‘On the fringe of the Technical World’: female electrical appliance demonstrators in interwar Scotland

This article examines the role of female electrical appliance ‘demonstrators’ in interwar Scotland. During this period, manufacturers launched a variety domestic appliances into consumer market already saturated with solid fuel and gas-fired equivalents. To tackle fierce competition industry deployed demonstrators, originally trained science, to entertain educate audiences across Notably, Glasgow-based representatives at Scotland’s science colleges, expressed an early interest working Electrical Association for Women, benefit from organisation’s modern empowering image. compares demonstrators’ understanding purpose their views consumers, experts those industry. An insight vital, yet forgotten, ‘mediating’ which demonstrators performed between consumers adds wider discussion about women participation male-dominated workplace throughout years.