Dipper
Maker & role
Unknown, Maker
Production date
Early 20th Century
Object detail
Collection
Measurements
1, H: 15.5 x Diam: 17cm (H: 155 x Diam: 170mm)
Credit line
Gift, 1997
Susannah Place Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Susannah Place Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Caption
Laundry dipper with ribbed sides and rolled rim, maker unknown, early 20th century, tin
Description
Laundering clothes and household textiles was often performed using a ‘copper’, a large cauldron-like vessel made from copper lined with tin. The copper was inserted or fixed into a brick housing in which a fire could be lit beneath the base of the copper to heat up the water within. Many laundry coppers had no means of draining away the water, so a ‘dipper’ was used to empty the vessel.
Various laundering aids were used in the washing process, including soap, vinegar, or more caustic additives such as borax and soda ash. Clean ‘grey water’ was sometimes reused for watering plants and gardens, while more chemical solutions were tipped into a stormwater drain.
Made from tin, this cylindrical dipper features ribbed sides, a rounded base, rolled rim and moulded side handle. It is 15.5cm tall and 17cm wide, including handle. The tin has dulled and become worn with use and age. It is one of many practical household items that belonged to Margaret and Tom Shaw of Longueville, NSW, and donated to the Museums of History NSW Susannah Place Museum collection by their daughter Penny Pike.
Various laundering aids were used in the washing process, including soap, vinegar, or more caustic additives such as borax and soda ash. Clean ‘grey water’ was sometimes reused for watering plants and gardens, while more chemical solutions were tipped into a stormwater drain.
Made from tin, this cylindrical dipper features ribbed sides, a rounded base, rolled rim and moulded side handle. It is 15.5cm tall and 17cm wide, including handle. The tin has dulled and become worn with use and age. It is one of many practical household items that belonged to Margaret and Tom Shaw of Longueville, NSW, and donated to the Museums of History NSW Susannah Place Museum collection by their daughter Penny Pike.
Accession number
SP97/12
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