Roberts' Guide for Butlers and Other Household Staff

Description

Originally published in 1827, "Roberts' Guide for Butlers and Other Household Staff" was a handbook for servants to perform their duties more efficiently and thoughtfully. Roberts gives a plethora of information about household duties of a butler like: - How to dress suitably for work- Regulations for the dinner table- Directions for cleaning tea tays- Giving Britannia metal a brilliant polish- Preserving fruits for the year- Addressing and behaving properly around your employer- And many more insights Roberts provides information on how to make the best-tasting lemonade; preserving good wine for years; not passing judgments on the other servants; never letting your master ring the bell for you twice; cleaning dirty tables with a mix of milk, turpentine, and sweet oil; rubbing off rust with salad oil and lime; and other useful tidbits for the curious butler. This is a fascinating look behind the scenes of household help and will delight any nineteenth century enthusiast.

Robert Roberts (1780-1860) was the author of The House Servants Directory: A Monitor for Private Families, which was the first commercially published book written by an African American in the United States. In 1825 he become the butler for Christopher Gore, a governor and senator from Massachusetss, and remained in the position until Gore's death in 1827.