Another drifting standard is using less cutlery for even formal dinners, and the switch to stainless steel implements away from silver, which needs to be hand polished.
Then again, at least some part of the need for servants was noblesse oblige, the idea that you had to fill a big house with live-in servants, to train them to be … I dunno … servants, I guess. The idea began to fade over time, in part because of labor saving devices, and in part because of better educational standards for all, and changing in labor markets (i.e. can’t pay someone a few pence, and room and board and a clothing stipend for a butler’s uniform.)
But the reason why it was inappropriate was that it was difficult, time-consuming physical labor, the sort of thing people generally really, really wouldn’t want to do if there was any reasonable way out of. For most household tasks, that is no longer the case.
Who knows, with the financial crap going on, there might well be a fair number of people willing to work for a fairly nominal wage in exchange for room, board and a couple uniforms. Think au pair just generic maid of all work instead of taking care of kids.
Correct me if I’m wrong, y’all; (I know you will!) but IIRC, they asked Gertrude Stein much the same question back in the 20th century. (I think it was “the greatest technological advancement of the century,” or suchlike.)
My grandmother, who died just a year ago, having not quite reached her 108th birthday, told me once she didn’t believe in the concept of “the good old days” What she missed was the family that had gone on before her.
She positively loved airconditioners, washers and dryers, refrigerators, fans, indoor bathrooms, vacuums, and so on. Grandma told me life was easier than when she was a little girl. “How did we ever keep clean?” she wondered.
Many years ago, I read of a survey of a select group of historians of technology and industry, who were asked (among other things) the invention that has had the greatest impact upon human life as we know it. Not just the 20th century–ever.
The number one answer was “civil sanitation,” a category that encompassed both delivery of clean water and sewage management. Number two was the general category of “disinfectants”–germ killing, vaccination, etc. A moment’s consideration will show that the former is a major component of the latter.
It’s all in the way you phrase the question, however. Is your focus on saving labor or improving the standard of living, or just making life more palatable? Go to an Amish farm and find out what people did before computers, the internet, television, radio, etc.
I remember reading of an interview with Ishi, the last member of his tribe. He said man’s greatest invention was matches. Although not a 20th century invention, and I don’t mean to hijack this thread. But, think about it. How did you get the barbeque going before matches?
My Nan hated potato peelers with a passion. She claimed that there was more potato lost via a peeler than via her dextrous fingers and a sharp knife, and she was quicker with the latter.
Me, I love my potato peeler. Sucked to be you Nana.
Friction, either the fire bow or rubbing 2 sticks together. I personally like flint and steel [or the nice magnesium bars with the striker bar embedded in it.] I can do both friction types and flint and steel. I have flint and steel in my camp kit as a matter of fact - I picked it up at a renaissance battle recreation event probably 15 years back or so.
My daughter took many primitive living skills classes. She called me one day and was very excited. She said she had started a fire and it only took her 4 hours. She said it would have taken longer, but she had a knife. She fabricated everything. Of course, if you made use of fire daily, you would have these tools on hand. Or a Bic lighter.
