Anonymous Antique Folk Art Primitive Wash Stick Collection.
c. 1856-1940.
Carved and natural or stained wood.
A total of 15 wash sticks.
Longest is 39"; shortest is 19".
Includes oak peg board for display.
Peg board is 60" x 3.75" x 3".
Excellent antique condition with wear, losses, and staining commensurate with age and usage.
Provenance: Mike Dale.
Est. $2,000-$3,000.
Ship: $100

In the nineteenth century, clothes were typically washed in copper wash tubs heated over an open fire. Laundry to be washed was dropped into near-boiling water which often contained harsh detergents or bleach. Wash sticks were essential to agitate the laundry and remove it from the wash tub without inflicting serious damage to one's hands. By the early 20th century, copper tanks were replaced by steel, but the process was essentially the same.

The first electric powered washing machine was not invented until 1908 by Alva J. Fisher. It was called the Thor and was manufactured by the Hurley Machine Company of Chicago. There were a couple of drawbacks: the machines were very expensive, and not everyone had access to electricity in 1908. It would be decades later before electric washing machines would be commonly found in typical American homes.

The wash sticks offered here are one-of-a-kind pieces which reflect the styles and tastes of their makers and users. They vary greatly in size, shape, and finish. Four of the wash sticks have classic "D" shaped handles. Four have a single hole at the top. Three have eye hooks at the top. One has a triangle-shaped opening at the top. One has three holes at the top. The two heavily carved wash sticks are hung from openings below the top. These openings/eye hooks were used to hang the wash sticks when not in use.

The two intricately carved wash sticks (one of which is dated 1846) are from the estate collection of Ann Vail, Waynesboro, VA. One of the two-pronged wash sticks has a chip carved cross at the top on one side and comes from a private collection in Maine. Several of the wash sticks are from a collection purchased from Lost Found Art in New York, which deals in antique and vintage collections and objects. Those wash sticks came from collectors and dealers in the South and Midwest. Other individual wash sticks come from private collections in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Ohio, to name a few.

Grouped together, these wash sticks have a wonderful sculptural quality. They are also important historical survivors, and reminders, of our not-so-distant past. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History has a wash stick in its permanent collection. Their two-pronged wash stick dates to circa 1890 to 1920 and is 29 5/8" long.