WORKINGS OF A VICTORIAN HOME...THE BATH...

Photo: "The Victorian Home", Ellen M. Plante

Chapter 5 - The Victorian bathroom

Photo: "Gold Country Cottage"

The master bath

The comfort and convenience we enjoy in the modern bathroom is due to Victorian ingenuity and ambitious nineteenth-century industrial growth.

Baths were spacious in the early Victorian period, with room-like furnishings and appointments.

They evolved into models of efficiency in the late 1800's and we have reverted today to making bathrooms roomy and elegant in typical Victorian fashion.

The Victorians were proud of this new indoor facility and not adverse to showing it off.

"Cleanliness is the outward sign of inward purity.  Cleanliness of the person is health, and health is beauty.  The bath is consequently a very important means of preserving the health and enhancing the beauty.  It is not to be supposed that we bathe simply to become clean, but because we wish to remain clean.  Cold water refreshes and invigorates, but does not cleanse, and persons who daily use a sponge bath in the morning, should frequently use a warm one...for cleansing purposes.  When a plunge bath is taken...soap should be plentifully used, and the flesh-brush applied vigorously, drying with a coarse Turkish towel."

John H. Young, A.M.

"Our Deportment", 1882

This is me, in my little tub, in my grandmother's garden, probably around 1 1/2 years old.

"In most of our houses in the city there is a separate bathroom with hot and cold water, but country homes are not always so arranged.  A substitute for the bathroom is a large piece of oilcloth which can be laid upon the floor of the ordinary dressing-room.  Upon this may be placed the bathtub or basin."

Richard A. Wells, A.M.

"Manners, Culture and Dress of the Best American Society", 1891

"Bathrooms are no longer a novelty in small towns and farm houses.  But, it must be understood that to enjoy these in winter, requires almost of necessity a range or furnace...When possible, cover the floor of the bathroom with tile...Hang the walls with waterproof papers...or hang India matting three feet (0.9 m) high around the wall above the wainscot boards, and finish top and bottom with a small piece of molding...The best plumbing and porcelain are none too good for the bathroom."

Sidney Morse

"Household Discoveries", 1908

"The washstand should be furnished with a large bowl and pitcher, small pitcher and tumbler; soap tray, sponges and basin, holding two sponges (large and small), china tray containing two toothbrushes and nail brushes, and a bottle of ammonia.  On the right of the washstand should be the towel rack, which should contain one fine and two coarse towels and two more very coarse...Turkish towels.  The foot-bath should be placed beneath the washstand."

Richard A. Wells, A.M.

"Manners, Culture and Dress of the Best American Society", 1891

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The early bathroom experience would not be complete if I didn't share this with you...Although my parent's home had all the modern conveniences available at the time, as far as the bathroom went, my grandparents were not so lucky...

Yes, this is where I sat my little girl tushie down when I went to visit my grandparents.

They lived about one mile from where our comfortable home was located, at "the ranch", where my dad grew up.  My sister, brother and I used to walk there quite often as we loved that we would pass through a very juicy and delightful cherry orchard, swim in the creek behind the house and my grandfather's mill, and eat crispy cereal, that was kept in a little cubby in the side of the wood stove, drenched in sweet cream that we helped Grandpa coax out of Old Bossy and garnished with fresh picked strawberries from Grandma's garden.

Those were wonderful times and, looking back, we didn't even think what hardships might be involved, except when we had a sleep-over and needed to use the facilities in the middle of the quiet, dark night -- but that's another story for another day.

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Newsworthy....

I would like to thank Kris for the beautiful issue of Artful Blogging magazine in which her charming cottage is featured.  She sent it along with a special card that contained a pouch for a sweet little tea bag.

If you haven't met Kris, go right over to her Junk Chic Cottage.  She has the most lovely blog and is always such a wonderful hostess when she invites you into her sweet and beautiful home.  If you have never been there before, you will thank me after one visit.

I must add that the tea was so good.

  Harney and Sons, Raspberry Herbal.

Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness, Kris, and I spent the most delightful afternoon on the front porch...

But...

Smoke in the sky    

This is what we woke up to this morning...

There is a fire burning in Placer country.  Just a few miles from us as the crow flies.  Last report was that it has burned 1200 acres and is 0% contained.  Hope they will get control of it soon and that no one's homes or animals are in danger.

...Judy...

I am sharing with these lovely parties today:

What's It Wednesdays at Ivy and Elephants

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Simple and Sweet Fridays at Rooted in Thyme