Name/Title
Servant's BellpullEntry/Object ID
1972.138.1Description
English bellpull made of brass and ceramic. It is circular with a raised chain containing a variation of a Rose of York design. It has a shaped arm with a white ceramic handle.Use
Servant’s bells utilized a system of wires and pulleys that ran throughout the walls of a home. This technology allowed the homeowner to discreetly summon an enslaved worker to a specific room, such as the drawing room or a bedchamber. Typically, each room had a unique bell, and enslaved workers were forced to memorize the difference between them. Bell systems continued to be used to summon household staff and servants following emancipation.Relationships
Related Entries
Notes
1998.181.1 (See General Notes)