Spotlight on Collections: Cold Feet?

Riding in a one-horse open sleigh may sound romantic, but your feet might get a bit cold. Foot warmers to the rescue. During the 18th century, a general style for foot warmers was a pierced tin box with a hinged door allowing access to the ember tray. The 19th century brought foot warmers with charcoal brickettes.

The Clark Heater Co. made foot warmers and sold their own charcoal brickettes as did Lehman Bros. of New York. The Lehman Heaters (first put on the market in 1885) were advertised with one piece of Lehman Coal giving “a continuous heat for 10 hours at nominal cost of two cents.” The Lehman Heater sold by Lehman Bros., of New York continued in popularity until the early 20th century. In 1900, the company claimed that 135,000 of its heaters were in use, with 10,000 heaters and 500,000 pieces of coal being sold annually.

“Little indication of existing brickettes has been found online,” said Amesbury Carriage Museum (ACM) volunteer Joyann Reynolds, chair of the ACM Collections Committee, “as survival rate is likely very low.”

Originally nickel plated with a faux leather trimmed carpet cover, Lehman Bros. foot warmers sold for 90 cents to $10. Most of them had asbestos linings. Clark heaters sold for $3.50. Their carbon brickettes were sold separately at a cost of 75 cents for a dozen pieces.

Check out the Currier sleigh now on display in Industrial History Center (IHC) and you’ll see how they kept their toes warm. The foot warmers are an addition to the ACM Collection and were purchased and donated in November by Mike Harrold, ACM volunteer.