For the foundations of the World Trade Center, see The Bathtub. For the curve, see Bathtub curve. Private cast iron bathtubs with porcelain interiors on "claw foot" pedestals rose to popularity in the 19th century A bathtub, bath, or tub (informal) is a large container for holding water in which a person may bathe. Most modern bathtubs are made of acrylic or fiberglass, but alternatives are available in enamel on steel or cast iron; occasionally, waterproof finished wood. A bathtub is usually placed in a bathroom either as a stand-alone fixture or in conjunction with a shower. Modern bathtubs have overflow and waste drains and may have taps mounted on them. They are usually built-in, but may be free-standing or sometimes sunken. Until recently, most bathtubs were roughly rectangular in shape but with the advent of acrylic thermoformed baths, more shapes are becoming available. Bathtubs are commonly white in colour although many other colours can be found. The process for enamelling cast iron bathtubs was invented by the Scottish-born American David Dunbar Buick.

Two main styles of bathtub are common: Main articles: Bathing and History of water supply and sanitation Traditional bathtub (19th century) from Italy Documented early plumbing systems for bathing go back as far as around 3300 BC with the discovery of copper water pipes beneath a palace in the Indus Valley Civilization of ancient India; see sanitation of the Indus Valley Civilization.[1] Evidence of the earliest surviving personal sized bath tub was found on the Isle of Crete where a 1.5-metre (5 ft) long pedestal tub was found built from hardened pottery. The clawfoot tub, which reached the apex of its popularity in the late 19th century;[3] had its origins in the mid 18th century, where the ball and claw design originated in Holland, possibly artistically inspired by the Chinese motif of a dragon holding a precious stone. The design spread to England where it found much popularity among the aristocracy, just as bathing was becoming increasingly fashionable. Early bathtubs in England tended to be made of cast iron, or even tin and copper with a face of paint applied that tended to peel with time.

The Scottish-born inventor David Buick invented a process for bonding porcelain enamel to cast iron in the 1880s while working for the Alexander Manufacturing Company in Detroit. The company, as well as others including Kohler Company and J. L. Mott Iron Works, began successfully marketing porcelain enameled cast-iron bathtubs, a process that remains broadly the same to this day. Wu Tang Clan T Shirt 4xlFar from the ornate feet and luxury most associated with clawfoot tubs, an early Kohler example was advertised as a "horse trough/hog scalder, when furnished with four legs will serve as a bathtub." Utility Trailer Rental Winchester VaThe item's use as hog scalder was considered a more important marketing point than its ability to function as a bathtub.Miele Vacuum Cleaners Burlington Vermont

In the latter half of the 20th century, the once popular clawfoot tub morphed into a built-in tub with a small apron front. This enclosed style afforded easier maintenance and, with the emergence of colored sanitary ware, more design options for the homeowner. The Crane Company introduced colored bathroom fixtures to the US market in 1928,[5] and slowly this influx of design options and easier cleaning and care led to the near demise of clawfoot-style tubs. The clawfoot tub or claw-foot tub was considered a luxury item in the late 19th century, originally made from cast iron and lined with porcelain. Modern technology has contributed to a drop in the price of clawfoot tubs, which may now be made of fiberglass, acrylic or other modern materials. Clawfoot tubs usually require more water than a standard bathtub, because generally they are larger. While true antique clawfoot tubs are still considered collectible items, new reproduction clawfoot tubs are chosen by remodellers and new home builders[6] and much like the Western-style bathtubs, clawfoot tubs can also include a variety of shower head options.

Clawfoot tubs come in 4 major styles: Wooden bathtubs for children and infants in Haikou, Hainan, China Pedestal tubs rests on a pedestal in what most would term an art deco style. Evidence of pedestal tubs dates back to the Isle of Crete in 1000 BC. A baby bathtub is one used for bathing infants, especially those not yet old enough to sit up on their own. These can be either a small, stand-alone bath that is filled with water from another source, or a device for supporting the baby that is placed in a standard bathtub. Many are designed to allow the baby to recline while keeping its head out of the water. Hot tubs are common heated pools used for relaxation and sometimes for therapy. The "hippie" era (1967–1980) popularized them in America in songs and movies. Whirlpool tubs first became popular in America during the 1960s and 70s. A spa or hot tub is also called a "jacuzzi" since the word became a generic after plumbing component manufacturer Jacuzzi introduced the "Spa Whirlpool" in 1968.

Air bubbles may be introduced into the nozzles via an air-bleed venturi pump.The History of Antique Claw Foot Bathtubs systems ever discovered date back nearly 6000 years to the Indus River Valley in India where copper water pipes were excavated from the ruins of a palace. Fast forward 3000 years to the island of Crete where the ancestor of a pedestal tub was unearthed - five feet long, made of hard pottery, its shape resembling the 19th century clawfoot tub. One of the oldest known bathtubs was found in Knosses , the ancient Mionan city. the site of the King Minos ' palace found the remains of a 5 foot long, tapered bathtub, probably belonging to the Queen. It was most likely hand filled and drained since it had no outlet. It was painted terra cotta and covered in a bas relief of reeds. common things in the homes of the wealthy in ancient Greece . bathtubs from around 500 BC have been found at various sites and they were very

similar to modern day bathtubs. These tubs were self draining. that the ancient Greeks sat up during their baths, probably because of the words of Hippocrates , who said that sitting while bathing is healthier than The Roman Empire from 500 BC through AD 455 championed the daily ritual of bathing and raised the barThey used lead and bronze pipes, marble fixtures, and created a comprehensive sewerage system. During this period, public baths were most common, and private baths resembled indoor pools usually encompassing an entire room. After the collapse of the Roman Empire and descent into the Dark Ages, sanitation virtually disappeared. Bathing was replaced by the use of perfume. Waste was thrown out into streets or emptied directly into rivers that also served as the drinking water supply. In fact, the slang term for toilet, loo, is reported to have derived from the practice of the French yelling out the warning, "Gardez l'eau!"

gardy loo - meaning "mind the water"), before emptying the chamber pot from an upper level onto the street below. of the Bubonic Plague, some areas of Europe attempted to improve sanitation by outlawing the practice of discarding waste on public streets. widespread installation of underground sewerage systems in European cities did not occur until the early 19th century. In 1596, the first flushing toilet was invented by Sir John Harrington. He made one for himself and one for his godmother Queen Elizabeth. These were the only twoAfter Sir John published a book describing his invention, he was mocked into retirement for his foolish creation. It took almost 200 years before anyone else attempted to create a flushing toilet. and 1777, Alexander Cummings and Samuel Prosser each made strides in the reemergence of the water closet. In 1885, a revolution in toilet making occurred: Thomas Twyford created the first valve less

toilet made of china. Until then, water closets were more commonly made ofIt is widely reported that Thomas Crapper invented theHe did own a plumbing supply store in England and bought the rights to a patent for a "Silent Valve less Water Waste Preventer," but he should not be credited with inventing the toilet. Up until the 1800s in the US , most water pipes were made of hollowed trees. Cast iron pipe imported from England had one of its first installations in Bethlehem , Pennsylvania . By the early 1800s, cast iron production began domestically in New Jersey . 1848, the National Public Health Act was passed creating a plumbing code for 1883, both the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company (now American Standard) and Kohler began the process of enameling cast iron bathtubs to form a smoothKohler's first clawfoot tub was advertised as a "horse trough/hog scalder, when furnished with four legs will serve as a bathtub." These tubs soon became mass-produced as they were recognized as having an

extremely sanitary surface that was easy to clean, thus preventing the spread of bacteria and diseases. Many media sources publish as fact a completely false account of bathing and bathtub history written by H.L. Mencken in 1917. In his story titled, "A Neglected Anniversary," Mencken writes of laws prohibiting bathing, the first bathtub in America , and the first installation of a bathtub in the White House by Millard Fillmore. wrote the article as a light-hearted farce during a time of war. None of it is true, yet it is often quoted in reputable publications. The end of World War I brought with it a construction boom in the US . Bathrooms were fitted with a toilet, sink, and bathtub - mostly claw foot bathtubs. But even in 1921, only one percent of homes in the US had indoor plumbing. Outhouses were still the norm in rural America . The Sears catalog, with its uncoated, absorbent pages, was a popular form of toilet paper often found hanging inside the outhouse.

Over time, the once popular claw foot tub morphed into a built-in tub with apron front. afforded much easier maintenance of the bathroom and with the emergence of colored sanitary ware, more design options for the homeowner. Company that introduced colored bathroom fixtures to the US market in 1928. The trend today, though, is shifting back to the elegant style and luxury of a soaking claw foot tub. Homeowners are tearing out their dime-a-dozen built-in tubs and replacing them with reproduction roll rim footed tubs. Now available in both the classic cast iron or lighter weight acrylic styles, claw foot bathtubs are produced in a variety of styles and foot finish options.The Advent of the Modern Slowly, bathtubs became a fixture in most homes and the first bathtub in America is thought to have been imported by Benjamin Franklin . The first bathtub in the White House was installed by Millard Fillmore in 1850. About 365 people drown in

their bathtubs each year. By comparison, about 350 people get struck by An old law in Kentucky required citizens to take a bath at least once a year The longest Monopoly game played in a bathtub lasted 99 hours. Edmond Rostand was a French writer who hated to be interrupted while he was working, but he did not like to turn his friends away because he was writing. So he spent much of his time writing while in the bathtub- and turned away his friends because he was taking a bath. In 1898 he published Cyrano de Bergerac . A friend gave Dorothy Parker a small alligator . She put it into the bathtub until she could figure out what to do with it, then left for an appointment. returned, she found this note from the maid: "I have resigned. work in a house where there is an alligator in the bathtub. told you this before, but I did not think the matter would ever come up." During the bombing of London in World War II