This is the American Standard Clawfoot Tub, produced by the L. Wolff Manufacturing Co. in the late 19th century and early 20th. Clawfooted tubs, distinguished by the feet it stands on, away from the ground, were popular until the 1910s or 1920s.
- The L. Wolff Manufacturing Co. was founded by Ludwig Wolff, who came to Chicago in 1854/55.
- Ludwig Wolff formed a partnership with Terence Maguire in the general plumbing and coppersmith business.
- In the 1860s, the firm began producing copper items for brewing and distilleries, as well as primitive bathtubs.
- In 1866, Wolff bought Maguire out of the company, and by 1876 he had a large plumbing supply company.
- The company continued to expand- in 1887 Wolff opened a factory that employed 1000 people and produced one and a half million dollars a year.
- Many of the household appliances made in the following years are found in period Victorian homes today.
PURPOSE
- In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, daily bathing was becoming more prominent. Having a bathtub in the house was too.
- The L. Wolff Manufacturing Co. was an enormous industrial enterprise. Since they distributed the appliances, the style they chose was popular (i. e., the clawfoot).
- Moving from rudimentary wash basins to cast iron, porcelain-lined, full-size bathtubs was a major leap for many Americans.
- The fact the bathtub existed at all was a new, original idea.
- The American Standard Clawfoot Tub was one of five kinds: Classic Roll Rim, Slipper, Double Slipper, Double Ended, and Pedestal. In the early 1900s, most were made of cast iron.
- The Classic Roll Rim (or Roll Top/Flat Rim) was the standard, rounded tub with a jutting lip around all of the side. The picture above is an example.
- The Slipper Clawfoot tub was gently angled on one side, giving it the appearance of a bent shoe. This design was created for comfortable lounging.
- The Double Slipper was very similar to the Slipper, except it sloped upward on both ends, creating a divot in the middle.
- The Double Ended tub was rounded on both sides, as opposed to the Classic being rounded on one side and flat on the other.
- Lastly, the Pedestal tub. This version is extremely old, dating back to Crete in 1000 BCE. Instead of resting on actual feet, it's a classic tub sitting upon a pedestal.
VALUE
- Why is this piece an expression of this decade?
- The American Standard Clawfoot tub is representative of 1900-1910 because it was mainly manufactured and sold in this decade.
- How does it express the values and concerns of this time period?
- The bathtub was just coming into fashion, and the L. Wolff Mfg. Co. got into the game early, securing their place in this household luxury item's production for many years.
- During the time, thoughts about how regularly bathing should occur, and how luxuriously, were changing towards what we know know.
- Why is it one of the best expressions of the period compared to others?
- The clawfoot design is one of the best expressions of the period because it was one of the only models available. It was ahead of the competition.
LIMITATIONS
- What can this item not tell us about the time period?
- The clawfoot tub cannot tell us about new designs being developed between 1900 and 1910, or why it went out of fashion only several years later.
- What were other voices saying around the same time that may not be illustrated by this piece?
- If younger, smaller companies were developing a more effective/aesthetically pleasing tub at the time, they would have been overshadowed by the L. Wolff Mfg. Co.'s bulk in the plumbing and bathroom appliance area.
- Was this item unusual or counter to the period or was it mainstream and average for the time?
- The bathtub, especially the clawfoot design, became mainstream over the last few decades of the 19th century, and an average household luxury item.
- Which voices/perspectives are not seen in this item?
- Those of smaller, independent design and manufacturing businesses, and consumers demanding a different style to accommodate the disabled, unusually sized, etc.
SOURCES