Clean and Elegant - The Interesting History of Bathrooms and Toilets

Author: Wright
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-02-01
Features: Who would have thought that the Romans once used metal tubes to heat water, Queen Elizabeth I once used a toilet with a flushing valve, Louis XIV's bathtub once had bath mats, and the use of sponges was also gender-differentiated? Although the book occasionally contains some technical terms, the author says that the purpose of Clean and Elegant is to entertain readers. With the subtitle "A History of Bathrooms and Water Closets, as well as many habits, popular customs, and bathroom products," Clean and Elegant takes us into and explores the most private room in the home. While providing rich information and humor, the author also reminds us: the history learned from the bathroom may be more than what is learned from the battlefield; the patterns of social and historical development may be reflected in the bathwater or discovered in the tightly closed toilet.