Servants' hiring office, Berlin, Germany, 1874.

Illustration taken from the 'Illustrated London News', showing women at the door of a hiring office, talking and showing their references to prospective employers. The article accompanying the image makes reference to the difficulties faced by women of the working clases who try to find domestic work in the households of Berlin. The domestic staff in London neighbourhoods apparently enjoyed a far easier and more secure life than their German counterparts.