Washing Up Collection

Disused kitchenwares DD220769
Bunksland Farmhouse, East Anstey, North Devon. Detail of the sink in the kitchen on the ground-floor of the farmhouse, with disused cutlery and crockery abandoned on the drying rack

Rock n Roll singer Marty Wilde and his fiance Joyce Baker making last minute arrangements at the home of Martys parents in Greenwich, ahead of their wedding tomorrow. 1st December 1959

MARGARET THATCHER WASHES UP AT HOME IN FINCHLEY, NORTH LONDON - 4TH OCTOBER 1974 (74 / 3068)
MARGARET THATCHER WASHES UP AT HOME IN FINCHLEY, NORTH LONDON - 4TH OCTOBER 1974 (74/3068)

Ted Castle, the husband of Barbara Castle, doing the washing up at the kitchen sink. Circa 1947

Wilfred Pickles seen here under the thumb. January 1947

Tired Housewife
A housewife in an apron comes down with a headache whilst at work in the kitchen, circa 1955. (Photo by George Marks/Retrofile/Getty Images)

Young girl who lives near the Capitol, Washington, D. C. 1942. Creator: Gordon Parks
Washington, D.C. Young girl who lives near the Capitol

Wife of tobacco sharecropper putting breakfast dishes away. Person County, North Carolina, 1939
Wife of tobacco sharecropper putting breakfast dishes away. Person County, North Carolina

Tobacco sharecroppers wife disposing of dishwater... Person County, North Carolina, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tobacco sharecroppers wife disposing of dishwater after washing breakfast dishes. She put on white shoes for the photograph. Person County, North Carolina

Kanaya, from an untitled series of the fifty-three stations of the Tokaido, Japan, c. 1804

Parrot (Omu), from the series "Floating World Versions of the Seven Komachi... c
Parrot (Omu), from the series " Floating World Versions of the Seven Komachi (Ukiyo Nana Komachi)", c. 1780

Kitchen Scene, ca. 1794-95. Creator: Kitagawa Utamaro
Kitchen Scene, ca. 1794-95

Below Stairs, 1885 (oil on panel)
985280 Below Stairs, 1885 (oil on panel) by Juengling, Frederick (1846-89); 29.3x37 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; American, out of copyright

Plate 440. Stooping and Rinsing Tumbler, 1872-85 (collotype on paper)
3950261 Plate 440. Stooping and Rinsing Tumbler, 1872-85 (collotype on paper) by Muybridge, Eadweard (1830-1904); 20.3x35.7 cm; Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA

A tendency to leave the washing-up till later, illustration from Pont
STC398793 A tendency to leave the washing-up till later, illustration from Pont: An Account of the Life and Work of the great Punch artist (litho) by Pont (Graham Laidler) (1908-40)

Water wastage is avoided, advertisement for Maurice Eyquem water meters
CHT178337 Water wastage is avoided, advertisement for Maurice Eyquem water meters, 1898 (colour litho) by Blott, Georges (fl.1898); Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris

Work and Play in the Kitchen, (pencil and watercolour with white)
651970 Work and Play in the Kitchen, (pencil and watercolour with white) by Heaphy, Thomas (1775-1835); 48.9x69.9 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Work and Play in the Kitchen)

In the Garden at Pontoise: A Young Woman Washing Dishes, 1882 (oil on canvas)
FIT62485 In the Garden at Pontoise: A Young Woman Washing Dishes, 1882 (oil on canvas) by Pissarro, Camille (1830-1903); 81.9x64.8 cm; Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge

The Soap Bubbles; Les Bulles de Savon, (oil on canvas)
827505 The Soap Bubbles; Les Bulles de Savon, (oil on canvas) by Bail, Joseph (1862-1921); 130.8x194.9 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: The Soap Bubbles; Les Bulles de Savon)

Washing Up, c. 1924-25 (oil on canvas)
425803 Washing Up, c.1924-25 (oil on canvas) by Gash, Walter Bonner (1869-1928); 61x45.5 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Portrait of the artists daughter Margaret.); eLiss Fine Art; English

The idle servant
LLM455700 The idle servant by Maes, Nicolaes (1634-93); Private Collection; (add.info.: The idle servant. Studies from the Great Masters (Hamilton, Adams & Co, c 1860)

Landscape with Crockery Washers (oil on canvas)
XKH149202 Landscape with Crockery Washers (oil on canvas) by Magnasco, Alessandro (1667-1749); 90.5x144 cm; Private Collection; Italian, out of copyright

Man doing the washing up and wishing he had a woman to do it for him (colour litho)
5995998 Man doing the washing up and wishing he had a woman to do it for him (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

A Bourgeois Kitchen (oil on canvas)
GIA995404 A Bourgeois Kitchen (oil on canvas) by Urlaub, Georg Anton (1713-59); Historisches Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; eGiancarlo Costa; German, out of copyright

American officers have to do their own washing up. Picture taken at a cadet school somewhere in England. The officer using the brush over the the dustbin looks to have the name badge of Sager

A woman washing up - one of the many daily chores of a housewife. 26th January 1979

The kitchen of Mr and Mrs Singleton of Croydon. 6th May 1982

Actor Johnny Briggs at home with his wife Caroline. Circa 1963

June Whitfield, TV actress, at her home in Wimbledon doing the washing up in her rubber gloves. Picture taken 4th September 1987

Leicester football team, FA Cup Finalists. Ted Jelly at home with wife and baby girl. 31st March 1949

Wilfred Pickles seen here under the thumb. January 1947

Young girl washing her clothes in a bowl of water and hanging them out to dry on the washing line Circa 1945 P044431

Young girl helping out a home by doing the washing up Circa 1945 P044422

House work: Man washing dishes. June 1953 D3123

"Susan"pet. chimp of Miss Molly Badham seen here helping with the housework
" Susan" pet. chimp of Miss Molly Badham seen here helping with the housework - October 1952 C3875-008

The Scullery Maid, c. 1738. Creator: Jean-Simeon Chardin
The Scullery Maid, c. 1738

Plate 78 from Los Caprichos : Be quick, they are waking up (Despacha, que dispiertan.), 1799

Scrubbing Woman, 1844. Creator: Charles Emile Jacque
Scrubbing Woman, 1844

Two Women in a Kitchen, 1880s-90s. Creator: Unknown
Two Women in a Kitchen, 1880s-90s

Washing up after breakfast (2 / 2)
Picture 2/2 - Following their fancy breakfast at their very well-appointed campsite (see: 13127654), the young chap has scarpered, leaving his partner and Mother left with all the washing up!!

Plate 34, from World in Miniature, 1816. 1816. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
Plate 34, from " World in Miniature", 1816

A Young Pretender, 1897. Creator: John Leech
A Young Pretender, 1897. Youth in a pointed hat washing up, possibly meant to represent Perkin Warbeck. From " The Comic History of England" by Gilbert Abbott A Beckett

Washing-up at a juvenile summer holiday camp, Germany, 1922. Artist: Otto Haeckel
Washing-up at a juvenile summer holiday camp, Germany, 1922. From Peoples of All Nations, Their Life Today and the Story of Their Past, volume IV: Georgia to Italy

La Menagere, c1630-1670Artist: Gerrit Dou
La Menagere, c1630-1670

A Sao Tomense woman laughs while carrying her washing up on her head. She has just returned from washing her dishes in a river nearby

Kitchen sink, dishes in washing-up bowl and in drying rack

Black and white illustration of a tray with holes in it, placed over sink and used as a drainer

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"Washing Up: A Timeless Chore Uniting Lives and Cultures" From disused kitchenwares to renowned personalities, the act has transcended time and boundaries. In 1947, Wilfred Pickles found himself under the thumb while tackling this mundane task, reminding us that even celebrities have their moments of domesticity. In 1939, Dorothea Lange captured the essence of everyday life as she documented a tobacco sharecropper's wife in North Carolina disposing of dishwater. This poignant image serves as a reminder that no matter our circumstances, we all partake in the universal ritual of cleaning up after a meal. Moving across continents to Washington D. C. , Gordon Parks immortalized a young girl near Capitol during World War II. Amidst turmoil and uncertainty, she diligently washes dishes - an ordinary yet resilient act symbolizing strength amidst adversity. Fast forward to 1974 when Margaret Thatcher washed up at her home in Finchley, North London. Even as Britain's first female Prime Minister-to-be made history on the political stage, she remained grounded by her household chores. Meanwhile, Marty Wilde and his fiancé Joyce Baker were caught making last-minute preparations before embarking on their rock 'n' roll journey. Behind the glitz and glamour lies a couple facing reality together - scrubbing away remnants of excitement from their kitchenware. Traveling back centuries to Japan's Tokaido road series by Kitagawa Utamaro or exploring floating world versions through parrots (Omu), we find depictions ingrained within art forms across cultures. These timeless representations remind us that cleanliness is not only essential but also intertwined with cultural heritage. Whether it be an oil painting depicting "Below Stairs" or collotype prints showcasing stooping figures rinsing tumblers in late 19th-century Europe; these artworks capture both laboriousness and gracefulness associated with this daily chore. From the tobacco fields of North Carolina to the bustling streets of Washington D.