Back before washing machines, "Wash Day" was an all-day affair, and many families made it quite an event! Here are some of our favorite photos from doing the wash in the 1930's and 1940's...
Farm woman washing clothes in her new motor-driven washing machine near Lincoln, Vermont in July 1940
Doing the washing in Madison County, Alabama in 1939.
Women washing clothes, Crabtree Recreational Project, near Raleigh, North Carolina, March 1936
Women washing clothes, Crabtree Recreational Project, near Raleigh, North Carolina march 1936
Rochester, New York. Mrs. Babcock doing the family washing with an electric washing machine and a wringer
March 1943
"My great grandmother & grandmother on Wash Day in Denver, Colorado in 1906." -- Julie Natale.
Trampas. New Mexico. The wife and daughter of Juan Lopez, the majordomo (mayor), doing the family washing. Water is precious; it must be carried a quarter of a mile from the river, January 1943
From an advertisement in 1942: "That washing machine has to last for a long time, so keep it in good condition. Drain it immediately after use, rinse tub thoroughly, remove agitator or suction cups and rinse with clear water"
Laundry facilities in migratory labor camp. Imperial Valley, California, near Calipatria
Laundry facilities in Farm Security Administration (FSA) migrant labor camp. Westley, California
Washing facilities for families in migratory pea pickers' camp. Imperial Valley, California. Mostly Oklahomans and Texans
Washing facilities on a Greene County, Georgia, tenant farm
