Workers in London' was written by Rosamond Tweedy, Organising Secretary for the Over Thirty Association. It was dedicated to all who live in bed-sitting rooms and includes an Introduction by social reformer Sir Ernest Simon (small extract below), who is known for the development of Wythenshawe Estate and council housing in Manchester during the early 20th Century.
"This useful little booklet gives the result of a sample enquiry into the housing conditions of the lower paid single woman worker in London. It does not claim to be of any statistical importance, but gives a vivid first-hand account of the conditions under which a number of these women are actually housed. The women are drawn for the most part from the less well paid clerical, commercial and professional occupations - the industrial woman being far more often able and content to live with her family. There is probably reason to believe that conditions similar to those described in London constitute a problems also in other big commercial centres."
From data collected about 239 single women, aged between 30-64, the booklet shares findings about who the woman are, how they live, and what provision for single workers was made by the London County Council, the Borough Councils and by Housing Trusts and Associations. At the end, the booklet then delivers a Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations. In particular, that the Minister of Health should action an enquiry to investigate the issues further.
Consider Her Palaces received widespread interest from Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America, and is valuable snapshot of the working population at this time.
* 'A Place of Her Own' (1983) by Jean Richardson and Hilary Daniels
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