About

Modern Wife, Modern Life began as an exhibition of women’s magazines from 1960s Ireland. It opened in the National Print Museum in summer 2015, and subsequently visited dlr LexIcon in Dún Laoghaire, Wexford Town Library, and Westport Library in Co Mayo. The exhibition was preceded by a series of public road shows, which gave members of the Irish public an opportunity to contribute their memories of life in 1960s Ireland or to loan objects for display in the exhibition.

The exhibition finished touring in its current format at the end of April 2016. However, the ‘new technologies’ section has been developed into a new exhibition about electricity in the Irish home in the twentieth century. Electric Generations will open in dlr LexIcon on 2 October 2017 and will subsequently visit the Irish World Heritage Centre in Manchester in spring 2018.

The content of the exhibition will also feature in a forthcoming book by the curator, Ciara Meehan.

Joseph and Margaret Teeling, Married 17 February 1965

Margaret Thompson, aged 15, and Joe Teeling, aged 17, met in 1960. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on 17 February 2015.

Housewife of the Year, 1967: Mrs Kay Johnson

Limerick woman Kay Johnson won the inaugural Housewife of the Year competition in 1967.

Married Women in the Workplace

A letter from 24 November 1967 advised, “It [the post] will also be terminated automatically by your marriage although you may apply for an appointment to the Temporary Staff from the date of your marriage”.

Testimonials

  • Feedback via twitter:

    Danielle: “One of the coolest exhibitions I’ve been to”.

    Rachel: “Congratulations to everyone involved. It’s a wonderful collection and beautifully curated”.

    Anita: “I really enjoyed this exhibition, well done”.

    David: “Love the @ModWifeExhibit at @DLR_Libraries. Some excellent advice on display”.

    Visitors to dlr LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire

  • On the exhibition at dlr LexIcon: “The highlight for me was the ‘Modern Wife’ exhibition – fun, but also a bit of an eye opener: to see how until relatively recently the role of women in Irish society was extremely subordinate”.

    Gunther B via Trip Advisor

  • Sharon from Dublin: “A wonderfully engaging exhibit. A unique insight into an earlier Ireland”.

    Victoria from London: “How times have changed! Not sure I’ll be taking any of the advice – loved the quizzes though, learnt a thing or two!”

    Anonymous: “Very well presented. Hard to believe how recent all of this is”.

    Myra from Sligo: “Very funny! Enjoyed it”.

    Diane from Richmond, USA: “So glad this time has passed!”

    Ian from Wicklow: “Brilliant exhibition. Definitely belongs in a museum though!”

    Visitors to the National Print Museum, Dublin