1860 Sitz Bathtub
date: label: date made
content: ca 1860
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: A bath in a sitz or sit tub was said to provide relief from inflammation of the brain and organs of the chest, as well as nervous fevers.* The bather sat partially immersed up to the navel, in cold water with the head supported at the back and the feet dangling over the edge.
label: Description
content: Physician John Bell wrote <I>A Treatise on Baths</I> in 1859 in which he defined baths by the manner of water application to the body, by the bath’s temperature, and the parts of the body immersed in water. He categorized such a bath taken in this type of tub as a semicupium (lower half of body), cold (40°–70°), immersion type.
label: Description
content: This tin tub, now worn and unattractive, shows evidence of a fomer beauty. Hints of red paint beneath the current chips of cream indicate that it was a red tub, with cream–colored striped accents on the base and a cream interior. The arm rests, ending in bold scrolls, lend elegance to the form.
label: Description
content: For more information on bathing and bathtubs in the 19th and early 20th centuries, please see the introduction to this online exhibition.
label: Description
content: * John Bell, <I>A Treatise on Baths</I>, (Philadelphia: Lindsay and Blakiston, 1859): 295-296.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: World
topic: label: used
content: Bathing
label: referenced
content: Portable Bathtubs
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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content: Bathtubs
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content: Family & Social Life
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content: Domestic Furnishings
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Dover Stamping Co., 1869
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Kenneth E. Jewett
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.238049.0084
label: catalog number
content: 238049.0084
label: accession number
content: 238049
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Tub, Bath
label: Object Name
content: tub, bath
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: tin (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paint (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: iron (ring material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 23 3/4 in x 25 in x 33 in; 60.325 cm x 63.5 cm x 83.82 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 62 cm x 68 cm x 65 in; 24 7/16 in x 26 3/4 in x 165.1 cm