Walnut Wood Cradle
DimensionsA) Overall: 58.4 × 45.7 × 91.4 cm (0.58 × 0.46 × 0.91 m)
Credit LineCollection of Museum London, 1963
Object number1963.064.001
Label TextThis undated cradle is made of walnut. It was common in the 19th-century to craft furniture from leftover materials from other projects. Cradles like this, made of boards with rockers attached to the bottom, had existed since the Middle Ages. This one features extra decoration with its turned spindles on the four corners and the finely shaped rockers. As the 19th century unfolded, medical authorities developed new ideas about the importance of fresh air and exercise. Enclosed cradles began to give way to cradles and cribs made of slats or spindles, which allowed the free flow of air. The rockers also came into question. In the early to mid-19th century, experts believed rocking mimicked the movement the baby experienced in the womb. From the mid-19th century on, experts feared that babies could be injured through excessive rocking. They advocated fixed beds instead. Cradles gave way to cribs, which have remained dominant ever since.
NameCradle
c. 1870's
c. 1855
c. 1850-75
John Madden
