Garbage 1890

In 1890 the garbage looked different (as illustrated in Garbage 1890), but it was still litter. In fact, in the late 19th century the litter problem was as bad as it could since today’s municipal sanitation services had not yet been established. Streets were at times filled knee-deep in garbage and the air reeked of putrid odors from a menagerie of rotting food and decaying animal corpses. For instance, when a horse died, its corpse remained untouched for months. As a result, children often swept paths for pedestrians to cross, people collected bottles and other salvageable items (e.g. discarded utensils often silver-plated [9], and disease (e.g. dysentery, cholera, typhoid) ran rampant in urban neighborhoods. In fact it was so bad “for so long, no one thought that it could be any different!1”

Aside from the negative aspects of this litter, the numerous pieces of garbage also offer anthropological and historical lessons as well as a tangible glimpse (and even scent) of the late 19th century (if one takes a sniff of the Sp. Ammon. Ar. [1] – Spirit of Ammonia – used to treat fainting, since the bottle retains some of its contents because of the cork that got stuck some 125+ years ago). Garbage 1890 reflects the culture, fashion, technology and values of late 19th century Victorian society.

Garbage 1890 – Photo created from Items dating from 1876 to 1890 sans rotting food and animal carcasses.

While the early 21st century is commonly referred to as the “digital age”, the late 19th century can be called the “paper age.” Correspondence was carried out through written letters (e-mail and texting were still more than a century away), “calling cards” (not as they’re envisioned today since telephones were still a novelty) – some plain and others with beautiful artwork – were handed out by visitors, and advertising cards displaying beautiful photogenic images were the collectible item of the day. In fact scrapbooks and cases were made exclusively to store these advertising cards that featured nature, landscapes, people, celebrities and sports. Consequently even though calling cards and advertising cards were seldom found in litter, other correspondence such as cancelled bank checks, old newspapers and letters (e.g. [12] Letter dated June 7, 1890) were a common component of late 19th century trash.

In 1890, the 21st century abundance of cheap, plastic products was not available. The first synthetic plastic was not created until 1907 and it was decades before the first plastic bottles (1947) and plastic bags (1957) were created. Only when it became cost efficient to mass-produce these plastic items in 1974 did the rapid conversion to plastic begin. The rest is history – no place is sacred with the most widespread non-biodegradable pollution impacting every corner on Earth including the most remote areas in the oceans and even Antarctica.

Accordingly, in 1890 bottles were composed of sturdy glass and ceramics, eating utensils were constructed from metal (usually silver) or wood, and bags and packaging were manufactured from cloth and paper and wood and paper, respectively. In addition, bottle caps and lids did not exist with corks and glass stoppers serving the purpose.

At the same time, 1890’s garbage reflected the pre-automobile age. A good example is the discarded horse buggy wrench [4] since horses still provided a critical means of transport. The automobile, invented in 1886 did not become available for sale until 1892.

In addition, as the 19th century was coming to a close, the United States (not to mention other West European countries) was in the midst of an opium epidemic with women comprising approximately 70% of victims since physicians were quick to prescribe opiates to relieve their menstrual pain. During this era, it appeared that everyone used opiates – elderly couples for pain relief, young people eager to experience ecstatic highs, and even babies to soothe their teething pain. In 1890 anyone could buy opiates since they were sold over the counter without need of a prescription and were promoted by attractive ads.

l.-r.: 1887 Advertising Card and c. 1880s 1/6 Plate Tin Type of a Child consuming Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup

Back then, it was considered standard practice to use Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup [7] or Dr. McMunn’s Elixir of Opium [6] to treat an assortment of childhood illnesses and remedy a toddler’s teething pain. Tragically these concoctions with ingredients such opium, codeine, alcohol and even heroin were a leading cause of infant mortality.

For instance in 1875 when a 17 month-old Monroe, NY child was administered 15-20 drops of Dr. McMunn’s Elixir of Opium every hour by his mother to cure him of “worms” the results were devastating: The child never moved a muscle from half past 3… The little fellow was at play in the morning as ever and at 11 at night was a corpse.”2

During this era, when more than 1.5 million bottles of Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup and a million bottles of Dr. McMunn’s Elixir of Opium were sold each year, “ingredients did not have to be listed on labels” such that “consumers were often unaware of [their] contents."3 As a result, labels were generally generic and simple as can be seen by the various discarded bottles. 1890 was clearly not the age of consumerism!

However, with regard to Dr. McMunn’s Elixir of Opium, the label clearly stated, "This is the essential Extract (sic) from the native drug. It contains valuable quantities of Opium without its deleterious and useless effects…”

Nevertheless, despite the use of plain labels for necessities such as food and medicine, boxes for cigars, gum and other non-essential items were frequently more elaborate and artistic. One such example is the discarded Adams Licorice Tutti Frutti Chewing Gum box [2] that features a beautiful young Victorian woman dressed in a fancy corset.

During this era, a tight, fashionable corset [10] was a must for a woman. It did not matter if it constricted her body, impaired her blood circulation and made it impossible to take a deep breath often resulting in light headedness and fainting. Tight corsets were deemed a necessity by the male-dominated society of the day to support a woman’s “weak” body. Consequently, Victorian women often fainted and had to be administered “the vapors” such as Sp. Ammon. Ar. to regain consciousness, only reinforcing 19th century stereotypes that women were the “weaker sex.”

At the same time, even though Victorian society catered to fashion, shoes were considered a necessary evil and thus were often excluded. Therefore while shirts, pants, corsets, and hats were manufactured with beauty and image in mind, shoes were generally rugged and unglamorous as is illustrated by the worn, discarded shoes [3].

Also as mentioned earlier since plastic did not exist, it isn’t surprising that 19th century dolls were made out of China or paper. Consequently they were more vulnerable to wear and tear as well as breakage than today’s dolls. The remains of a broken China doll [5] are featured in this photograph.

In addition, since society in 1890 was not crime free with the overwhelming majority of criminal activity being low-scale and petty (e.g. burglary), bronze key escutcheons [11] were often used to protect lock cylinders from tampering and removal. These escutcheons that at times resembled a face were frequently used in lower class urban neighborhoods – the areas with the highest incidence of litter. At the same time, their design often correlated with social wealth – the greater the wealth, the more elaborate the design.

Last but not least, grooming items such as brushes and perfume bottles were often decorated with floral and botanical repoussé handles and flip caps, respectively. The designs were reminiscent of late 19th century architectural artwork. A discarded brush with a brass floral repoussé handle [8] is featured in Garbage 1890.

To conclude, in the same way Garbage 1890 reflects the society of that day, today’s litter (aside from its intrinsic artistic worth) provides anthropological information about today’s society – its values, culture, fashion and technology. Finally when Garbage 1890 and today’s litter are viewed together, they provide continuity and illustrate the timeless fact of our flawed nature – where ever there is and has been a human footprint (including the Moon), there is garbage to be found.