The Agency of a Marmalade Machine: Gender, Class and Mechanical Gadgets in the British Kitchen, c. 1870 to 1938

This article explores the marmalade machine, a mechanical device designed to slice orange peel. These niche objects were manufactured between roughly 1870 and 1938 in Britain. As a so-called ‘labour-saving’ gadget, the marmalade machine sliced orange peel quickly and effectively, removing the tedious process of slicing orange peel by hand. However, like many labour-saving technologies, it also required an extended skillset from the housewife, by necessitating a mechanical and intellectual engagement from the user. Drawing on an eclectic range of source material, including physical examination of the machines, this article argues that the marmalade machine possessed agency through its affordances.