About the book
Recognizing the railroad’s importance as both symbol and experience in Victorian America, Amy G. Richter follows women travelers onto trains and considers the consequences of their presence there.
For a time, Richter argues, nineteenth-century Americans imagined the public realm as a chaotic and dangerous place full of potential, where various groups came together, collided, and influenced one another, for better or worse. The example of the American railroad reveals how, by the beginning of the twentieth century, this image was replaced by one of a domesticated public realm — a public space in which both women and men increasingly strove to make themselves “at home.”
Through efforts that ranged from the homey touches of railroad car décor to advertising images celebrating female travelers and legal cases sanctioning gender-segregated spaces, travelers and railroad companies transformed the railroad from a place of risk and almost unlimited social mixing into one in which white men and women alleviated the stress of unpleasant social contact. Making themselves “at home” aboard the trains, white men and women domesticated the railroad for themselves and paved the way for a racially segregated and class-stratified public space that freed women from the home yet still preserved the railroad as a masculine domain.
Editions of Home on the Rails
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807829264
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807855911
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807876473
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890877925
Read an Excerpt
Recognizing the railroad’s importance as both symbol and experience in Victorian America, Amy G. Richter follows women travelers onto trains and considers the consequences of their presence there.
For a time, Richter argues, nineteenth-century Americans imagined the public realm as a chaotic and dangerous place full of potential, where various groups came together, collided, and influenced one another, for better or worse. The example of the American railroad reveals how, by the beginning of the twentieth century, this image was replaced by one of a domesticated public realm — a public space in which both women and men increasingly strove to make themselves “at home.”
Through efforts that ranged from the homey touches of railroad car décor to advertising images celebrating female travelers and legal cases sanctioning gender-segregated spaces, travelers and railroad companies transformed the railroad from a place of risk and almost unlimited social mixing into one in which white men and women alleviated the stress of unpleasant social contact. Making themselves “at home” aboard the trains, white men and women domesticated the railroad for themselves and paved the way for a racially segregated and class-stratified public space that freed women from the home yet still preserved the railroad as a masculine domain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Home on the Rails about?
Recognizing the railroad’s importance as both symbol and experience in Victorian America, Amy G. Richter follows women travelers onto trains and considers the consequences of their presence there.
For a time, Richter argues, nineteenth-century Americans imagined the public realm as a chaotic and dangerous place full of potential, where various groups came together, collided, and influenced one another, for better or worse. The example of the American railroad reveals how, by the beginning of the twentieth century, this image was replaced by one of a domesticated public realm — a public space in which both women and men increasingly strove to make themselves “at home.”
Through efforts that ranged from the homey touches of railroad car décor to advertising images celebrating female travelers and legal cases sanctioning gender-segregated spaces, travelers and railroad companies transformed the railroad from a place of risk and almost unlimited social mixing into one in which white men and women alleviated the stress of unpleasant social contact. Making themselves “at home” aboard the trains, white men and women domesticated the railroad for themselves and paved the way for a racially segregated and class-stratified public space that freed women from the home yet still preserved the railroad as a masculine domain.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Home on the Rails?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social groups, communities and identities > Gender studies, gender groups > Gender studies: women and girls
Where can I read a sample of Home on the Rails?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807829264
How long is Home on the Rails and how many pages does it have?
Home on the Rails has 296 page(s)
Is Home on the Rails part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Gender and American Culture
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Home on the Rails?
Amy G. Richter
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Home on the Rails is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807829264) and paperback(ISBN 9780807855911) and ebook(ISBN 9780807876473) and pdf(ISBN 9798890877925)
Where can I buy Home on the Rails online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Home on the Rails from below
Where can I buy Home on the Rails?