Would you prefer your pillow stuffed with corn husks or moss? Ladies, imagine shedding that darn corset for the night … then having to strap on a tightly corded waistcoat, custom for the 1700 boudoir? And guys, how about a nightcap? Go ahead, tie one on … beneath your chin.
Actually, those quaint folks of yesteryear had some smart bed and bath ideas, judging by “And So To Bed: The American Bedroom 1750-1920.” Instead of sex, DAR Museum’s new exhibit seduces with charm and wit.
As twee as those embroidered taffeta sleep bonnets looked, they kept hair neat and bodies toasty in the age before high-tech insulation and heat pumps. Warming pans took the chill off sheets, jump-starting heat retention of blanket and heirloom cotton quilt layers — no electricity needed. Curved tiles in the bathroom enabled easy, corner-free cleaning.
Instead of terry robes, mid-1800s fashionistas donned breakfast jackets (“matinée”) and wrappers in paisley designs more intense than morning coffee. Celebrity evening wear includes Thomas Jefferson’s slipper socks.
Advertisements and art reproductions provide enlightening and humorous views of early American “necessaries” and other facilities. Trace the evolution from bedside chamber pots to water closets … from wash basins to sheet iron tubs to showers and porcelain-enameled baths. One elegant etching depicts the multitasking “close stool” — an easy chair that doubled as a chamber pot by discreetly removing the seat cushion. Another reveals modest practices such as wearing shifts when showering.
There’s a brief account from 1799 written by a woman experiencing her first shower. Since there was not a separate bathroom, the process involved standing beneath a water tank mounted in a common area of the house, usually the kitchen, then pulling a cord to be doused with cold water.
From the Victorian Catalogue of Household Goods is a handsome 1883 ad for the “Healtheries” Spray and Shower Bath. One testy testimonial described the contraption’s eight water-pressure settings: “‘Spray’ surrounds you with some 200 sharp needles of water … ‘jet’ is like having a ramrod up your privates … and there is ‘Wave,’ which sends a flattened jet of water from one side of the room to the other!”
This peek into bedchambers past offers plenty to muse about in the master suite.
If you go
And So To Bed: The American Bedroom 1750-1920
» Venue: DAR Museum, 1776 D St. NW
» Times: Through Oct. 6
» Cost: Free
» More info: 202-879-3241
