Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Special Request From A Reader.
"I have a collection of 40 or so chamber pots that I seem to enjoy far more than any member of my family. I would love to find a home for my collection. Do you know of a place that might accept and treasure this rather unusual grouping?" Does anyone know of a museum that would like a collection of chamber pots?
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41 comments:
I have a friend, a retired nurse who collected urinals and chamber pots that she displayed on shelves in her house. She knew the history, maker etc. of each one and also the history of nursing and problems solved by chamber pots. The collection was given to a local historical society that featured a building that originally was a doctor's home/office. Vistors, sepecially kids, loved the pots and the explanations.
Thought everyone might enjoy my "experience" with a chamber pot..years ago. Newly married & having my first big dinner party..we lived in the family old victorian house at the time & I had been checking out the attic & I found this beautiful bowl with flower decoration..washed it out and close to the time the guests were to arrive the bowl sat in the middle of the large table filled with salad. THANK GOODNESS my mother showed up first..took one look at the bowl and her mouth dropped open..you guessed it..it was a chamber pot. She never let me forget it!! She is gone now and I've hit the ripe old age of 72 and I still get the giggles over my salad bowl.
I think the make-over of Strawberry Shortcake is a big mistake. She has been turned into some kind of sex kitten for little girls, which is NOT what they need. She's also been slimmed down, which feeds into the obesity epidemic hysteria and can contribute to body image problems with girls (like they need more of that crap from their toys when they see it on television every day). Why can't they leave things alone and let kids be kids? Why does every doll out there have to be some kind of image promoting sex?
You might try the archives at a large plumbing store such as Kohler's in Wisconsin. They might have a museum to display them.
I have a collection of chamber pots that I have acquired thru digging old wells and privys. These items are fairly large as collectables and shipping can be a significant factor. I am interested in seeing a picture of the group and knowing their location so I can assess if I could add them to my collection. My Wife collects only chamberpot lids as a separate collection which she happily displays. Please feel free to call me 504-343-0672 so that we may discuss this matter. Thanks, Willie White
I am a volunteer at a living history historical society. In the 1884 home we have a chamber chair with a needle pointed lid. But the chamber pot is missing and I have been unable to locate one. It needs to just drop in and have no handle on the side. It needs a lip to sit over the wooden hold. We could not use the entire collection but if there is one of this description, I would love to discuss it with the owner of this wonderful colelction
I have a chamber pot that I use as a trash can in my bathroom.
Contact the plumbing company, Kohler. They may have further references for you.
This is just a thought, but depending on the age and condition of the pots, a large scale museum such as Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia may be interested if they are 18th century, or have a location to refer you to. I have also heard that sometimes the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC takes in unusual collections if they have some historical or artistic value. Worth a shot.
Worcester, MA has a plumbing museum. Maybe they would like them.
http://www.wbur.org/special/strangemuseums/plumbing.asp
Dee
NO NO NO!!!!! That is not Strawberry Shortcake! She was created when my daughter was young. She had everything that was made that had SS on it. All of the dolls, the friends, bedspread, curtains, sleeping bag, everything that related to the dolls. I cleaned out my attic and our storage building attic (former playhouse) last year and found boxes of Strawberry Shortcake things. I cleaned everything up and for her birthday last year I had everything neatly packed in a box and gave it to her as a 2nd. gift. She was so excited. I guess for kids that don't know the difference the new look will be ok, but for grown up little girls and their moms it is heartbreaking! :)
I agree with vesta44. The first thing I thought of when I looked at the two dolls together was that she had been made skinny. And I had just been listening to songs by the wonderful Karen Carpenter, who died of anorexia nervosa.
Jeremy
I too have a chamber pot collection, however mine are miniature ones, many like ashtrays, or vacation novelty items. Did manage to sell the larger (real) ones, but no takers on the mini ones and I'm trying to downsize 50 years of collecting too many things.
ITA with Vesta! They should have never changed Strawberry Shortcake!! Why does every girls toy have to exude sex????THe original is innocent, and happy, the new one looks like she is ripe for the (human) meat market. C'mon now, let's leave good enough alone! Children have enough to deal with without taking the innocence out of thier toys!!
How about trying the Shelburne Museum just outside of Burlington, Vermont for your chamber pot collection... what a place! Americana!! They have collections of all kinds of things from quilts to toys to horse drawn wagons, to cooking tools... maybe they'd like this as well? Good Luck!
On Cape cod (Massachsetts) chamber pots are still used today to serve chowders! Women in their seventies seem to be the age that enjoy doing it the most - and they love to entertain folks from 'over the bridge' and watch their reactions.
I worried about this at first, but most pots can be cleaned spotlessly with bleach and I've not heard of any health problems resulting.
Perhaps an antique dealer on the cape would be interested in purchasing the collection, however that would probably result in it being broken up. That seems a shame.
I only own 6 and my kids agree with yours!
Little red-headed girls have freckles!!! Bring back the freckles, and please, let her look like a child and not a mini-streetwalker.
I think the overall cartoonish, innocent appeal of Strawberry Shortcake is lost on the new one. Younger kids won't know the difference, but everything from GI Joe to Barbie's have had their makeovers. Not always for the best.
There is a chamber pot museum im Munich, Germany. It was very interesting. shredder
The collector might look at Temples of Convenience: And Chambers of Delight (Hardcover)
by Lucinda Lambton -- the author may mention a museum.
It is a shame that companies cannot leave tradition alone. To change a simple looking doll into a version that children think that need to look like is a dishonoring children. Allow children to be children.
When I was a young teen, I went to an auction and bought what I thought was the most lovely soup tureen, pale blue/white transferware with gold trim, complete with it's lovely lid. My much older and wiser brother in law, laughed his head off when he told me that the only "soup" that bowl has seen is "pea" soup! Needless to say, I was stunned, but 30 years later, it has a place on my coffee table, filled with a gorgeous arrangement of flowers. I have had many offers to purchase it from me, but it is too sweet a piece. At Christmas it holds greenery, and vintage ornaments!
This company http://www.cannistraro.com/
is supposed to be opening a toilet museum "... The largest plumbing contractor in New England, J.C. Cannistraro LLC, is footing the bill to renovate a 150-year-old former ice house on the banks of the Charles River to house the museum..."
Perhaps they would be willing to accept your collection. You could also contact any local historical society in your area.
Good luck.
This new doll is NOT Strawberry Shortcake, all you have to do is look at the two pictures, they are two different dolls that merely share the same name. Why? It's a crass commercial attempt to capture a market based on the first doll's popularity/name/brand recognition.
How dumb do these marketing types think we are? Or are we?
I agree also with Vesta44 and the others who said similar things. The sweet innocence of the pudgy little Strawberry Shortcake of the 80s has been totally blasphemed by the underaged sexpot now masquerading as SS.
I can't understand why they sex-up these little girl dolls (they did it to Madeline, too). I mean, I understand it in terms of their profits, but doesn't somebody have the morals and decency NOT to make money by manipulating children's self-esteem? Children should be left with whatever small measure of innocence they still have in today's world.
I agree with what Vesta44 said.
Strawberry Shortcake has undergone several makeovers - 1991, 2005 and now again?? Such confusion for collectors and none are as cute or versatile as the originals 1979 -1983. TOO MUCH of a good thing!
The Ralph Foster Museum located on The College Of The Ozarks campus in Branson,Mo. would make a nice reciepent of your chamber pot collection!
Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, would be the definitive home for your chamber pot collection. TY
Please spare me! Strawberry Shortcake is really now Claric Cheesecake! They always have to ruin a good thing in order to make profit. Look at the Bratz dolls, there are trashy looking and now, poor cute, innocent Strawberry has been brought down to those depths too. Shame on the toy manufacturer of this latest reincarnation.
That is not Strawberry Shortcake
period! I agree with everyone.
They should have left her alone.
This is a travesty! I thought we were done putting the false idea in the minds of little girls that they should look like a Barbie doll or nobody will ever think they are good enough. Marketing strategies like these are what bring about anorexia, implants, lip plumping and low self-esteem. When will it ever stop? Shame on you American Greeting! It's no wonder Hallmark is #1!
I too collect chamber pots and the chamber seats. Have two of them that look like plain ol chairs, one has arms and the other does not. Also have 6 of the chamber pot holders that look like a box, the lids raise up and the pot is inside. Also have a brass one from a rail road with the original sticker still on it. It says"Passengers please do not throw the contents out of the train window."
My Niece is in the process of starting a museum of Medical artifacts in Wausau, Wi. Everytime I find something in that field, I give it to her. She presently doesn't have it up and running but is making plans. If you would like more info, please contact me and I will send the information onto her. Thanks! Char_ennis@hotmail.com
Strawberry Shortcake she's not! Why not just come up with a new name and market her as such. A well loved proven toy does not need to be changed or updated. The result is an entirely diferent product, which may also grow to be loved by the current generation of children. With toys, it is leave well enough alone. Develope new product, but don't mess with success!!!
I agree with most all the comments about Strawberry Shortcake! My fifth child has a collection which is packed up and ready for reincarnation someday. But, I'm not too worried about the whole thing. Ginny Dolls tried the same thing - update with no sculpt and clothing - and it fell flat! We are now back to the original Ginny Dolls and I'm thrilled to be collecting them once again.
Any county museum would love to have the chamber pots. I also know of people who use them as flower pots. I belong to a group called Freecycle. It is world wide and they are all about recycling. go to Freecycle.com. and check it out.
I was upset by the makeover given to Strawberry Shortcake - she is so thin and much older looking, yet another sexy-teen type doll. Then I looked at the American Greetings site and they say "Strawberry Shortcake will target children ages 4-8." Ages 4-8! Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm sending a letter of protest to American Greetings. WAY to thin and sexy a look for little girls. As some of you said already, this just feeds the poor body image of young girls.
For the lady with a collection of chamber pots that she seems to enjoy far more than any member of her family: Thanks for the laugh! I know what you meant, but the phrasing caught me off guard! Some of my collections DO please me more than some of my family members... Seriously, though, try a country house museum. Kohler has a Plumbing Museum and might be interested, but they've probably got more than they need already.
When I was growing up in England, an American couple moved in down the way from us. Unfortunately, they put a huge chamber pot in the landing window, facing the street and everyone going by; people in double-decker buses had an even better view. Apparently the lady thought it was a flower pot. As far as I know, no one ever asked her for any decorating tips. Now that chamber pots are not so - useful - there's an old favorite holding flowers on my dining table. Little did we know she was just ahead of the times!
I think you have a wonderful collection. My husband and I have a small private museum called "Unique Antiques", in which we have a collection of unusual cookie jars,grey crock pottery,barber shop memorabilia,doctor's buggies,etc.We could display it on a 14 ft.long Western Saloon bar(front and back bar)and it could reflect in the huge mirror in the bar.I think it would be spectacular.We have people from everywhere to come and look.Your collection would fit perfectly in this environment,unless you would want it in a more publicized environment. Can send pics if you like. Call if you want to.615-699-4440.
There WAS, at one time, a fine museum in West Palm Beach, or Palm Beach, Florida,,,,,,had the biggest collections of bowls and pitchers I ever did see,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
maybe your pots would match up to some of these............
Think it was the FLAGLER Museum....
good luck,,,
Jayne
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