My university library managed to track down an article I am hoping will be fantastically useful to my chapter on feminine fingers in the nineteenth century. Unfortunately, it is in German. Therefore I have spent some time today trying to translate the opening paragraph, to see whether it will be relevant . . . . but I already know it will be. So perseverance will be the name of the game.

Luckily however, this is made (somewhat) easier as both parents speak pretty good German (well, one is German, but has lived in the UK for decades). So requests will be made tonight …. failing that, it will be me, a dictionary and some powerful concentration to try and dredge up the little German I used to know when I was a child.

The German title is:
‘Vom Klavier zur Schriebmaschine – Weiblicher Arbeitsmarkt und Rollenzuweisungen am Beispiel der weiblichen Angestellten in der Weirmarer Republik’ by Ute Frevert.

My translation of this is (so far, subject to changes) is:
‘From Piano to Typewriter: The Female Labour-market and its emergence through the example of female workers in the Weimar Republic’ by Ute Frevert.

It does not make complete sense, but it is a work in progress. A good way to learn another language nonetheless.

PS Thanks to Lenina for her post on the online German-English dictionary.