The Humble History of the Bedpan: From Ancient Care to Modern Design
The bedpan, a vital tool for those confined to bed, boasts a fascinating history. Eric Eakin from Bay Village, Ohio, possesses the largest collection globally, with over 250 bedpans, which have been showcased on MTV and in Ripley's Believe It or Not! His interest began in the late 1960s when his mother, Elaine Harriet Weller Eakin, received one as a joke. Other enthusiasts include Edith Martell from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, who has 60 bedpans, and Earl Lord from La Crosse, Wisconsin, with more than 200. The oldest known bedpan, dating back to the 16th or 17th century, resides at the Science Museum in London, while George Washington's pewter bedpan can be found at Mount Vernon. In her 1859 book, Florence Nightingale highlighted the importance of proper sanitation. The first patent for a bedpan in the U.S. was submitted in 1842.
Key facts
- Eric Eakin of Bay Village, Ohio, owns over 250 bedpans, believed to be the world's largest collection.
- The world's oldest surviving bedpan, a green earthenware vessel from the 16th or 17th century, is at the Science Museum in London.
- George Washington's pewter bedpan is preserved at Mount Vernon.
- Florence Nightingale discussed bedpans in her 1859 book Notes on Nursing.
- The first U.S. bedpan-related patent was filed on April 16, 1842, by Williams Woolley.
- By the end of the 1880s, at least 26 bedpan-related patents had been issued.
- In 1897, Sears sold classic oval enamel bedpans for $1.60.
- Medline offers modern bedpans like the Pontoon, Stack-a-Pan, and Durafit, tested to support up to 450 lbs.
Entities
Artists
- Eric Eakin
- Elaine Harriet Weller Eakin
- Edith Martell
- Earl Lord
- Margaret Mead
- Katherine Ott
- Harriet Jackson
- George Washington
- Martha Washington
- Martha Custis Peter
- Thomas Peter
- Florence Nightingale
- Jessica Martucci
- Williams Woolley
- Alvah Rittenhouse
- Hannah Conway
- Clark S. Merriman
- Peter Gott
- Stephanie Shelton
- Lisa Geiger
- Leo DeLuca
Institutions
- MTV
- Ripley's Believe It or Not!
- Country Today
- Boots
- Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
- Science Museum
- Ministry of Works
- Westminster Abbey
- Mount Vernon
- Mount Vernon Ladies Association
- University of Pennsylvania Center for the Study of the History of Nursing
- Sears
- Meinecke
- Time
- Journal of the American Medical Association
- American Journal of Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Medline
- Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia
- Columbia Journalism School
- The New York Times
- Scientific American
- Rolling Stone
- Popular Science
- Pitchfork
Locations
- Bay Village
- Ohio
- United States
- Eau Claire
- Wisconsin
- La Crosse
- Europe
- London
- United Kingdom
- Westminster Abbey
- Mount Vernon
- Georgetown
- Washington, D.C.
- New York City
- Philadelphia
- Dayton