Tour of a 1910 Kitchen

My favorite tv series is When Calls the Heart. It’s honestly the only tv show that I make sure to be in front of the tv to watch. I’ve been so enjoying my Saturday evenings getting to know all of the residents of Hope Valley a little bit more.

Since I’m a foodie, I usually make a snack to enjoy while we watch the show. Sometimes, it’s one from my premiere party post. Other times, it’s a simple plate of cheese and apples. Food is always on my mind since I love to cook. Some of my favorite scenes from the show are from Abigail’s Cafe kitchen. I’m fascinated to learn more about other time periods, and how they managed their homes.

 

I did a bit of reading to see which kitchen appliances that we use today were introduced around 1910. I was a bit surprised to find several of the items we use today were in use 100+ years ago as well. This was the Edwardian Era. It was during this time that Albert L. Marsh invented the electric toaster. Before this, bread was toasted in a metal apparatus placed over an opening in the cookstove. In an electric toaster, doors on each side held the bread against a central heating element. Now it was possible to make toast without firing up the entire stove. There was one drawback, however, bread still had to be watched and flipped by hand. Many wealthy families were so enamored with the toaster that they placed one in each bedroom!

The vacuum cleaner came on the scene during this time. What a boon to homemakers everywhere! Can you imagine the change? Previously, those rugs had to be rolled up, taken outside, hung up, and beaten. What a time-saver.

Notice the water pump, large bowl, stove, oil lamp, etc in Elizabeth’s kitchen. We called these oil lamps “hurricane lamps,” since they were always in our hurricane kit and pulled out during hurricane season during our years living in Florida. This is the era where the kitchens start to be filled with more and more convenience items. New foods and new appliances graced kitchens everywhere. Refrigerators replaced ice boxes of old. Ranges replaced the old wood stoves, making temperature control much more reliable.

While not everyone enjoyed all of these new items in their home, it would not be long until they started to do so. It was an exciting time to be a homemaker! Many tasks became easier, allowing for more time to pursue other hobbies and interests.

There were fun items introduced during this time as well. Can you remember NOT having a camera at your disposal? Neither can I. Here’s the Brownie camera, introduced by Kodak.

I think it’s so interesting to return to the past to see how far we’ve come. But, it’s also interesting to note that many today, myself included, are seeking to add some of those “old time” items to our homes. For example, during an ice storm, having a wood cookstove would be a huge benefit. It’s good to pull the best from the past and combine it with the best of today. The old ways are not necessarily better, but neither are they worse, just different.

Have you visited Hope Valley yet? I invite you to do so! Tune in every Saturday evening at 8/7 central. Tweet along with us using hashtag #hearties and visit the Facebook page!

 

 *Disclosure- I was compensated for this post, but my love for When Calls the Heart is real, and all mine! *