Napkin Rings

[Lee Gilliland]

I was noticing the napkin rings at the guernsey's auction - did all the classes have them? I remember having them at home, when we washed the cloth napkins once a week, but how often were they changed - once a day, or at the end of the voyage? And were you assigned a number, or did you merely take note of it when you sat down?

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Fascinating topic to ponder- I love this stuff! I would venture to risk betting on the fact the First Class got fresh table linen 3 times daily- most assuredly the Captain's table as his guests changed frequently over the crossing.-With plenty of personnel and a laundry facility equipped to handle the huge linen load, I expect the nappery everywhere was changed daily. The a la carte private parties, etc. would necessitate it as well as the fastidious clientele. Now I plan to get a magnifying glass and scrutinize some of those diningroom photos! Perhaps the second and third class used the same napkin throughout the day, with an assigned table, that plan would work out pretty well. Wonder what they would all say about paper napkins! I wonder if those napkin rings might be from the crews' messhall? You can be sure not too much worry was expended about the state of their napkin!

 

[Lee Gilliland]

I love it too - sometimes I think we should rename this forum Edwardian Trivia 'r' Us.

I know that the RMS Laurentic and RMS Ceramic rings at the Guernsey's auction had no numbers on them, and the main difference between the first- and second-class ring looks to be the decorative rim.

Care to bet third-class had brass rings, or plated ones?

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

I would guess nickle plating-durable and cheap, but still with a silver look. I am off to explore this pithy subject!

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Second class and First Class photos suggest NO rings- just fancy folding. With 45,000 napkins aboard as the manifest lists, and say even 3,000 people times three meals a day-there would be enough for a 5 day crossing. I see no napkins here in Third Class. Stiffly starched ones in First.

 

[Lee Gilliland]

Nice pics thanks Shelly

 

[Bob Godfrey]

The ship would have carried enough linen to last both legs of the journey back to Southampton and the White Star Laundry. I think it's safe to assume that napkins weren't part of the 3rd Class experience - it was only a few years on from the period when steerage people were not supplied even with eating utensils.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>With plenty of personnel and a laundry facility equipped to handle the huge linen load, I expect the nappery everywhere was changed daily.<<

Unfortunately, the Olympic's had no laundry facilities and I understand that few if any Edwardian liners did. I suspect that the limited ability of the ships of that time to distill fresh water had a lot to do with this. Just out of curiousity, does anyone have any idea what ship or ships were the first to be provided with such?

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Good question Mike- and here's another-I recall the scene in SOS where Helen Mirren is chatting up Andrews and mentions a linen room. I know the stewards, stewardesses and personal ladies maids of First Class attended to the pressing and washing out of personal items. Where then would have been the place for such activities? Funny to think about that quaint custom of leaving the shoes outside the door to be polished- and that great scene where the men are rubbing away on the shoes and boots. Am now pulling out my diagram of the ship to see likely cubbyholes for these events. I imagine Third Class washed up and washed out things right in the cabin-visions of ladies' hose strung around the bunks!

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Down on F deck, on the port side opposite the swimming bath, there was a large 'linen drying room' alongside several other rooms marked 'linen' and 'soiled linen'. Maybe the drying room was for 'airing' stored items before use? Some plans (probably of Olympic) show a clothes-pressing room in the section aft of that, near the Turkish Bath, but I don't think it was in that location on Titanic.

 

[Noel F. Jones]

It was hardly necessary for transatlantic vessels to have onboard laundry facilities.

It was different on the longer runs to, for instance, India and the far east. Such vessels carried Indian or Chinese laundry staff but I couldn't give you an inception date.

Back on the north Atlantic the 'boots' would have worked out of the 'boot-hole' in the working alleyway. In the Cunard they doubled as storekeepers for such things as kitchen and pantry paper-stock.

Noel

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Maybe I should have been more specific. Do we know what ships on the North Atlantic run were the first to be provided with laundry facilities?

 

[sashka pozzetti]

I wonder if there are no napkin rings as they would not only be too easy to take away as a souvenir, but would easily roll around all over the place if there was movement in the ship. I went to a very fancy restaurant once and they didn't have napkin rings either, the waiter picked up the napkin with a flourish and draped it over my lap. I didn't have to do anything. I expect this is why they invented clever ways to fold napkins.

 

[Martin Williams]

A napkin ring, like a fish-knife, was really considered to be terribly 'genteel' - that is, nothing more than a middle-class affectation. Napkins in truly smart houses would always be folded.

 

[sashka pozzetti]

That would make sense. I have an elderly friend with an ancient silver napkin ring, that has her initial on it. She can then put her used napkin back in it , and use it again, knowing which is hers among several. and saving on laundering. I don't think that seems very classy!!!