Information on freestanding baths and clawfoot bath tubs

- The first remains of a bath tub were found on the Island of Crete in 1000 BC. This bath was a 5 foot long pedestal tub made from hard pottery clay. It is thought to be the original father of the 19th century clawfoot freestanding baths.

- The first documented evidence of plumbing systems goes back as far as 3300 BC where copper water pipes were found in the Indus River Valley in India under a palace.

- Around 500 BC, people throughout the Roman Empire were widely encouraged to daily bathe in many of the public baths available. There were private slipper bathtubs available for the wealthier which consisted of a shallow but wide pool in it's own room. These bathing system was made of bronze and lead for pipes and marble for the slipper bathtubs.

- A decline in sanitation came about during the dark ages after the collapse of the Roman Empire. Bathing was replaced by perfume and chamber pots were emptied into the streets. This lack of hygiene helped bring on the inevitable Bubonic Plague. After the death of many of the population of many towns and cities, governments took to improving the sewage systems, bathing and sanitation.

- The first flushing toilet was invented by Sir John Harrington for his Godmother, Queen Elizabeth 1 and his own personal use. The wrote a book about his invention but was unappreciated by his peers and he was reduced to early retirement.

- 200 years later in 1775, Alexander Cummings introduced the water closet. This brought about the new and modern age of bathrooms.

- In 1848 in the US, a national health act was passed that created a plumbing code. In 1883 freestanding baths made out of cast iron began to be rapidly produced.

- A few years later the first valveless toilet was created by Thomas Twyford and constructed in China. Up until this time, toilets were constructed from wood and metal.

- After the World War 1, a boom in children and housing created the need for a modern bathroom. Each bathroom was built with a sink, toilet and clawfoot freestanding bathtubs.

- These popular clawfoot slipper bathtubs, transformed in the last half of the 20th century into an enclosed design. This style was easier to maintain and could be produced in a range of trendy colors to suit homeowners.

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