"Mrs Potts" Clothes Iron - iron body only

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Subcollections

Overview

Detachable Handle is missing (The key feature of a Mrs. Potts iron is its detachable handle, often made of wood. This handle was designed to stay cool while the iron body was heated on a stove.)

Double-Pointed Shape:
The iron's design includes two pointed ends, allowing the user to iron in either direction without needing to flip the iron.
Hollow Body:
The iron's body was often hollow and could be filled with a non-conducting material like plaster of Paris to further help with heat retention and insulation.

Historical information

The term "sad iron" refers to the fact that these irons were heavy and made of solid metal, designed to retain heat and apply pressure for effective ironing.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-124-2025.187

Item type

Clothes Irons

Themes

Social History

Material

Metal

Contextual Information

Patent:
The design of the Mrs. Potts iron, including the detachable handle, was patented by Mary Florence Potts in 1871, according to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Keywords

Irons

Mrs Potts

Primary significance criteria

Social or spiritual significance

Last modified

Monday, 30 June, 2025

Completeness

Busselton Historical Society

Organisation Details
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