Allen & Hanburys was absorbed by Glaxo in 1958; stainless steel was used in bedpans in the early to mid twentieth century.
Material
metal: silver
Inscriptions
"ALLEN & HANBURYS"; a hollow rectangle encases the words, "TAWLITE // MADE IN ENGLAND // 18-8 STAINLESS // STEEL" and "578/SM"
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0007
0007-N1-4
Length
35.4 cm
Width
28.7 cm
Depth
11.5 cm
Dimension Notes
Length 35.4 cm x Width 28.7 cm x Depth 11.5 cm
Condition Remarks
The bedpan was dusty and there were some dirt particles inside; there are signs of recently active corrosion; there are small rust spots along the outer side at the narrow end, and on the bottom inside; there are water marks, minor deposits and other signs of wear such as small scratches on the bedpan; there is one small, round dent on the outside bottom of the pan.
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Book
Websites
Article
Reference Comments
American Association for the History of Nursing, https://www.aahn.org/bedpans#:~:text=Porcelain%2C%20china%2C%20and%20even%20pottery,enamel%20and%20then%20stainless%20steel.&text=Today%20these%20antique%20bedpans%20are,be%20found%20in%20antique%20stores.
Cassandra Good, “The Strange Saga of George Washington’s Bedpan,” August 20th, 2015. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/strange-saga-george-washingtons-bedpan-180956347/
"Hospital and Physicians Equipment and Supplies," the J.F. Hartz Co., 1960, p. 267
"Allen & Hanburys' Surgical Appliances," Feb 14, 2013. https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/02/14/allen-hanburys-surgical-appliances/
Research Facts
Before the late nineteenth century, bedpans and similar objects were made of metals such as pewter, brass, and sometimes even glass. By the late nineteenth century, porcelain, china, and pottery were used. As the 20th century dawned, bedpans, urinals, basins, etc. were made of enamel and later stainless steel. In the 1960s, there was a shift towards plastics and other disposables.
The bedpan was designed for people who could not or should not rise from their beds to relieve themselves. A bedpan could be lightly heated and placed under the covers of the beds of the elderly, people who were ill, and women recovering from childbirth so that they would not have to get out of bed. They were routinely emptied by caregivers, nurses, etc.