Home Improvement Home Repair Real Estate Acrylic Bath Tubs Modern Bath Tubs
- Date: 2007-04-02 - Word Count: 805
Share This!
Early plumbing systems date back to around 3300 BC with the discovery of. Evidence of the first personal sized bath tub was found on the Isle of Crete where a 5 foot long pedestal tub was found built from hardened pottery. This tub is the most likely forefather of the classic 19th century clawfoot tub.The Roman Empire are known as the early champions of bathing. Around 500 BC Roman citizens were encouraged to bathe daily in one of the many public baths. Private bathing rooms were far more ornate and typically would resemble shallow swimming pools that encompassed the entire room. The Romans used marble for the tubs, lead and bronze for pipes, and created a complex sewage system for sanitation purposes. The Roman empire set the early bar for personal hygiene as we know it today.Contrary to popular belief, bathing and sanitation were not a lost practice with the collapse of the Roman Empire. As a matter of fact, soapmaking first became an established trade during the Early Middle Ages. Also, contrary to myth, chamberpots were not disposed of out the window and into streets in the Middle Ages -- this was instead a Roman practice. Bathing in fact did not fall out of fashion until shortly after the Renaissance, replaced instead with the heavy use of sweat-bathing and perfume, as it was thought that water could carry disease into the body through the skin. Modern sanitation as we know it was not widely adapted until the 19th and 20th centuries.The bathtub's modern spouse, the toilet, had problems gaining acceptance. Sir John Harrington invented the first flushing toilets for himself and for his godmother, Queen Elizabeth I. When Harrington published a book describing his invention, he was roundly chided by peers, embarrassing him to the point of retirement from plumbing. His two toilets were the only ones he ever produced. The next water closet would not be seen for 200 years when it was introduced by Alexander Cummings in 1775. This event would mark the very beginnings of the modern bathroom.It was now time for the piping to catch up with the fixtures. Until the 19th century, most water pipes in the US were made from hollow trees. In the early 1800s, cast-iron production began reducing American reliance on England for this material. Finally, in 1848, The National Public Health Act was passed in the US, creating a plumbing code for the first time.In 1883, Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company and Kohler Company began producing cast-iron bathtubs. Far from the ornate feet and luxury most associated with clawfoot tubs, an early Kohler example was advertised as a "horse trough/hog scalder, when furnished with four legs will serve as a bathtub." It is almost humorous to note that the item's use as hog scalder was considered a more important marketing point than its ability to function as a bathtub. Everyone knew what a hog scalder or horse trough was, but many people at that time had never bathed in a tub. In truth, these tubs caught on because of the sanitary and easy-to-clean surfaces that prevent the spread of disease then from any purchaser's desire to smell nice for his neighbors.A few years later, Thomas Twyford created the first valveless toilet constructed from china. Before this time, toilets were normally made from metal and wood. Thomas Crapper would gain infamy as the inventor of the modern toilet when he bought the rights to a patent for a "Silent Valveless Water Waste Preventer", but he did not invent the toilet.The bathing world was rocked by controversy when a completely inaccurate account of bathing and bathtub history was published by H.L. Mencken in 1917. What began as a light attempt at humor ended up being adopted as the truth by the public and even reputable publications. While perhaps good reading, Mencken's account of laws prohibiting bathing, and much more, is not true.The end of World War I resulted in a housing construction boom in the United States and a new conception of the purpose-built modern bathroom. Bathrooms prior to World War I were typically a converted bedrooms or spare rooms, not rooms built originally to contain bathroom fixtures. Complete with toilet, sink, and tub, the modern bathroom was a feature of 100% of new homes by the end of the 20th century, whereas only 1% of homes had had bathrooms in 1921.In the latter half of the 20th century, the once popular clawfoot tub morphed into a built-in tub with a small apron front. This enclosed style afforded easier maintenance and, with the emergence of colored sanitary ware, more design options for the homeowner. The Crane Company introduced colored bathroom fixtures to the US market in 1928, and slowly this influx of design options and easier cleaning and care led to the near demise of clawfoot-style tubs. www.bathtubsfactorydirect.com
Related Tags: modern, acrylic, bathtub, bath tubs, bath tub, claw foot, deep soak, factory direct
Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- 5 Reasons to Buy Jasper Real Estate
Jasper is a small town in North Georgia and it is growing rapidly. Since North Georgia Foreclosures - Ellijay Real Estate
Ellijay Georgia has always been known for it's outdoor activities and seasonal festivals. Downtown E - How to Deal With Blocked Drains
A blocked drain is an occurrence that happens eventually to all households. You may have experienced - The Benefits of Hiring a Plumbing Consultant
Your dream home may not always be brand new, with fresh paint and home essentials. There are certain - The Worst Mistake You Can Make When You Apply to Rent a Home
A whole new class of people has become renters and potential renters in America during the last thre - State of Individual Real Estate Markets
Everybody is well aware of the hit that the real estate market has taken over the past three years. - Thoughts on Avoiding the Landlord Trap
I've heard several people say they would never invest in a multifamily rental property because they - An Idea to Increase the Bottom Line of Your Investment Property
Are you pretty sure that you've already maximized the income coming from your property? If you've cl - Finding the Value of a Piece of Investment Real Estate
There is a lot of confusion about how much investment property is really worth. We'll look at three - Arkansas Land For Sale - Search Engine Optimization and Your Website
If you have Arkansas land for sale and are interested in advertising it on your website I have a few
Most viewed articles in this category:
- How High Did Home Prices Really Go
The U.S. Census Bureau released data on Tuesday that revealed where the nation's hottest markets wer - New Homeowners Tips for Household Safety
With so many items on their ¡°buying a home¡± checklist, few homeowners take into considerati - Truth About VA Foreclosures
Many people now days are finding themselves out of work and not being able to make the mortgage paym - Avoid Rookie Real Estate Investing Mistakes
When Robert Kiyosaki, author of the Rich Dad book series, bought his first property he was, of cours - Finding The Perfect Roommate On Craigslist
Craigslist, Roommates, and The Concerns Craigslist is "great" when it comes to looking for housing - The Forgotten Secret To Selling Property - Simple, Quick And Cheap
Why spend big dollars trying to get people to drive a long way to see your house, when your best pro - Get Amazing Results Selling Real Estate Online
This is the age of the internet. Why not take advantage of the widespread use of the internet to ad - Dallas Real Estate Information
In the United States, Dallas is considered as the second leading state according to the area. If any - The Largest Private Equity Indian Real Estate Deal
In the largest private equity deal won by the real estate sector, Morgan Stanley Real Estate has inv - Fractional Real Estate Ownership
Fractional ownership of vacation ski condos is growing in popularity. Park City Utah a popular ski t