Category 3: Personal Objects➔Personal Gear➔Personal Assistive Objects➔Warmer, Body➔Warmer, Foot
Artifact
Accession Number:
2019-07-12-05Date
circa 1820Description
A black foot warmer." Before the mid-1800’s, American homes and public spaces were often poorly heated. One device that helped early Americans keep warm was the foot warmer. Foot warmers are a box with holes poked in the sides and a tray inside for hot coals.
In the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries, women and children carried foot warmers to meetings or to church. Women’s long skirts would hang over the foot warmer, holding in the heat.
Although improvements in heating occurred in the 1820’s, foot warmers continued to be used in sleighs and carriages. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, heated concrete blocks were used as foot warmers in automobiles.
Foot warmers were made of wood, tin, brass, or a combination of these materials. The holes punched into wood and tin foot warmers often formed a pattern or design."
- http://www.metc.org/collections/personalartifacts-3/