Looking past the disrepair . . . The plumbing for the tub looks like something off the Titanic. The tub itself is up on bronze claw feet. It could easily hold a hundred gallons of water. The stopper is between them - a huge chrome cylinder that one must lift, and turn, and lower, in order to plug the tub.
Water slips into the tub from beneath a chrome plate set low in the front, near the drain.
It is a mechanical marvel. The copper-colored hinges on the doors to our rooms are ornate wonders of design. Embossed with a sort of stylized wheat pattern, they are gorgeous. The house is furnished with shelves and shelves of books. There are shelves filled with books everywhere.