1919 & 1922 Laundry Pics

[sudsman]

Sorry did not mean it too sound as it did..

Thanks to all.. Have 1200 to 1500 or so pics I have been given over the years from old retired laundry managers and sales reps. Many I had the honor of knowing and hearing the storys behind the pics.Most are have all passed on now. Some pics have names places dates some dont. They are from different hospitals and hotels all over the us. will continue to share as time permits.

 

[sudsmaster]

Dunsmiur House Laundry

I snapped some shots of the Dunsmuir House laundry room when I visited the estate around Xmas of 2002...

First, the house itself (it's a city park/historic landmark)

 

[sudsmaster]

Laundry room pic 1 (as I recall, Dunsmuir House was built on coal fortunes in the late 1800's).

 

[sudsmaster]

Laundry room, panning to the right...

 

[sudsmaster]

Upstairs bath sink...

 

[sudsmaster]

Carolers on the grounds...

 

[jetcone]

If you look at the first photo

all the machines in the room are powered off belts from the ceiling! No electric motos there, that would limit their speed.

 

[launderess]

Steam Laundries

Were one of the first industries to take advantage of "steam power" of the revolution in terms of motive power. Since steam ran the "engines" of the place, electric power was not needed for the washing machines, which is how washing machines in commercial settings were able to run long before electic power became widely available.

It was deemed better to have one huge boiler providing steam not only for powering machines (via belts and such as seen above), but to provide a source of heat for water and irons/pressing equipment.

Gradually washers, extractors and the lot moved to having their own motors, however a central steam boiler was still used to provide steam for ironers,heating water, dryers, and such.

 

[kenb]

Fluorescent lighting as seen in the second picture did not exist in 1922.

 

[kenb]

Sudsman, why does the picture you claim was given to you by a chemical rep have the Corbis watermark...?