Model toilet, one of four sanitary ware models by Doulton, 19th century

Made by the famous ceramic company Doulton, this model of a toilet may have been used by travelling salesmen or displayed in an exhibition teaching the public about cleanliness. Improvements in sewage disposal and pumped water supplies to homes were just two of the factors that contributed towards improvements in public health in the second half of the 1800s.

Previously, water supplies contaminated with sewage had led to a wide range of disease outbreaks. In Britain a series of major cholera epidemics throughout the 1800s eventually led to major improvements to the water supply.

Model bath, one of four sanitary ware models by Doulton, 19th century

It’s 1890, and ever since you were little, Friday night has been ‘bath night’ – in the tin tub in front of the fire. Now you’ve just been visited by the Doulton & Company salesman who’s told you that all the aspiring middle classes are buying ceramic baths, with plumbed-in water, for their bathrooms. Will you get one?

Much of Doulton’s business in the mid-1800s was producing glazed stoneware pipes for sewers and drains, part of the drive to improve sanitation. They later began making sanitary ware – toilets, wash basins, baths, and the world’s first glazed ceramic kitchen sink. From 1919, all new houses were required to have a bath installed – it was estimated that only ten per cent of British homes had one already.

So how did the salesman convince householders to buy his products? He couldn’t really turn up on your doorstep with a bath under his arm, so Doulton produced these miniatures. They were also lighter than the bulky trade catalogues. The salesman was knowledgeable too – he probably knew as much about domestic hygiene as any medical professional.

Doulton & Company made so much money from their drain pipes and sanitary ware that they built new art studios for designing more decorative works. Figurines were launched in 1913, under the direction of artist Harry Nixon. At auction, figurines with an early ‘HN’ pattern number and the Royal Doulton mark can go for thousands of pounds – a product for today’s aspiring middle classes?

Model flat basin, one of four sanitary ware models by Royal Doulton, 19th century

Made by the famous ceramic company Doulton, this model basin may have been used as a demonstration item by travelling salesmen or displayed in an exhibition teaching the public about cleanliness. Washing the hands is a measure to prevent the spread of disease. The health dangers in not washing hands after going to the toilet or preparing and eating food is common knowledge today but this was not the case throughout much of the 1800s.

Model sink, one of four sanitary ware models by Doulton, 19th century

Made by the famous ceramic company Doulton, this model sink may have been used by travelling salesmen or displayed in an exhibition teaching the public about cleanliness. The health dangers of not washing hands after going to the toilet or before preparing and eating food is common knowledge today but this was not the case throughout much of the 1800s. Hand-washing can prevent the spread of disease.