Ежедневието на една консулска съпруга в балканските провинции на Османската империя: Фани Джанет Блънт през 60-те – 70-те години на XIX век
The Everyday Life of a Consul’s Wife in the Balkan Provinces of the Ottoman Empire: Fanny Janet Blunt in the 1860’s – 1870’s

Summary/Abstract: Using mainly the books authored by Fanny Janet Blunt (1838/39–1926), wife of a prominent long-serving British consul on the Balkans in the second half of the 19th century, as well as other published and unpublished sources, this article tries to examine Mrs. Blunt’s everyday life as a diplomat’s spouse in the Ottoman Empire. The study reveals her domestic and family preoccupations, servants’ management, travel experiences, her leisure, political and intellectual activities etc., and, most importantly, her role as a go-between for her husband, helping him strengthen and expand his connections in both diplomatic and local circles. It is claimed that being not only a consul’s wife but also a consul’s daughter born and raised in the Ottoman domains, thanks to her independent character, deep understanding of local customs and her linguistic abilities, lead a dynamic life that matters. Her life contrasted sharply with the “angel in the house” Victorian paradigm of womanhood.

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