Every home needs at least one conversation piece, and here’s one from my abode: a non-electric iron which dates back to 1810. This handmade appliance came to me from my grandfather, who was born in Denmark in 1911, and it may have belonged to a family member. The iron was heated by charcoal, and its weight undoubtedly helped build up the arm muscles of the people who used it throughout the decades.
Grandpa had the foresight to leave the following note inside the iron to explain its provenance:
This iron was presented to A.M.J.D. in 1810 on her engagement day. Her name could have been Ane Marie Jens’ Daughter. She was likely born in 1792. The iron was heated by charcoal.
Searing lumps of hot charcoal were put inside the iron.
If the iron was too hot, it would scorch the clothes. There was obviously no dial for adjusting the temperature, so how did Ane know when the iron had reached the optimum heat? In a family history my grandfather wrote, he said his mother used a charcoal iron, and “only the hiss from a drop of water would tell the housewife if the heat was right. Still, Mother would claim that they had it much better than in her mother’s time.”
I love the inscribed date on this iron — one offshoot of my obsession with history is my belief that every physical object should have its date of creation put somewhere on it, for the benefit of those who discover it in the future. Of course, this doesn’t always happen, so the carving on the iron makes me happy its creator had similar thoughts. It’s a safe bet that one round with this household tool would also make any of us grateful for the modern miracle of wrinkle-resistant fabric.
As a further reminder of how much easier ironing has become over the years, compare a modern travel iron to this Omega travel iron from the 1950s:
As its name suggests, the travel iron isn’t as heavy as Ane’s iron, but you don’t want to drop the Omega on your foot either. Plus, I’m not sure the 70 year old electrical cord on the Omega would be much safer to use than red hot charcoal. All in all, these items, while fascinating, make me appreciate my Rowenta steam iron, even though I use it only about three times a year! Which modern household appliance makes you thankful to be living in modern times?
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