Title
Electrical Association for Women
Reference
UK0108 NAEST 093
Date
1924-1986
Creator
Scope and Content
The papers date from 1924 to 1986 and illustrate all the activities of the EAW.
Note: A donation of 2 EAW tea towels (accession no. 2014-04) was added to NAEST 93/10/2 and was not part of the original NAEST 93 deposit. A further tea towel (accession no. 2017-16) was added to NAEST 93/10/2 in June 2017.
Language
English.
Admin. history/Biography
The Electrical Association for Women was formed as the Women's Electrical Association at a meeting organised by the Women's Engineering Society in November 1924. Dame Caroline Haslett, then Secretary of the WES, was appointed director, a position she held until 1956.
Early in 1925, the organisation was renamed the Electrical Association for Women. Its aim was to encourage the use of electricity in the home to make women's lives easier, and to encourage the design and production of cheap electrical appliances which they could use in the home.
The EAW grew rapidly, giving priority in its early years to the formation and guidance of new branches. Its first branch opened in Glasgow in 1925, quickly followed by others. The EAW spread overseas with the opening of EAW New Zealand in 1960 and EAW Trinidad and Tobago in 1961.
The EAW saw education as important. After a request from the Board of Education, it organised summer schools for teachers for several years. The EAW established examinations on two levels (diplomas and certificates) for demonstrators and teachers. These became recognised qualifications. In 1936, the EAW Home Workers certificate was established, later being replaced by the Electricity for Everyday Living course. The Electrical Handbook, first published in 1934, became a recognised textbook for training purposes, and went through many editions and revisions.
The EAW originated and carried out numerous campaigns, the first of which, in 1928, was aimed at providing more socket outlets in homes. Campaigns included the design and performance of domestic electrical equipment, post-war reconstruction, air pollution and home planning.
The EAW was represented on the committees of official bodies, such as the British Standards Institution, and at a local level on many electricity boards and Home Safety committees.
The Caroline Haslett Trust (later the Caroline Haslett Memorial trust) formed an important part of EAW work. It was launched in 1945 to mark the association's 21st anniversary and to honour its first director. The Trust Fund was set up to provide scholarships in domestic science and to finance travelling exhibitions. The CHMT extends this work by including university scholarships and other educational opportunities to help women seeking careers in the electricity industry.
Persons keyword
Subject
Conditions governing access
Open access
Level of description
sub-fonds
