Could My Vintage Red and White Enamel Soup Pot Really Be A Chamber Pot?

How Can You Tell If Your Vintage Red And White Enamel Pot is For Soup Or Really a Chamber Pot? 

I recently posted this red and white Soup pot on   my I Antique Online.com Facebook page and I was amused to see a comment asking if it was indeed a chamber pot and not cookware.

Clearing Up The Poop Versus Soup Dilemma?

Curious about this delicate matter myself and frankly grossed out by the possibility that one would make soup in a poop pot, I did a little homework on the subject. My, my there are a lot of Chamber Pot collectors and sellers out there so it was easy for me to get to the bottom of this query (no pun intended). This post explores the red and white enamel pot or pail, not the more decorative or humorous earthenware or porcelain pots.

Chamber Pots Were Made To Fit Under The Bed During The Victorian Era 

My conclusion is that the original post I made on my Facebook page (see photo above)  is a soup pot or cooking pot and now I will explain my reasoning. Chamber pots are generally found either with only one or no handle and a flatter tub to to be able to fit under the bed in a Victorian Era home. The deeper handled, covered pot is a utility pail, which was used for a variety of purposes and may have also played a role in household ddisposal of waste before the flush toilet.

Go "Potty" A Children's Term Derived From Chamber Pot Era 

Today we use the term "potty" when talking about children's toileting, aterm derived from the chamber pot era.

Postscript: Want to know what you can do with a chamber pot? Read http://revisionarylife.blogspot.com/2013/10/seven-things-to-do-with-vintage-chamber.html

Read More About Chamber Pots:
http://blog.wellcomecollection.org/tag/chamber-pot/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_pot


PHOTO CREDITS 
Top photo of Soup pot photographed by C. Dianne Zweig at Kitsch n Stuff.

Covered Chamber pot photo courtesy of :
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kanawha-Fletcher-White-Porcelain-Enamel-w-Red-Rim-Chamber-Pot-Lid-Orig-Label-/191437378227?

Child's uncovered Chamber pot photo courtesy of  https://www.etsy.com/listing/185580388/1930s-chamber-pot-enamel-ware-enamelware?ref=marketpt=Antiques_Decorative_Arts&hash=item2c928e92b3

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists