The Women of the Architects’ Small House Service Bureau: Contributions to the Well-Designed Single-Family House

Abstract

Recently, scholars have highlighted the contributions of female designers to the careers of their better-known male counterparts. The role of women in architecture in the early 20th century is largely relegated to the residential sector for which they were believed to be “naturally suited.” Despite this, when working alongside male architects in the residential arena, their contributions were often overlooked. The goal of this research was to identify and highlight the women behind the Architects’ Small House Service Bureau (ASHSB) and their contributions to the enterprise. The methods used for this work included a systematic literature review of the published resources of the ASHSB, which comprised seven years of The Small Home monthly publication, five plan books published by the ASHSB with regional and reprinted variations, and an analysis of 53 banker boxes of ASHSB headquarter original documents (correspondence, membership lists, policies, and marketing materials). The outcomes of the research confirm that women were involved in all aspects of the residential designs marketed and sold by the ASHSB to consumers. Women contributors were featured with innovative designs for the interiors of the houses including kitchen designs with substantial interior detailing and built-ins, materials and furnishing selections, and advice to homeowners. Articles written by men were frequently credited while significantly fewer women received attributions, leaving the majority of articles and house design descriptions unattributed and anonymous. These women are an important part of the history of interior design in North America.