In our Victorian-era sick room, we talk about 19th-century life when an ill family member was cared for in the home. Common illnesses of the time, such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, or scarlet fever, caused great suffering and the task of caring for a loved one often fell on the lady of the home. As Laura Foster observed in 1864 after nursing family members with tuberculosis and her brother’s recent death: “I do not fear death, but the valley of the shadow is a weary place to live.” Items on display include products marketed to women, as well as a turn-of-the-century woman’s corset.
A Women’s Place
