Watson’s Cleaning polish

Watson’s Cleaning polish

Joseph Watson & Sons Ltd was a soap manufacturer in Leeds, Yorkshire. Interestingly enough, Joseph Watson was also the director of the London and North-Western Railway (an advertisement for the railway is already an item in our exhibition). Both items speak to this time period’s evident sexism. Here we see cleaning polish, named after a man, however targeted towards women, alluding to the point that only women will be cleaning a house. In the image we see a line of women in distinctive maid uniforms. The attention to detail of their perfectly matching uniforms and the formed straight line, insinuates this normalized obedience of women domestically. This product, will in fact keep women in 'order.'

Illustration by Howard Davie

The National Archives

1898

Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Poster

Advertisement