Portraits of 19th Century Servants, or Lucyna Ćwierczakiewiczowa’s Image of “Companion Ladies”

Lucyna Ćwierczakiewiczowa went down in history primarily as the author of cookbooks and household management guides. She was also a journalist and publicist. In 1898, in the literary section (Część Literacka) of Kolęda na 1899 r., she published a thirty-three-page text entitled Sylwetki moich panien do towarzystwa (Portraits of My Female Companions). In it, she described several dozen women who had assisted her in running her household over a period of sixteen years. This article attempts to construct a collective portrait of the female companions who passed through Ćwierczakiewiczowa’s household. At the same time, her account offers an insight into Ćwierczakiewiczowa herself, portraying her as a rather demanding and strict employer.