The back bedroom is furnished as a child's room.  Children would have spent a lot of time in their rooms, as the 19th-century attitude of child rearing centered on the concept that “children should be seen and not heard.”  Children slept and played in their bedrooms. 

Bed; c. 1840; Louisiana; donation from the Grima family; each of the six Grima boys had a bed like this one.

Children also studied in their rooms.  Both boys and girls could attend schools (although not every child did), but girls often received the majority of their schooling at home from their mothers.  The Hermann and Grima girls were of a social class that would have been trained to be good wives, mothers, and supervisors of large households.  These young women grew up with slaves, and it was assumed that they would always have slaves to do the heavy work; so young ladies learned domestic education, including how to keep household accounts, plan menus, and conduct inventories. They also learned needlework, from plain to fancy, and they often took musical instruction and dancing lessons.

Sampler; c. 1840; United States; wool on canvas; signed by Elizabeth Ellis, aged 9.

Up until a certain age, usually between 10 and 12 years old, children also ate their meals in their rooms. Only when they were old enough to mind their manners were they allowed to eat with the adults in the dining room.

High Chair; c. 1830; England; chair can be removed from base, which doubles as a table.

 
 
 

Hermann-Grima/Gallier Historic Houses Administrative Office
820 Saint Louis Street New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone:(504) 525-5661 Fax: (504) 568-9735 Email: info@hgghh.org