Who invented the clawfoot tub?

No one knows for certain when the bathtub was invented; however, today’s tubs probably descended from large pottery bowls. The earliest known bathtub was found in the ruins of a palace on the island of Crete. The tub is almost 4,000 years old and originally belonged to the queen. Even after its invention though, bathtubs did not immediately catch on. In fact some considered bathing to be unhealthy and immoral. Fortunately, sanitary conditions improved and bathing became widely accepted.

Claw foot tubs, as we know them today, came about many years after that first tub in Crete. These freestanding leg tubs were made of cast iron. The cast iron was coated with porcelain enamel to provide a smooth attractive finish. The J. L. Mott Iron Works company is generally credited with producing the first cast iron tub with an enamel interior in 1873. Although the design has changed some, cast iron clawfoot tubs are still a popular choice today.Come out to the Minneapolis Home and Garden Show to see a very unique tub/shower faucet I will be having on display. Hope to see you there!