With either use of the word, though, it seems that the book was not quite right in the order of operations. It's definitely out of order for a wringer. I'm not sure what they mean by blued and starched "by hand." Blueing is added to the water, and even using spray starch these days seems like a hand process to me.
Finally, with a pressing mangle, why would you iron first and then use a mangle? I could see, with some items, mangling and then touching up some portions with an iron afterward.
It was interesting, though, to learn that "mangle" has two meanings.
-Carol
On Jan 18, 2010, at 10:45 AM, Rickard, Patty wrote:
My mother had a machine that she called a mangle. There was a bottom piece on which you placed damp clothing or sheets (after the wringer), and a top piece which heated up (electrically, I think). You could fold shirts and place them on the bottom surface, or you could have it roll sheets or other flat things through. You brought the top down - it was essentially a large iron. Huge amounts of steam.Patty -----Original Message-----From: h-costume-boun...@indra.com [mailto:h-costume- boun...@indra.com] On Behalf Of Sharon CollierSent: Sunday, January 17, 2010 4:57 AM To: 'Historical Costume' Subject: Re: [h-cost] An amusing error?Right, it's not an ironing device, but something to wring out clothes. You'd have thought the author would have done his homework!-----Original Message-----From: h-costume-boun...@indra.com [mailto:h-costume- boun...@indra.com] OnBehalf Of Charlene Charette Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2010 1:37 AM To: Historical Costume Subject: Re: [h-cost] An amusing error? "Mangle" is the British term for what Americans call a "wringer". --CharleneOn Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 3:03 AM, Sharon Collier <sha...@collierfam.com>wrote:I am reading a book, "What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew" and in the part about laundry, the author says, "This made laundry day such a chore that many better-off households hired a washerwoman to do it, since immense amounts of water had to be boiled, the clothes blued and starched by hand, ironed, and then put through a mangle, a tablelike contraption with two rollers through which you rolled the clothing until it was pressed." I would hate to have him doing my laundry!_______________________________________________
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