I agree...we have a late 18th - early 19th century German bed in our
collection that is very short; I'm 5'8" and couldn't sleep in it...can a
furniture expert help with this? I agree that it always sounded "made up" to
me but couldn't account for its size. Help?!
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Lori Allen
Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 2:57 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Bed length
So, now I am really, really curious..... I have visited historic homes all
over the country and been told the beds were shorter because "they" slept
propped up on pillows to avoid various lung ailments, vapors, whatever. If
"they" didn't sleep propped up?, the WHY ARE the beds so short??? Average
height for humans (in America) has increased just like lifespan, shoe size,
etc., but not THAT much. Those beds were short, even for me and I am only
5'2". Somebody on this list just HAS to know this......(fingers crossed)
Lori Allen
Graduate Student, History and Museum Studies
University of Missouri - St. Louis
"Well behaved women rarely make history."
- Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Historian
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Carol Ely
Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 1:26 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: AAM Poster session
>Subject: Re: AAM Poster session
>They were shorter back then. (in reference to the shorter length of
bedsteads - no they weren't - they slept >sleeping up in order to prevent
themselves from drowning in their humors [yellow bile, black bile, blood,
and >phlegm])
Wait a minute. I think you've punctured one myth only to replace it with
another one. No, "they" weren't "shorter" as a general rule, with
exceptions
for time, place, income level, nutritional level, and genetic endowment...
BUT, "they" didn't sleep sitting up either - it was recommended once by
Benjamin Rush, but I've never seen any evidence that this was a widely
adopted practice. If anyone has any primary evidence that this is true as
any kind of general practice, please share, but I'm not believing it until
I
see it.
Carol Ely
Museum Consultant, Louisville
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