Garten, Gefängnis, Fotoatelier

How did women gain access to professions that were supposed to be reserved for men according to the societal norms of the 19th century? What role did the women's movement play in the professionalization of these occupations? What arguments were used to assert that women were indispensable and necessary for these jobs? What counterarguments and reactions did they face? How were class and gender issues intertwined in the public debates about professions? Using the examples of female gardeners, photographers, prison officers, and household teachers, Mette Bartels illustrates the historical roots of current debates on women's employment, emancipation, and equality.