Publication of "The Medieval Woman: An Illuminated Book of Days"

In 1985, with a publication date recorded as January 1 for cataloging purposes, photograph editor Sally Fox released The Medieval Woman: An Illuminated Book of Days, the first in a series of richly illustrated volumes that used daily calendar entries to showcase historical images of women.

The book gathered prints, illuminations, and other visual artifacts depicting women in the Middle Ages engaged in work, devotion, leisure, and family life. At a time when popular histories still largely marginalized women, Fox’s approach invited general readers to encounter medieval women not as abstractions but as vividly present individuals, seen cooking, praying, reading, or participating in economic activity.

By organizing the material as a "book of days," Fox encouraged readers to integrate women’s history into everyday timekeeping and personal ritual, subtly reframing the calendar itself as a space where women’s experiences mattered. The volume also served as a pioneering example of how visual culture could be used to democratize historical scholarship.

Although some records list only the year of publication, the cataloged date marks a key moment in the diffusion of feminist historical perspectives through trade publishing. The book’s success helped establish Fox as a leading curator of women’s imagery and laid the groundwork for subsequent volumes that would extend her method to Victorian society and women’s participation in sport.