Bedding in first class

[Krzyzanowski Mariusz]

Maybe somebody will find this topic very strange, but I have a question anyway.
There is the picture of bed in first class luxury stateroom:
http://i53.tinypic.com/iwp0tl.jpg
All my life I was wondering why the comforter is so small and it is not in comforter-case (or it looks so for me at least). I don't know anything about bedding in UK and US, especially of Edwardian times, but in my country, Poland, sleeping under comforter without a case is considered as unhygienic, especially in such places as hotels etc. - it would be unthinkable! The other thing is the size of the comforter. It seems to me that when two people would sleep on this bed they could not cover themself. The comforter is as breadth as the bed is. Could someone give some informations on this topic?
(Sorry for my english, if there are any mistakes).

 

[Bob Godfrey]

'Comforter' is I think an American term for what in Britain would be called a duvet. These didn't come into common use in the UK until around 40 years ago, at which time they were initially known as 'Continental quilts' to distinguish from the traditional, much smaller British quilt or 'eiderdown' as seen in the photo. We relied on several layers of sheets and blankets topped with the eiderdown which was not designed to drape over the sides of the bed. This item didn't come into direct contact with the sleeper so hygiene wasn't much of an issue.

 

[Krzyzanowski Mariusz]

Thank you Bob for bringing me to this issue.

 

[Bruce Harwood]

Keeping warm

'Comforter' is I think an American term for what in Britain would be called a duvet. These didn't come into common use in the UK until around 40 years ago, at which time they were initially known as 'Continental quilts' to distinguish from the traditional, much smaller British quilt or 'eiderdown' as seen in the photo. We relied on several layers of sheets and blankets topped with the eiderdown which was not designed to drape over the sides of the bed. This item didn't come into direct contact with the sleeper so hygiene wasn't much of an issue.

On cold nights we used them on our farm in Ontario, and called them eider down quilts. They dated from before WWII. For reasons unknown, they were rose pink, satin on the top side side and cotton underneath. They had a nasty way of sliding off the bed in the middle of the night. You may see pictures of them with retaining straps at the foot end of the bed, which we did not have (sigh). As for the size, I imagine it had to do with economy. Feathers didn't come cheap in those days; why waste them on trying to warm the side of the bed.