Where did Gertrude keep the chamber pot?
The ceramic chamber pot fits under the bed, the common place to keep for placement, for it was convenient and easy to find in the dark. Remember the Zacharias family did not flip a switch for light, nor did they have nightlights as some children have in their rooms today. The basic design of a chamber pot involves a pot deep enough to hold urine without splashing, and a secure lid. Usually, a chamber pot has handles so that it can be carried easily. Sometimes chamber pots had decorations on the outside, but the inside was left smooth. During the mid 1800s, some people had close stools, pieces of furniture designed to conceal a chamber pot. In many cases, the close stool had a bench with a lifting lid, allowing females to sit comfortably while they used the chamber pot. Can you think of how a type of chamber pot gets used today? Chamber pots have largely disappeared except in the form of bedpans used for invalids. Yet the concept of chamber pots continues with the slang for a child’s tr
