How to be a Perfect Husband by Heath Robinson and K. R. G. Browne

‘How to be a Perfect Husband’ reflects the great changes that took place in the marital relationship between the wars. The authors’ gentle humour pokes fun at the challenges faced by men due to the depression, a lack of servants and the newly confident ‘modern’ woman. Of course, housework without servants also made life very difficult for women, until the invention of the washing machine and vacuum cleaner in the 1930s meant that things became a little easier. This too is reflected in the illustrations as Heath Robinson demonstrates his considerable talent for devising imaginative solutions to every-day problems in the home. For example, he offers us his take on a super-de-luxe coffee maker (that looks a lot like a complex twenty-first century espresso machine), a method of frittering a banana using electricity and various gadgets to help with childcare. Ultimately, the authors conclude that tolerance, compromise and being helpful are key characteristics of a perfect husband, if only to ensure that he can ‘earn a reputation for thoughtfulness that will stand him in good stead whenever he wishes to touch his mother-in-law for a fiver’!