A parlour in 1745 - Geffrye Museum, The Museum of Home. On a spring morning in London, before the sun has even risen, two servants are hard at work. One maid has been cleaning the grate and scrubbing the hearth. The other maid has been polishing the steel fender. They need to hurry as they must still light the fire and sweep the room before the family wake up. It is an important day, the lady of this middle-class household is having friends over for afternoon tea and she wants the parlour to be

A parlour in 1790 at Geffrye Museum, Musuem of Home in London. It is early in the evening and the middle-class family who live here are entertaining some relatives and a close family friend. Everyone is full from dinner, which was served at about 5pm, and they have settled down to play cards. If they are peckish later, they may take tea and have some supper. Earlier in the day the mistress of the house went shopping in Carnaby Market in Soho, to buy fruit and vegetables, fish and poultry for din

A hall in 1630 at The Geffrye, Museum of Home in London. In the early 1600s a household, including family, servants, apprentices and lodgers, would have all eaten together in the hall - a communal space that was used for entertaining, business and leisure.In this picture, it is a little before midday and the household is preparing for dinner. The father has just finished reading the bible to the children and the servants are helping the mother to set the table, ready for the meal of boiled beef,