Date of Award

Spring 2-26-2025

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Historical Archaeology

First Advisor

Christa M. Beranek

Second Advisor

Stephen A. Mrozowski

Third Advisor

Daniela Balanzategui

Abstract

This thesis explores the transformation of Susan Austin’s (1807-1885) household in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from a private family home into a boardinghouse, challenging traditional distinctions between domestic and economic spaces. Using feminist and queer theoretical frameworks, it examines how Austin’s decisions blurred public and private boundaries, creating an intimate boardinghouse. Through ceramic analysis of two occupational phases and a documentary examination of the household members over time, this study identifies shifts in material culture that reflect changing household practices, social relationships, and status negotiation. Austin intentionally created an environment where commercial spaces took on a domestic appearance, integrating elements of familiarity with the functional demands of a boardinghouse. This strategy is evident in a ceramic assemblage that is more diverse in porcelain and utilitarian vessels than in the earlier period dominated by her parents, particularly her mother, Martha Austin. By selectively using ceramics known to her to reinforce domesticity while also adopting newer styles to maintain social relevance, Austin asserted her autonomy over shifting household dynamics. In doing so, she not only blurred the boundaries between familial and commercial spaces but also challenged the idealized bourgeois notion of the private home as a retreat. The findings highlight the complex interplay between tradition and adaptation in Austin’s material world, revealing how ceramics functioned as tools for both respectability and practicality. Ultimately, this study illustrates the entanglement of gender, labor, and social adaptation in nineteenth-century boardinghouses, offering new insights into the ways material culture negotiated shifting household structures.

Comments

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