رقم الكائن
51/766
الوصف
This lye dropper is a small, wooden, trough-like framed sieve and was used to make lye. Lye is an alkaline liquid, made from white wood ash, and was used to soften the water and loosen dirt in clothes before the introduction of washing powder. Lavinia Smith acquired this lye dropper from Arthur Harrison, a blacksmith from East Hendred, Oxfordshire (formerly in Berkshire) who had seen it hanging in the forge for seventy years.
الوصف المادي
1 lye dropper: wood; good condition
تاريخ أرشيفي
MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'Before washing soda came into use, lye made from white wood ash was used to soften the water for washing clothes. The lye dropper was placed on top of a large tub or keeler, resting on a forked stick of hazel or maple. Twigs were arranged in the bottom of the dropper, a clean cloth spread over them and ash from the copper, brick over or open fire was placed on it. Water was then poured on and dripped through, washing out the alkaline salts as it did so. The resultant lye was strained through muslin to remove any ash. Washing was usually done once a month. // The lye dropper was also known as LEECH or LETCH. Miss Smith obtained this dropper from Mr. Arthur Harrison who had seen it hanging in the forge for 70 years. // It measures 19.5 inches square across the top and 9.5 inches in height.', Lavinia Smith Catalogue (D60/28) - 'A list of the contents of the East Hendred museum. July 5 1940 // Heating and Cooking // 234. One lye dropper. Mr Arthur Harrison gave this to me. It had been hanging in the forge for about 70 years. He remembers it being used when he was a very little boy and he remembers hearing it said of the washerwoman, "Mrs A. will not use the lye water." Mrs Bradfield who was born in 1846 tells me that washing was done only once a month and that no one softened water with soda. Instead lye from woodashes was used. The process was elaborate. On Friday night the lye-dropper was got ready. First "besom twiggs" were neatly arranged at the bottom of the lye-dropper. Then a clean white cloth wasspread [sic] over them and then the ashes placed on that. Water was poured on and dripped theo [sic] to a tub. This operation was done on Friday and Saturday night so that the water was ready for the washerwoman on Monday morning.', Lavinia Smith Catalogue (D60/28) [page 36] - 'No.234 // [pencil sketch] // Lye-dropper // last used about 1870 // [pencil sketch] // the bottom is pierced with holes // Mr A Harrison'
التاريخ
1825-01-01 - 1874-12-31
فترة الإنتاج
Mid-nineteenth century
اسم الكائن
مادة
وثيقة خارجية
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_209.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\35 series negatives\Scans\35_517.tif - High resolution image