which owes its origin to the enlightened members of the "Society for the Encouragement of Arts and Useful Trades," founded in that city, in the year 1765.
These baths were projected by Dr. Moldenhawer, physician at Hamburgh, and erected by public subscription, on a small lake of fresh water, called the Alster. M. Arens, an eminent architect of the same city, delineated the plan of the building, which, we are informed, is an improvement on similar baths established in the principal towns of the French republic.
Although we have not had an opportunity of comparing the internal construction of the Hamburgh baths, with those floating on the river Thames, near Westminster-bridge; yet we have reason to believe that they are essentially different from any other existing in this country. Induced by this consideration, and convinced of the intrinsic advantages which the former possess, independent of their beautiful external appearance, we have caused accurate representations to be copied from the original plates transmitted to us from Hamburgh, with this difference only, that ours are upon a reduced scale.
EXPLANATION
Of the Plates representing the Floating Baths erected in the City of Hamburgh.
Plate I.
A.—Elevation of the longitudinal Front of the Floating Bath, with its ornamental entrance; of the surrounding gallery, and the tents expanded over the bathing machines, and covered with sail-cloth which had been four times varnished. The wooden roof is also covered with strong sail-cloth, which had been repeatedly coated with tar. The whole vessel is 80 feet in length, and 40 in breadth.
B.—Elevation of the transverse side of the Floating Bath, with its glass doors and windows, through the former of which, the corridor, and through the latter, the cabins on each side receive their light.
C.—Section of the Building: namely, a, b, of the Bathing Machines; and c, c, of the chambers for undressing and dressing. On each longitudinal side of the vessel, there are (as appears on inspecting Plate II.) six of these chambers, which may be easily opened from within; and on each transverse side are two lateral cabins, partly furnished, and partly designed for store-rooms, to hold various implements.
The corridor, extending from one side-door to the other, within the centre of the building (See Pl. II. B. f.), is seven feet and a half wide; and on each side are the bathing machines and chambers.
These chambers for undressing and dressing, which are provided with sky-lights, and marked c, are seven feet and a half in length, and four feet wide. They are anti-chambers to the bathing machines a, b, and each of the former contains the most necessary articles of furniture, such as a table, chair, looking-glass, cork-couch (for supporting the feet till they are dried, after coming from the bath), pegs for suspending clothes, a boot-jack, &c.
The bathing machines a, b, below the surface of the water, consist of four sides, made of laths two
