"Beatty" Tin Washtubs (2)
DimensionsOverall: 27 x 12 x 56.5 cm
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Ralph B. Scott, 1978.
Object number1978.008.013
Label TextBefore washing machines, laundry would be done with tubs such as this one, and washboards. Water would need to be hauled and heated to fill the tub, soap would be grated into flakes, and clothes scrubbed against washboards. Then, the dirty water would be emptied, and the tub would need to be refilled with clean water to rinse the laundry. Once everything was rinsed, it was usually wrung out by hand or pushed through wringing machines.
These tubs come from Beatty Bros., founded in Fergus, Ontario in 1874 by George and Matthew Beatty. In its earliest years the company was primarily involved in the manufacture of agricultural machinery, barn equipment, and household appliances. They acquired Wortman and Ward, a London-based manufacturer of water pumps and washing machines in 1912 and continued to purchase other businesses while growing their own. Their factories in Fergus and London employed 600 people, and a further 800 people were employed at branches in Great Britain. The company merged with General Steel Wares in 1969, becoming defunct as an individual business.
NameWashtub
c. 1937
McClary Manufacturing
c. 1930