White Enamel Pail and Bath

As water had to be manually collected from common pumps before indoor plumbing became commonplace, a variety of pails, buckets and tubs were used to carry it in and for household use.  Water for bathing was heated on the range and the bath was placed in front of the fire to keep it warm.  Families all used the same bathwater, one after another as it would be too time consuming and exhausting to collect more.  It was usually the youngest child who got the bath last and who probably came out as dirty as they went in!  The bath pictured here is for washing laundry rather than bathing.