Electric bath

Last updated
Artists Rendition of the Electric Bath as a tanning bed based on photos from a catalogue. ElectricBath.PNG
Artists Rendition of the Electric Bath as a tanning bed based on photos from a catalogue.

The term electric bath applies to numerous devices. One of these was an early form of tanning bed in the form of a cabinet in which ultraviolet light is applied to the user via lamps. This was featured on the RMS Olympic, the RMS Titanic, [1] and in numerous light care institutes.

Tanning bed

The electric bath as an early tanning bed was an old sunbed device designed and produced by the German firm of Heraeus, which produced numerous ultraviolet lamps during the early 1900s, as well as a particular self-standing horizontal reclining tanning device known as the electric bath.

The electric bath consisted of a wooden stand which contained an electrical power supply. Above the wooden stand was a green sheet-metal cabinet lid which contained many ultraviolet lamps, and four additional lamps which could be set into the lid and hooked in with metallic clamps. The additional lamps were placed on either side of the bath lid, as well as at the end to provide the user with extra tanning around the arm and feet areas.

Users would open the lid, recline on a metallic surface placed upon the wooden stand, and close the lid. Often, a bath attendant would set the timer on the bath to a specific time, and the lamps would light up, sending waves of ultraviolet rays at the user's skin, creating a tan.

The early models of the Heraeus electric bath are now considered dangerous, but conditions such as skin cancer were never known to be caused by the ultraviolet rays conducted by the lamps during the time period they were featured and used in the device. Care had to be taken that the device was used in moderation. Many users survived and enjoyed the experience, although many mention having been burnt, most probably caused by exceeding the recommended 30-minute time limit.

The electric bath was featured on the Olympic and the Titanic inside the Victorian-style Turkish baths. Women could use the bath during the morning hours, and men could use it during the afternoon and evening hours. A ticket was required to use the bath, and could be purchased from the bath attendants for four shillings or one dollar.

The bath was also featured in the game Titanic: Adventure Out of Time by Cyberflix. In the game, the bath was depicted as a Turkish steam bath for therapeutic and recreational use rather than as a tanning bed. The bath is sabotaged by another character and electrocutes the user inside.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fluorescent lamp</span> Lamp using fluorescence to produce light

A fluorescent lamp, or fluorescent tube, is a low-pressure mercury-vapor gas-discharge lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light. An electric current in the gas excites mercury vapor, which produces short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor coating on the inside of the lamp to glow. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical energy into useful light much more efficiently than an incandescent lamp. The typical luminous efficacy of fluorescent lighting systems is 50–100 lumens per watt, several times the efficacy of incandescent bulbs with comparable light output. For comparison, the luminous efficacy of an incandescent bulb may only be 16 lumens per watt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bathroom</span> Room for personal hygiene activities, such as showering

A bathroom, restroom or washroom is a room, typically in a home or other residential building, that contains either a bathtub or a shower. The inclusion of a sink is common. In parts of the world e.g. India, a toilet is typically included in the bathroom; in others, the toilet is typically given a dedicated room separate from the one allocated for personal hygiene activities. In the United States and Canada, the word "bathroom" is often used to refer to any room that contains a toilet, regardless of the inclusion of a bath or shower.

<i>Sentō</i> Type of Japanese communal bathhouse

Sentō (銭湯) is a type of Japanese communal bathhouse where customers pay for entrance. Traditionally these bathhouses have been quite utilitarian, with a tall barrier separating the sexes within one large room, a minimum of lined-up faucets on both sides, and a single large bath for the already washed bathers to sit in among others. Since the second half of the 20th century, these communal bathhouses have been decreasing in numbers as more and more Japanese residences now have baths. Some Japanese find social importance in going to public baths, out of the theory that physical proximity/intimacy brings emotional intimacy, which is termed skinship in pseudo-English Japanese. Others go to a sentō because they live in a small housing facility without a private bath or to enjoy bathing in a spacious room and to relax in saunas or jet baths that often accompany new or renovated sentōs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blacklight</span> Light fixture that emits long-wave ultraviolet light and very little visible light

A blacklight, also called a UV-A light, Wood's lamp, or ultraviolet light, is a lamp that emits long-wave (UV-A) ultraviolet light and very little visible light. One type of lamp has a violet filter material, either on the bulb or in a separate glass filter in the lamp housing, which blocks most visible light and allows through UV, so the lamp has a dim violet glow when operating. Blacklight lamps which have this filter have a lighting industry designation that includes the letters "BLB". This stands for "blacklight blue". A second type of lamp produces ultraviolet but does not have the filter material, so it produces more visible light and has a blue color when operating. These tubes are made for use in "bug zapper" insect traps, and are identified by the industry designation "BL". This stands for "blacklight".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun tanning</span> Darkening of skin in response to ultraviolet light

Sun tanning or tanning is the process whereby skin color is darkened or tanned. It is most often a result of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or from artificial sources, such as a tanning lamp found in indoor tanning beds. People who deliberately tan their skin by exposure to the sun engage in a passive recreational activity of sun bathing. Some people use chemical products which can produce a tanning effect without exposure to ultraviolet radiation, known as sunless tanning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indoor tanning</span> Tanning using an artificial source of ultraviolet light

Indoor tanning involves using a device that emits ultraviolet radiation to produce a cosmetic tan. Typically found in tanning salons, gyms, spas, hotels, and sporting facilities, and less often in private residences, the most common device is a horizontal tanning bed, also known as a sunbed or solarium. Vertical devices are known as tanning booths or stand-up sunbeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Induction lamp</span> Gas-discharge lamp using electric and magnetic fields to transfer energy to the gas inside

The induction lamp, electrodeless lamp, or electrodeless induction lamp is a gas-discharge lamp in which an electric or magnetic field transfers the power required to generate light from outside the lamp envelope to the gas inside. This is in contrast to a typical gas discharge lamp that uses internal electrodes connected to the power supply by conductors that pass through the lamp envelope. Eliminating the internal electrodes provides two advantages:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deckchair</span> Portable folding leisure chair

A deckchair is a folding chair, usually with a frame of treated wood or other material. The term now usually denotes a portable folding chair, with a single strip of fabric or vinyl forming the backrest and seat. It is meant for leisure, originally on the deck of an ocean liner or cruise ship. It is easily transportable and stackable, although some styles are notoriously difficult to fold and unfold. Different versions may have an extended seat, meant to be used as a leg rest, whose height may be adjustable; and may also have arm rests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bath chair</span> Mobility aid

A bath chair—or Bath chair—was a rolling chaise or light carriage for one person with a folding hood, which could be open or closed. Used especially by disabled persons, it was mounted on three or four wheels and drawn or pushed by hand. It is so named from its origin in Bath, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Test light</span> Device for detecting electricity

A test light, test lamp, voltage tester, or mains tester is a piece of electronic test equipment used to determine the presence of electricity in a piece of equipment under test. A test light is simpler and less costly than a measuring instrument such as a multimeter, and often suffices for checking for the presence of voltage on a conductor. Properly designed test lights include features to protect the user from accidental electric shock. Non-contact test lights can detect voltage on insulated conductors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanning lamp</span> Device which produces ultraviolet light used for indoor tanning

Tanning lamps are the part of a tanning bed, booth or other tanning device which produces ultraviolet light used for indoor tanning. There are hundreds of different kinds of tanning lamps most of which can be classified in two basic groups: low pressure and high pressure. Within the industry, it is common to call high-pressure units "bulbs" and low-pressure units "lamps", although there are many exceptions and not everyone follows this example. This is likely due to the size of the unit, rather than the type. Both types require an oxygen free environment inside the lamp.

Grand Staircase of the <i>Titanic</i> Staircase on the Titanic

The set of large ornate staircases in the first-class section of the Titanic, and RMS Olympic ; sometimes collectively referred to as the Grand Staircase, is one of the most recognizable features of the British transatlantic ocean liner which sank on her maiden voyage in 1912 after a collision with an iceberg. Reflecting and reinforcing the staircase's iconic status is its frequent, and prominent, portrayal in media.

<i>Olympic</i>-class ocean liner Trio of ocean liners

The Olympic-class ocean liners were a trio of British ocean liners built by the Harland & Wolff shipyard for the White Star Line during the early 20th century. They were Olympic (1911), Titanic (1912) and Britannic (1914). All three were designed to be the largest and most luxurious passenger ships at that time, designed to give White Star an advantage in the transatlantic passenger trade.

<i>Titanic</i> British passenger liner that sank in 1912

RMS Titanic was a British passenger and mail carrying ocean liner, operated by the White Star Line, that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, about 1,500 died, making it the deadliest sinking of a single ship up to that time. The disaster drew public attention, spurred major changes in maritime safety regulations, and inspired many artistic works.

Big Four (White Star Line) Class of ocean liners built 1901–1905

The "Big Four" were a quartet of early-20th-century 20,000-ton ocean liners built by the Harland & Wolff shipyard for the White Star Line, to be the largest and most luxurious ships afloat. The group consisted of Celtic, Cedric, Baltic and Adriatic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheelchair</span> Chair with wheels used by people with mobility deficiencies

A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using 2 or more wheels, a footrest and armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age related health conditions.

Wreck of the <i>Titanic</i> Shipwreck in the North Atlantic Ocean

The wreck of the Titanic lies at a depth of about 12,500 feet, about 370 nautical miles south-southeast off the coast of Newfoundland. It lies in two main pieces about 2,000 feet (600 m) apart. The bow is still recognisable with many preserved interiors, despite deterioration and damage sustained hitting the sea floor. In contrast, the stern is heavily damaged. A debris field around the wreck contains hundreds of thousands of items spilled from the ship as she sank. The bodies of the passengers and crew would also be distributed across the seabed, but have since been consumed by other organisms.

First-class facilities of the <i>Titanic</i>

Reflecting the White Star Line's reputation for superior comfort and luxury, the Titanic had extensive facilities for First Class passengers which were widely regarded as the finest of her time. In contrast to her French and German competitors, whose interiors were extravagantly decorated and heavily adorned, the Titanic emphasized comfort and subdued elegance more in the style of a British country manor or luxury hotel. Titanic's enormous size enabled her to feature unusually large rooms, all equipped with the latest technologies for comfort, hygiene, and convenience. Staterooms and public spaces recreated historic styles with a painstaking attention to detail and accuracy. There was a wide range of recreational and sporting facilities in addition which provided ample opportunity for amusement during a voyage.

Second-class accommodation and facilities on board the Titanic were quite intricate and spacious in comparison to many first-class facilities on other ships of the time. Although the Second and Third Class sections of the ship occupied a much smaller proportion of space overall than those of first class aboard the Titanic, there were several comfortable, large public rooms and elevators for the passengers to enjoy, so much in fact that the minority of the spaces provided were actually used during the voyage. 284 passengers boarded Second Class in a ship that could accommodate 410 second-class passengers.

References

  1. "VICTORIAN TURKISH BATHS: Ocean liners: RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic |". Victorianturkishbath.org. Retrieved 2013-09-24.