Washbasin Collection

Sanitary ware, Plate 42, showing wash basins, urinals and toilet bowls in a range of styles. Date: circa 1880s

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

RV Britannic, Stateroom, January 1949 Date: 1949

RMS Queen Elizabeth, Stateroom, January 1949 Date: 1949

RMS Mauretania, Stateroom, January 1949 Date: 1949

The Corner of the Kitchen, (pen, black ink and watercolour)
657258 The Corner of the Kitchen, (pen, black ink and watercolour) by Ginner, Charles (1878-1952); 35x23 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: The Corner of the Kitchen. Charles Ginner (1878-1952)

Cabinet de Toilette de Jacques Emile Blanch, 1888 (oil on canvas painted)
824059 Cabinet de Toilette de Jacques Emile Blanch, 1888 (oil on canvas painted) by Lobre, Maurice (1862-1951); 80x85 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Cabinet de Toilette de Jacques Emile Blanch)

Washing Day, (pencil and watercolour)
652075 Washing Day, (pencil and watercolour) by Allingham, Helen (1848-1926); 24.1x18.7 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Washing Day. Helen Allingham (1848-1926). Pencil and watercolour

Comic postcard, Couple arrive in hotel room Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Plumber and maid in kitchen Date: 20th century

Nursery school, 1898 (oil)
CHT164021 Nursery school, 1898 (oil) by Geoffroy, Henri Jules Jean (1853-1924); Ecole Normale Superieure d Institutrices, Paris, France; eArchives Charmet; French, out of copyright

An Ottoman Tombak ewer and basin
1766450 An Ottoman Tombak ewer and basin by Turkish School, (19th century); ewer 35 high, plate 39 diam. cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: An Ottoman Tombak ewer and basin. Turkey, 19th century)

The Role of Gas in modern houses, from a French Gas Company calendar
XIR163365 The Role of Gas in modern houses, from a French Gas Company calendar, 1892 (coloured engraving) by French School, (19th century); Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris

Furniture (colour litho)
3096749 Furniture (colour litho) by German School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Furniture. Illustration for Bilder zum Anschauungsunterricht fur die Jugend by Eduard Walther)

Advert, William Stevenson & Co, Glasgow
Advert for William Stevenson & Co, bathroom fittings, Brown Street, Glasgow, Scotland. 1905

Hotel Mar y Vent, Banyalbufar, Majorca, Spain
Dining Room in the Hotel Mar y Vent, Banyalbufar (Banalbufar), Majorca, Spain. Date: circa 1930

Advertisement - The Naiad Bathroom, made by Shires & Co of Guiseley, Leeds, Yorkshire. 1964

Ewer and basin, made in Paris (porcelain)
XIR193510 Ewer and basin, made in Paris (porcelain) by French School, (18th century); Musee National de Ceramique, Sevres, France; (add.info.: water pot and bowl; ); French, out of copyright

La Toilette of Jean Guerard, 1889 (oil on canvas)
989951 La Toilette of Jean Guerard, 1889 (oil on canvas) by Goeneutte, Norbert (1854-94); 144.2x115.3 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: La Toilette of Jean Guerard. Norbert Goeneutte (1854-1894)

The Moorish Bath (Woman in a Turkish Bath); Un Bain Maure (Femme Turque au Bain), c
823412 The Moorish Bath (Woman in a Turkish Bath); Un Bain Maure (Femme Turque au Bain), c.1889 (oil on canvas) by Gerome

The Virgin and Child Near a Basin; Le Vierge et l Enfant Pres d une Vasque
827612 The Virgin and Child Near a Basin; Le Vierge et l Enfant Pres d une Vasque, (black chalk, pen and brown ink) by Gaulli

Woman at her Toilet (oil on canvas)
CH344424 Woman at her Toilet (oil on canvas) by Degas, Edgar (1834-1917); Private Collection; (add.info.: Femme a sa Toilette; ); Photo eChristies Images; French, out of copyright

Cabin aboard the RMS Samaria (b / w photo)
STC255591 Cabin aboard the RMS Samaria (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Gathering Water, (watercolour)
658758 Gathering Water, (watercolour) by Sala, Paolo (1859-1924); 43x21.5 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Gathering Water. Paolo Sala (1859-1929). Watercolour

La Toilette - Opschik, 1935 (oil on canvas)
653441 La Toilette - Opschik, 1935 (oil on canvas) by Smet, Gustave de (1877-1943); 50x40 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: La Toilette - Opschik. Gustave de Smet (1877-1943). Oil on canvas

The Laundress; La Blanchisseuse, (oil on canvas)
824478 The Laundress; La Blanchisseuse, (oil on canvas) by Luce, Maximilien (1858-1941); 130x81 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: The Laundress; La Blanchisseuse. Maximilien Luce (1858-1941)

Washing Hands, 1865 (pencil and w / c on paper)
1199483 Washing Hands, 1865 (pencil and w/c on paper) by Rossetti, Dante Gabriel Charles (1828-82); 44.5x37.5 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; English, out of copyright

The Washbasin, c. 1880-85 (monotype)
3031351 The Washbasin, c.1880-85 (monotype) by Degas, Edgar (1834-1917); 48.4x35.3 cm; Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA; French, out of copyright

Wooden Basin Date: 1880

Gibbs Happy Families - Miss Tooth the Dentists daughter. Date: 20th century

Taking a shower in a fine marble bathtub Date: 1900s

La Toilette by Francisco Garcia Abuja

Picture frame Heiloer Vrou Old painting lady
Heiloer Vrou, Old painting of a lady holding a wooden washbasin under her arm, Picture frame, h 52.5 cm × w 37.2 cm × d 2.9 cm h 42.2 cm × w 30.2 cm, ca. 16th century, oil on panel

Vitramant Coloured Pedestal Lavatory (washbasin) finished in black enamel. Date: circa 1920s

Standard Sanitary Appliances suite in Rose de Barry pink. Date: circa 1920s

Vitromant Coloured pedestal Lavatory (Wash Basin)
Vitromant Coloured pedestal Lavatory (Wash Basin / sink) in pink enamel with chromium plated fittings. Date: circa 1920s

TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT, c1840. The Bible and Temperance, Lithograph by Nathaniel Currier. Lithograph, c1840

Dentists surgery, Claudius Ash, Sons & Co Ltd. 1921

Canadian Pacific to Canada and USA -- a Third Class Two-Berth Cabin. Date: circa 1930s

Private room on cruise liner, Empress of Australia
Private room 320 on the Canadian Pacific cruise liner, Empress of Australia. Date: 1929

Cartoon, and Officers? WW1
Cartoon, and Officers? A military man seeks a toilet appropriate to his rank. Date: 1918

Bathroom design, Davis, Bennett & Co, sanitary and heating work -- Proposed Bathroom at Melchet Court. 1913

Standard Sanitary Appliances suite in Claire de Lune Blue. Date: circa 1920s

Vitromant Coloured Shelf Lavatory (Wash Basin / sink) - from the Vitromant Sanitaryware range - from a catalogue for Nicholls and Clarke Ltd. London

Man in dormitory at Baden Powell House, London
A man adjusting his tie in the mirror of a communal dormitory at Baden Powell House, Queens Gate, South Kensington, London. The building was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1961

Communal bathroom at Baden Powell House, London
Washbasins in a communal bathroom at Baden Powell House, Queens Gate, South Kensington, London. The building was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1961. Date: circa 1960s

SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, 1898. Soldiers standing and bathing from a wash basin on the deck of a ship en route to Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Drawing by William Glackens, 1898

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The washbasin, a staple in sanitary ware, has witnessed countless moments throughout history. From the luxurious Staterooms aboard iconic ships like the RV Britannic, RMS Queen Elizabeth, RMS Mauretania, and RMS Queen Mary to the elegant Vitramant Coloured Pedestal Lavatory, it has graced spaces of opulence and refinement. In Plate 42 of a vintage book on sanitary ware, we catch a glimpse of its timeless design. The washbasin stands proudly in an exquisite Stateroom on board the RV Britannic - a testament to maritime grandeur. Moving through time and mediums, we encounter diverse depictions. In "The Corner of the Kitchen, " captured with pen, black ink and watercolor strokes, this humble fixture finds its place amidst daily life's hustle. A striking contrast emerges as we delve into history. An 1850 hand-colored stereoscopic daguerreotype reveals a woman sitting on a chair with her nightgown pulled down to expose her left breast - an unexpected portrayal that challenges conventions surrounding modesty. Further back in time lies another scene: black slaves washing clothes by a stream in the 1860s. This powerful black-and-white photograph reminds us of their resilience amid adversity while highlighting how even mundane tasks were shaped by social dynamics. Artistic interpretations also find solace within this subject matter. Jacques Emile Blanch's oil painting "Cabinet de Toilette" from 1888 captures an intimate moment where personal grooming takes center stage; here too does our trusty washbasin play its part. "Washing Day, " depicted through delicate pencil lines infused with watercolors evokes nostalgia for simpler times when chores brought communities together around shared responsibilities – including tending to one's personal hygiene at these basins. Finally, humor enters the frame as we stumble upon a comic postcard from the twentieth century depicting a couple arriving at their hotel room.