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Monday

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Monday

#1

Monday

This is a �building� about the size of a couple of telephone booths. These are built and include an assortment of wheels and tended by two or three people. There was no light inside unless by error. Prevalent in England, mostly, but also Germany, France, United States, and Mexico. This was a eighteenth and ninteenth century mechanism but was around in the 20th too.

The building was entered by stairs. Typically had a shelf within and, of course, a sort of bench seat. Most had a metal ring anchored to one wall from which a rope was attached. Most had a signaling flag. Some included an option, perhaps misnamed, a �dipper�. Some had two doors, some had a hole (or two). The building was wood with either solid walls or canvas. Some were plain, others were ornately decorated. I�m told the HM the Queen availed herself of the �building� more than once. I�ve seen pictures where these items were grouped together in groups of five to twenty in a ragged line depending on the venue. The typical stay was about fifteen minutes and were exclusive to that person for the time they used the �building��although the item could be shared with another, but almost exclusively of the same gender.

What was the item called?

Re: Monday

#2

PRIVY??? OUTHOUSE???

Re: Monday

#4

Re: Monday

The first thing that comes to mind is a quote from William S. Gilbert:

"For you dream you are crossing

The channel and tossing

About on a steamer from Harwich,

Which is something between

A large bathing machine

And a very small second-class carriage."

That's from the "Dream Song" from "Iolanthe," and "Harwich" is pronounced to rhyme with "carriage." The answer might be in that verse, or maybe not. I've been in some ship's cabins, and the size sounds about right.

Fred

Under rainy skies in Eastern Missouri

Re: Monday

#5

The verse contains the answer. Pick.

Re: Monday

#6

Re: Well,

It sure wasn't the steamer or the second-class carriage.

You might have found them at Southend or Brighton, sometimes drawn by horses, sometimes lowered down the slope of the beach by cables and pulled back up the beach the same way.

And here I was afraid I hadn't obfuscated the answer enough or answered too soon.

Fred

Still cloudy but not raining in Eastern Missouri

Re: Monday

#7

You did just fine.

I was just considering that you might have wished to go off in a different direction,. Boink! A star for your forehead.

Re: Monday

#8

Re: Monday Answer

The item is a bathing machine. It is as described in the question and Frederick's answer and was used during Victorian times to transport ladies to the water. (Bathing machine is an odd name for the cart though.) The shelf above was to keep street clothes dry. The bench was to sit while taking off shoes and clothes. The rope was to tie around the waist as the British shore sometimes dropped off as if a cliff, or the tide strong. As is the case now, not all shore waders can swim. The baggy clothes also weighed a lot as did some of the women. A rope was at least minimal protection. It wasn't as if it would leave a tan line. The �Dipper� was a female person to manage the rope but they were also there to assist (read "push") the ladies off the step and into the often cold water. There were steps front and back. The person entered in by the front steps, but then exited to the water by the rear steps in order to maintain modesty�all out of the sight of shore based people. If a rear door was not part of the bathing machine a hole or cutout was provided to slip into the water and the person maneuvered to emerge with only the head at the surface.

Wheels were used to move the �machine� from the sand to the water. Some were wide. Some were grooved to fit rials. Some were moved by human muscle power, most were moved by a team of horses. Some bathing machines traveled on rails and were let out and pulled back in by a winch. The signalling flag was used to let the machine tenders know when to pull the cart back on to dry land. The machines were popular when the sexes were separate when in the water at the shore. Men swam naked up till the early 1900�s.

Pictures are available at most any browser under �Bathing Machines�.

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