Could You Live A "1900" Lifestyle?

[launderess]

Watching clip of old "1900 House" series had one thinking just how difficult at least one would find living at turn of prior century.

Sheer amount of labor alone just to run a household seems daunting, but our grandmothers (or great grans) managed well enough I suppose. Just keeping all those blasted fires going would wipe one out for a start.

Much as some of all love our vintage washing machines and other laundry appliances, could anyone seriously want to consider doing weekly wash for a family six or seven totally by hand.

Seems like one just couldn't relax for a minute. Soon as one task was done there was something else that needed doing. Say "needed" because that is just what it was. If one didn't do mending one's children, spouse (and oneself) went about in rags. If fire went out and or meal wasn't ready when His Nibbs came home that's it then.

Guess largest missing thing would be electricity. So much of the in keeping house and nearly everything else seems to have revolved around that issue.

 

[frigilux]

In a word, no...probably. I guess a person does what has to be done in any given circumstance, but I am extremely thankful to have been born in the middle of the 20th century.

In addition to the staggering workload of caring for home and family, think about living with the medical technology / medicines available in 1900. No antibiotics, for instance. People died from what we now consider simple infections.

I'm fine with 2019...as long as wi-fi / the internet is working.

 

[cfz2882]

no...

care and upkeep of the horse would be a real bother-not to mention likely no indoor plumbing or electricity.1915 living would be much nicer if decently rich:gas,electricity,v8 Cadillac main car,model T for a runabout car

 

[circlew]

Only if I were rich

Electricity, telephones and indoor plumbing all existed in 1900, but not common.

Several years ago I toured a house about 5 blocks from my home. It is a beautiful Queen Ann style home built in the late 1890's, by the owner of a lumber company. One of the bathrooms upstairs still had the original fixtures - wall mounted cast iron sink, toilet with high tank, claw foot tub, and a fancy shower with all sorts of pipes and sprayers. Many of the light fixtures, both ceiling and wall, were original. There was even an original fuse box recessed into a hallway wall, though no longer in use. It had a glass door, and the inside was porcelain and copper. Some of the light switches dated to the time of construction, and were round with a metal knob. The wires were all concealed in the walls, but saw lots of knob & tube in the basement.

 

[thespiritof76]

I use to watch The 1900 house with facination!

I still love it 20 years later, and Yes I cant believe it is over 20 years old. It aired in 2000 and its now 2019, how time fly's!

Now on my thoughts on if I could do it or not. In the contexts of the show, which being it aired in the U.S., of coarse it depicts 1900 England. England in 1900, was fairly different then the U.S. in 1900. My historic neighborhood here in Wichita Kansas, I know for a fact had electricity, and pressurized running water as early as 1898. My home was built in 1903, and why is not a large Victorian home like some on my street, it is a modern craftsman style home, and is about 2,000 square feet. I am fairly certain my house had electricity form the beginning. I am also certain that, it had a coal stove too, but also had running water. I honestly don't think I would have too much trouble if this was 1903. My two biggest pet peeves would be, using an Ice Box, I mean a non electric ICE box. The second being lack of a vacuum cleaner. Of coarse Hoover didn't come around until 1908, even then im sure a vacuum cleaner did end-up in my home until the teens, or the 20s. Of coarse there was probably a manual carpet sweeper, but that was not that effective.

Just my two cents...

 

[ultralux88]

Absolutely not. My pampered candy ass requires too many of the modern conveniences that didn’t become common until the middle of the last century.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I am glad to have been born when I was

I love my Air-Conditioner/Furnace, Dishwasher, Automatic washer, Self-cleaning oven, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator, Microwave oven, and electric lights.

 

Not to mention modern detergents, permanent press clothing, and flush toilets.

 

[launderess]

Suppose if one were born into it, would have to simply learn not to want what haven't got. But willingly go back to 1900? Cannot see it; especially Edwardian Europe unless wealthy, and even then maybe not. Money relived one of the hard labor it took to run a home and so forth; but it didn't insulate against health issues including disease entirely.

Watching 1900 House over again am reminded how keen the Bowler family was to be chosen, especially Mrs. Bowler. She changed her tune really fast! Balance of series was her moaning about how difficult her lot was (starting with the corset), and moved on down to housekeeping.

Well what did she expect was my thinking? Didn't she speak to older family members or anyone who either was around in early 1900's (if possible), or maybe their children (anyone born in say 1930's would have heard of life in early part of century from their parents or grandparents).

That or simply why didn't the woman pick-up a book? Sure later in series she goes to British Library, but that would have been my first stop even before entering contest, certainly before saying "yes".

Think hardest thing for the Bowlers (in particular Missus) was dealing with that range. Again she never asked anyone, nor had practical experience in keeping fires going. The contractor did it to them as well by messing about with installation of heat exchange plate so range couldn't (or wouldn't) make hot water. That put yet another thing on Mrs. Bowler's already full plate as she was left to sort it out because the husband went off to work each day.

Another thing, I'd draw a line at slop jars! No, just wouldn't go near. *LOL*

Mentioned this to someone years ago and her response was along lines of "you'd change your tune facing going to outhouse in dark of night with nothing but a candle or lamp". Then was informed about a creature have never heard about; outhouse rats. *LOL*

 

[launderess]

Horses: At least in urban areas there were stables where one could hire a horse and or horse and carriage/buggy (taxicab was a word in use by then), so people didn't have to stable horses if they didn't wish nor afford.

@Spiritof76 - Cannot believe it has been almost 20 years, where did all the time go?

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2000-06-11-0006110418-story.html

 

[rp2813]

No, no, 1,900 times NO!

 

[ea56]

I wouldn’t want to give up my modern conveniences, like electricity, indoor plumbing, telephone, internet, ect. But if I had to, I have confidence that I could manage to adapt to it, and maybe even benefit from it by being closer to humanity, and less disconnected by the constant bombardment I and the rest of us are subjected to day in and day out by modern life. There is a lot to be said about simplicity.

The points made by others about the advancement in medicine are probably the most important. Life expectancy at the turn of the century was much lower that today. Epidemics wiped out large segments of the population. My Mom’s family came from rural Kansas, her parents were born at the turn of the 20th century, and when the family left Kansas in 1935 at the height of the Dust Bowl, life in rural Kansas wasn’t much different than it had been in 1900. They didn’t have indoor plumbing, and had to go out to the the outhouse. And toilet paper was an expensive luxury, so the Sears and Roebuck catalog was cut in half and nailed to the wall of the out house. When the catalog ran out, they had a box of dried corn cobs for use after a BM. I never knew about this until I asked my Aunt Imogene one day why Grandpa always used the saying “rougher than a cob”, and she filled me in.

In about 1934 a Scarlet Fever epidemic hit their little town and my Mom, her three sisters and Grandma were quarantined in the house, because the girls all had the fever. Grandpa had to bring them food and leave it at the door, knock and go away before they opened the door. When the epidemic was over 1/3 of the population had died from Scarlet Fever, and Grandpa and the rest of the able bodied men left in town dug the graves for the mass funeral.

And people only bathed once a week, on Saturday, in the kitchen, in a big galvanized steel tub, with Grandma heating the water on the wood cookstove. And they all used the same water, one by one. Grandma hurt her back once trying to empty the tub herself and it bothered her for the rest of her life. During the week, people did sponge bathes using a basin and pitcher of cold water. She did have a gas powered Maytag Wringer, that had to be used outside, either in the yard if the weather was mild, or on the porch if the weather was bad. They didn’t have a refrigerator until the came to California in 1935.

My Dad’s family had similar experiences too. His Dad worked on the Railroad and the family moved all over rural Northern California during the 20’s and 30’s, often times without electricity, refrigeration or indoor plumbing.

Both of my parents had fond memories of their childhoods and wanted I and my siblings to experience some of what it was like for them. So one summer, in 1958 Dad rented a real log cabin in Chester, Calif. It did have a small bathroom with a crude shower stall and a toilet, and there were bare light bulbs hanging from the ceilings. But the kitchen had a great big cast iron wood cookstove and there was an ice box out on the back porch. My Mom took to that wood stove like a duck to water. There was plenty of kindling and split stove wood, so lighting the stove and keeping it going was no problem for her. I remember she baked an Apple Pie in a cast iron frying pan, because there wasn’t a pie pan in the kitchen, and it tasted great. Both my parents were just like kids for those two weeks we were in the log cabin, some of the happiest memories from my childhood. My dad was an attorney, and he especially liked not having a telephone. How different than today when everyone is connected 24/7, never a time to just enjoy the simple pleasures of life. I think my parents were on to something.

Sorry to ramble on so much, but I did want to point out that doing without modern conveniences isn’t necessarily all bad. Also, I too watched the 1900 House series, and enjoyed it at the time.

Eddie

 

[vacerator]

Suppose one had no choice but to?

It is done in Alaska, etc. Always be prepared for the unexpected. I'm not a survivalist by a long shot, but I keep fire wood, etc. on hand in case of a major power outage again.

 

[kate1]

The first question that comes to mind for me is to ask yourself if you would likely have even survived childhood in those days. I feel like I probably had a fairly good chance, my parents were fundamentalists so medical care was extremely minimal for me growing up. I do know that I would have been an only child though, because I am the oldest child and my mother is O- and I’m A+ so without a rhogam shot after I was born her immune system would have killed all of my younger, also A+ siblings while they were in the womb. I also probably would not have any living children myself because all of my kids were born prematurely and required intensive care immediately after being born. My husband would probably also have survived to adulthood, his parents believed in medical care but he was one of those freakishly healthy kids growing up and never needed anything other than routine well child care. Without children we couldn’t have been farmers or anything like that but my husband could have a job similar to what he does now, which would provide nicely enough for us I think. I have actually done most of the household chores that would have been required of me without electricity or appliances, just not all at once, so I at least know I’d be capable of them. Not having kids simplifies things but it would still be a lot, I guess it’s a good thing that as a married woman I would not be able to have a job outside of the home. I can’t say I would want to live in those times but I do think I would at least be able to do it.

 

[kd12]

I could live a 1920s lifestyle, but 1900 is a bit of a stretch. Having an electric refrigerator, a car, telephone, maybe even one of those newfangled GE electric sinks with a dishwasher. By the mid-20s people already had many of the things we have today, just in a simpler form. But with a couple of notable exceptions, like air conditioning and TV, let alone the internet. We survived the 70s and 80s just fine without the WWW, but I wouldn't want to give up AC.

 

[yogitunes]

not that we would choose to....but if we had to, it could be done.....

at least for the most part, I have survival skills of sorts.....

if you guys recall back to October 22, 2012....Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast....

we lost power for almost a week.....gas for generators was rationed....finding a generator was almost impossible....

if you lived in the city, you may have had water and natural gas....

we lived in the country.....gas, but no power!....you didn't even have water from the well....

even the gas stove, fireplace, water heater required some form of electricity to operate...

we went 2 days at first without any sort of power.....we scooped buckets of water and carried into the house just to flush the toilets....

we did finally did get 2 generators.....but not as simple as you think....had to splice wires and create plugs to tap into power for the well and water heater.....

next priority of power/wattage was refrigeration and freezers.... heavy duty extension cords running all over....

a few lights to see at night....and a radio, at least some form of communication to know what is going on...

if there was ever a time to pull out the wringer washer to keep up on laundry, and create clothes lines from tree to tree....

thankful too for having a gas grill to cook on....but again, propane was rationed, so you used things sparingly...

management of things to keep an eye on....keeping the generators filled with gas was one of them....

you really start to appreciate when everything is working like it should....

as we mentioned in past threads of re-using wash water in a wringer washer....and the so called YUK/Gross factor.....if you have to cut wood to fire up the stove, carry buckets of water from the well, and heat on the stove....you WERE NOT using that water once and tossing it for each load....

you quickly learned an effective, efficient way to get the wash done!

it didn't entail tossing everything into the machine, turning a dial, and then sit on your cell phone wearing your finger tips to the bone texting away while the chores got done!

 

[firedome]

There may be no alternative...

a confluence of potentially catastrophic factors could dictate a 1900 lifestyle for everyone at some point, and it may even turn out to be very fortunate if it isn't more like a 1400 lifestyle. It could well be a good thing to have some acreage somewhere and know how to use it.

 

[sarahperdue]

water

"we lived in the country.....gas, but no power!....you didn't even have water from the well...."

I've been thinking about a hand pump or at least a well bucket for my grandparents home in the country.

Sarah

 

[vacerator]

People survived

childhood just fine. Little House on the praire comes to mind. Adults did not live as long. Life was very hard. Pioneering, farming, harsh winters, droughts, influenza, etc.

Fast forward to today; Should a catostrophic event occur, such as a major magnetic pulse affecting the power grids, earthquakes, or others, guess what?
Thats anything short of a severe asteroid hit, or the Yellowstone caldera exploding which would mean the absolute end of the earth as we know it for a long time. It is unknown what a major nuclear holocaust would even to to the planet. It may split into pieces.
So, with demise of power, there are some whom are well heeled enough to afford to make their own bio diesel and large generators, diesel cars and trucks, geo thermal heating for water, etc., solar panels to make power also. Ground water and rain water can be filtered through certain types of stone, and other sediments, so long as not contaminated with chemicals, or radio active particles.
People in the hills of Jamaica do not have city water. Trucks with crains hoist large tanks of water onto their roofs, or pump trucks fill their permanent holding tanks. Some catch rain water as well. They are either gravity fed to the house, or use electric pumps.
You are allowed to bury your relatives on your property outside of towns, and country side churches have cemeteries.
Modern gasoline engines with electronic ignition, or other controls do not operate in a magnetic pulse, but diesels with mechanical fuel injection do. The military has them.
I bet the US govt., and others have plans for rebooting life in certain aspects.
A seed bank is in Scandanavia. I suspect all the concrete used in the new Denver airport is below ground for something, because way more was used than needed for the runways, concourses, and parking lots. Cheyenne mountain installation is also still inside the rocky mts. in Colorado.
The best and brightest have or will be selected to take part. Living underground without natural light, and air is no doubt very taxing. Behavioral sink needs to be managed well. In is in human nature to be self destructive under extenuating circumstance. Astronauts train for this as well. Lack of social contact is also an issue.
Live and be happy. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed.

 

[good-shepherd]

recall back to October 22, 2012....Hurricane Sandy hit

Whew, I've never forgot that one.

Want to get a taste of living in 1900? Try losing power for 5 days in the Northeast with private well water, oil heat, no generator and gasoline in short supply even if you had one.

Extended power losses in the Northeast during late fall or winter are no joke, it gets cold quick.

Fortunately, we had stockpiled water for flushing and have propane for cooking but I didn't take a shower for 5 days and it was 52 degrees in the house but felt colder than that (which helped keeping food okay in the fridge for a few days).

Never want to go through that again..

 

[sudsomatic]

Laundress,

The "Period House" series of shows is a favorite of mine also, 1900 house being the first "____ House" I ever saw.

 

I think living like it's 1901 would be fun for a short time frame. I would compare it to camping, or renting a rustic cabin for a vacation, something you do for a week or so. An experience to try new things you've never done, reconnect with family or friends without all the distractions of cellphones and internet and Netflix. And a chance to learn a new appreciation for modern conveniences when you go back to your regular everyday.

 

However.... I think a full time,  long term reversal back to that lifestyle would not be fun at all. haha.

 

But for the month or 6 weeks that thes shows comprise, I think I could handle that and rather enjoy it. So long as I could fully go back to 2019 once the project was done.

 

Something that always is frustrating on rewatching 1900 House is what's frustrating with rewatching most of the Period House series.  The idea of the project is to see what life was like then, to experience how people lived, to immerse yourself within it and, in a way, become those people for 3 weeks or a month or however long the project lasts. To learn from it, appreciate how times have changed, and have an amazing experience to look back on.

 

To feel like a bonafide Time Traveler for a month!

 

But in every series so many participants do the opposite, they try to superimpose their 21st century viewpoints on the situation and change the course of history into what that they think it <span style="text-decoration: underline;">should</span> have been, based on what their more modern viewpoint expresses.

 

In 1900 House for example Mrs Bowler firing Elizabeth (The Maid of All Work) because (she claimed) it went against her feelings on women's liberation always confused me, in reality in 1900 England a maid was not only an honest job but sadly one of the only jobs for a woman to get, whether she was alone in the world or providing for her parents and siblings, a job doing domestic chores of some kind whether cleaning, cooking, sewing,  etc was pretty much her only respectable option.  So being fired didn't liberate her or set her free.. it just would have made her homeless and jobless and with no other prospects of surviving than to find a husband and be provided for .. again, by 1900 standards.

 

While the suffrage movement was important and was coming of age at the time the family was 'visiting' it was good to represent it I think. but not in such a backwards, misleading way. Message board gossip says she really fired her because of Mr Bowler.. so there's that.

 

Then there was her 'time warp cheating' and spending what would have likely amounted to a weeks pay (in 1900 dollars at any rate) of their weekly allowance on a contraband bottle of modern shampoo because old fashioned bar soap was too damaging to her follicles.

 

I just like it when you can see the participants 'living' the show, loving every minute of it and soaking it in instead of all the complaining and counting the days until this Hell ends. I love these shows however, just maybe not always the cast. haha