Washer, Clothes

Hand-operated clothes washing machine, Sabbathday Lake, ME

Object ID:
1958.10731.1
Community:
Maine, Sabbathday Lake
Description

Simple but sophisticated mechanism for a washing machine operated by hand. Mechanism constructed of cast iron and various species of wood. The operating handle and vertical supports are oak, the hanger dowel is beech, and the hangers and agitator assemblies are white pine. By rocking the handle or lever up and down, the iron shaft is rotated back and forth. This reciprocating motion is transferred to the two agitators by wheels held by projections from the shaft, one above and one below, which are housed in openings in the pine agitator hangers fitted with iron liners, As the wheels move back and forth along their arcuate path, the agitators are forced to swing back and forth in directions opposite each other.

Notes

The museum acquired only the agitator mechanism; the tub was fabricated by the museum without having seen the original, so it does not look at all like the actual tub. A machine with the original tub is in the collection of Hancock Shaker Village (1976.040.0002), and a model, probably a salesman's model, is in the collection of Sabbathday Lake, ME. See 1959.11400.1, a photograph of the model taken in 1959.

Maine Sabbathday Lake

Maine Sabbathday Lake

Do you have information you'd like to share?

CONTACT US

Shaker Museum updates records with information as it becomes available.

Copyright of this artwork Citation rules

Citation rules

Shaker Museum Washer, Clothes. https://shakermuseum.us/object/?id=7901. Accessed on December 4, 2024

RELATED OBJECTS

1959.11400.1 - Print, Photographic - Model of wash mill or washing machine, Sabbathday Lake, ME

LEARN MORE

RELATED OBJECTS

1959.11400.2 - Print, Photographic - Copy of photograph showing model of wash mill or washing machine, Sabbathday Lake, ME

LEARN MORE

EXHIBITIONS

Wash: There is no dirt in heaven (temporary exhibition)

VISIT THE SHOW

We are dedicated to making the cultural heritage of the Shakers available to the public for free.

DONATE