Servants and Masters in 18th-Century France

Book excerpt: Here is the first major study of domestic service in France from the late seventeenth century to the early nineteenth century, describing its transformation from a male-oriented occupation, aristocratic in style and often geared to public display, to one that was female, middle-class, and centered on the household. Originally published in 1984. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.