Usually, Mechanics' Institutes initially bring to mind their major
impact on educational and intellectual activities, but at least two were
involved with the provision of bathing facilities, both of them serving
railway towns.
In February 1858, the Swindon Mechanics' Institution invited David
Urquhart to give a talk on the Turkish bath which he had introduced into
England seven months earlier. Due to the death of Urquhart's baby son,
the talk was actually given by a close colleague, Stewart Rolland.
Shortly after the talk, the directors of the GWR (Great Western Railway)
were asked whether Turkish baths could be built at the back of the
Institution building which, on the first floor, already had eight
slipper baths. Permission was granted though, in the event, the Turkish
baths were not built for another ten years as part of a new baths
building, by which time they were the responsibility of an elected Baths
Committee and funded by the pioneering GWR Medical Fund Society.
In Crewe, the first bathing facilities, slipper baths for men and women,
were opened in 1845. They were managed for the LNWR (London & North
Western Railway) by a subcommittee of the Council of the Mechanics
Institute. Again, Turkish baths were added when a new larger baths
building was opened in 1866.
It could be that there were other Mechanics' Institutions which also ran
slipper and swimming baths though no others are known which were
responsible for Turkish baths.
Hope this is of some interest.
Malcolm
--
Malcolm Shifrin
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http://www.victorianturkishbath.org
Selected by the British Library for the UK Web Archive
Encyclopaedia Britannica Web's Best Sites Award 2009
On 14/10/2012 23:36, Douglas Watson wrote:
Hi list members
I'm conducting PhD level research into the social and cultural influence
and impact of the Mechanics' Institutes movement of the 19th century. My
focus is predominantly case study based and scope is currently based on
a twin Uk / Anglophone world axis.
I am curious as to whether any list members are looking at MIs in a
local context (or indeed any context) and would be keen to discuss any
studies with hints of wider social and cultural influence.
Regards
Doug
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doug Watson
MPhil / PhD Candidate
History Department
Faculty of Arts
University of Plymouth
--
Malcolm Shifrin
[log in to unmask]
http://www.victorianturkishbath.org
Selected by the British Library for the UK Web Archive
Encyclopaedia Britannica Web's Best Sites Award 2009
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