Apprendre l’hygiène

Abstract

Towards the middle of the nineteenth century, factories began to produce goods for a new category of clients, children. Glazed earthenware began to replace metal and tin in children’s toys and, in particular, in children’s ‘household sets’: crockery and toiletry objects imitating those of grown-ups. The toiletry sets are not merely toys, however, and were designed to teach children the rudiments of hygiene within the family setting. The Sarreguemines factory of glazed earthenware put out new pieces of furniture and new toilet accessories that accompanied the emergence of new childcare disciplines. During the second half of the nineteenth century, inspired by hygienists, teachers in France had a mission of teaching children the principles of cleanliness. School textbooks bear witness to this new preoccupation and cleanliness inspections became part of school life. It was during this period that the Sarreguemines catalogues begin to include items intended for this educational market. With these new products, the Sarreguemines factory made its own contribution to the education of children in the field of hygiene, whether in public life or in the home.

Keywords

• children
• school
• hygiene education
• Sarreguemines
• glazed earthenware
• civil and domestic objects