Charm Hostess and Mannequin School

From the collection of

The Box
Established in 1992, the South West Film & Television Archive collection spans from 1893 to the present day containing more than 250,000 items. Formed from a variety of depositors, including broadcast news and programmes material from the Westward and TSW archive. In 2018 the archive collection transferred to The Box in Plymouth.

Charm Hostess and Mannequin School


The Charm Hostess and Mannequin School opens in Exeter and its president Mary Stevens is interviewed. The school offers classes on deportment, customs and manners for women. The hosting industry is an important part of the service economy and many women in the 1960s aspired to become models and if not, air hostesses, waitresses and stewardesses, ironically just as women’s role in society was changing. Today they are stewards, servers, hosts or Maîtres d’Hôtel.


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