Rerunning this post — because in the meantime I discovered these are called “Cinderella bathtubs.” Here’s Alice’s, too. There were “Cinderella windows”, too. Stay tuned on that one.
We are getting a clean start hehehe to 2009 with this post showcasing some simply wonderful bathtubs from the postwar period. Oh my gosh, look at this 1947 “neo angle” from American Standard … My dream bathtub, no question. But if I had one of these, there probably wouldn’t be a blog, because I’d never leave it. Read on for more vintage tubs … and 6 photos in all…
Above: A 1959 Kohler Mayflower, recessed. Kohler still makes the Mayflower model – it’s petite, but very nice! If I had the space, I’d use it – in pink, of course!
Doesn’t this 1959 Kohler Cosmopolitan just glisten! Notice the little rings holding back the shower curtain in all these images. I’ve never seen this before. Do you think people really did this in their homes? Or is it just for advertising, to show off the tubs while still featuring a shower curtain? Readers – any real-life examples found in your time capsule homes?
The copy is fun to read. I think that Amy’s little tub/shower may be the Kohler Standish “showering bath” mentioned here.
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- The complete layout of 1959 Kohler big square tubs — click on each new screen to enlarge fully
This post was originally published on Jan. 2, 2008.
Bathtubs fit for a 50s style bathroom 
Where to find a Cinderella bath tub — from $100 to $3900 
By 1961, there were 46 colors of Case toilets (and presumably, sinks and bathtubs, too) 
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Hi Pam, love these tubs. My parents had one in their bathroom off the kitchen. When they were remodling bathroom they kept the tub(gray). They did gray tile with black tile accents. I convinced them to reverse colors in tub surround to Black with gray accents. Even the installer was apprehensive!! After it was done they all agreed it looked Fabulous!!!!
I am thinking of doing the same combination in my bathroom when I get around to restoring it back to 1959. Then using accessories in turquois to give it some punch!!
Hi Pam, my Aunt has one of those blue AS tubs in her PA farmhouse. I enjoyed several happy baths in it this past summer…there were hooks for shower curtains, but I don’t remember what they looked like. Next time I visit, I will take notes while waiting for the tub to fill up.
My mom’s house has rings to hold back the curtain, and it was built in the 1980s! Not that we ever used them though.
My grandmother had one of the pink square tubs in her bathroom. Just to make you drool, she also had an all-pink kitchen with pink appliances, including pink washer and dryer!
The bathtub in my sister’s house has some sort of little rings for the shower curtain. But, it’s a bungalow from the early 1900′s. Great bathroom. The tiles in it, and around the fireplace in the living room, were made by Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati. Beautiful!
These are great examples Pam. I’m not sure if I ever sent to you the little “lady’s tub” that is in our pink bathroom…it’s terribly adorable, though doesn’t seem to be terribly practical (although it has come in handy to wash my Spaniel a couple of times!)…It’s too short to sink down into!
This image is missing something absolutely vital…. a cocktail.
(Reminds me of the bathtub scene from The Women… I think it was Joan Collins in the tub… talking on the phone with her private phone line… lulz-city)
My grandmother’s house had one of those corner tubs in the guest bathroom, I took many a bath in it as a kid and always thought it was too cool. I’m thinking the inside shape of the tub was kinda ‘L’ shaped though, but not positive….
Divine!!!
I have two bathtubs like that! One if taupe, the other white. Mostly we use the shower cause they’re a little short to stretch out in. But they are very deep.
Our friends The Dunlaps (who also live in Colonial Acres–in a bigger ranch) have this very tub in their solo bathroom. They also have the matching toilet, sink and yes TILES.
Love the look of the square tubs and oh the storage on the side where you can put your bath lounging needs, however hate to be the devils advocate but that is how I can sometimes be.
Dealing with an 82 year old Mother and taking a Geriatrics Social Work class in college; lets all look at practicality and ease of getting in and out.
When we renovate, and retro-renovate, I feel we should all do duty to include facets that will benefit us when/as we age.
I am doing this in my house renovation. Putting in the Grab Bars and such and I am 40.
As an added benefit—they assist when you have had too much and the room is spinning.
Kind Regards,
Robert
I agree completely, Robert. Adding: At minimum, if you are framing in a new tub or shower – put the structure/framing in where you can add a grab bar later. (And of course, keep a record of where the framing is.) This way (I think) you can always add it later – the supports are there. This is not even something to plan for in old age. When I hurt my back recently – I really wished I had had a grab bar in my tub/shower, just in case.
Just recently in a magazine—Southern Living, perhaps?—I read something along the lines of corner bathtubs being the height of cool in the 50s. They do look splendid! When we put a bathroom in our master bedroom…well…perhaps it’ll have a tub after all, instead of merely a toilet and sink.
Great tubs. Where did you find those old brochures, anyway?
Hi Lucas, I get them from 40s 50s and 60s periodicals – they are from advertisements from the manufacturers.
We are remodeling our house and have a white square tub that we are replacing. Any idea of an avenue to sell it?
My friends who live in Colonial Acres also have a turquoise blue Cinderella tub (that matches the turquoise toilet and sink) and let me say, these are perfect for those of you that have small kids; they have two sons (ages 3 and 18 months) and they don’t mind taking baths ever.
We have a 1950 kohler white tub, I know because I saw a pic you posted before saying it’s kohler, but not one of these, it’s one of the rectangle ones with the rounded swoop front. The bottom is messed up, the finish, but one day we are having that fixed, I don’t want a new modern one, I like our old tub!
My Mom has a PINK one, SIGH, she has a great bathroom, I need to get pics!
We have a bluish green one in our master bath in excellent condition. It looks almost exactly like the blue one you have here, except that it is surrounded on three sides and the ceiling with blue heathered tile. When we first looked at the house, my husband was the first to find the tub and he immediately yelled for me. We live in Las Vegas and think that the smaller size tub is perfect for living in the water conscious desert. I’m 6′ tall and I soak in it almost every night in the winter. We call it out desert bathtub.
There is a white tub like these in the Wilson House in Temple, TX.
http://retrorenovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/wilsonpink-bath.jpg
Thanks Pam! It made my day to see a tub like mine on your site.
In Charlotte, NC these are called “garden tubs”. Everyone rips them out of the old houses there, but I absolutely loved mine and paired it with a wall-hung shelf-back sink originally from elsewhere in the house. I wonder whether any of the manufacturers will ever bring these tubs back? So pretty, and so practical for children!
Vanya, Kohler still makes the Mayflower – it is more petite than the old ones, but still quite nice. I would consider it for sure if I had the right house and couldn’t find vintage. See my post here: http://retrorenovation.com/2007/10/25/back-to-the-basics-bathtubs-fit-for-a-50s-style-bathroom/
We had a lavender cinderella (or similar) tub in our house in Australia (built in 1958). The tub (and a second toilet) was installed when the house was extended to make room enough for five kids. It had a single metal ring set into the tiles so we could tie back the shower curtain when using the bath or not in use. Attached to the metal ring was a string of plastic daisies with a hook on the other end to pull around the curtain and hook it out of the way.
I remember my mother yelling at us more than once for tying the curtain back ‘before it had a chance to dry’ and then being made to clean the mould and slime off the plastic with bleach and a toothbrush.
In our teenage years it was a great tub for bathing the dogs or rinsing the cholrine out of your hair after a swim as there was an external door to the back porch.
I love cinderella tubs. A childhood friend of mine had a pink one in her bathroom and I was so jealous!
We live in what we believe is a big 1940′s home. Huge rooms with beautiful woodwork and tall doors. But in the bathroom is this small yellow bath tub. It is about 32″ x 42″ with the corner shelf. The basin part it is in the shape of an L (sort of).
It’s great for the grandchildren but too small for an adult bath. I have sat Indian style in it. It’s also our shower so it works well for that. The layout does not permit a 5 or 6′ tub without major renovation. I’m considering the Kohler “Mayflower” but $2000 is a little steep.
DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHERE I CAN GET A RETRO PINK BATHTUB, SINK AND TOILET? I AM IN MASSACHUSETTS.
THANK YOU
karen – read the site, check out the faqs
I have a square pink cinderella tub by American Standard. It is in good condition, but needs a good cleaning – I’m also (gasp) thinking of painting it white.
Any suggestions on cleaning methods to restore the lustre?
check out one of our sponsors – deabath.com – they have great cleaning products — and advice if you need it, tell ‘em i sent you
Wonderful, in a few seconds I found out what my “square” pink bathtub is called and how to clean it. Ours also has a chrome shower ring to mirror the shape. I will take pictures! Looking to install a new shower head/piece though, looking for inspirational (1951 ish but new) replacement.
Just discovered, thanks to a piece about your blog, that we have a white Cinderella tub. We are preparing for a total remodel of the bathroom in our 1959 ranch home. The bidding contractors are telling us they would “get rid of it” by destroying it.
Seems like we have a “56 Chevy” equivalent in the bathtub category!
Any tips on finding a new home for our classy little tub? We live in Santa Cruz, California.
Hi Marcia, see this story but do it backwards: http://retrorenovation.com/2010/11/02/where-to-find-vintage-bathroom-sinks/ Good luck.
Just now seeing this — In my last house, a 1900 Queen Anne, the main bathroom has a white tub similar to the yellow one shown here, but with straight sides, not an oval. There are a number of advantages no one has mentioned. You get “shelves” for your candles or magazines when you want a real bathing event. AND you can scooch crossways in the tub, which is perfect for resting your neck on one tub wall and resting your lower legs on the opposite shelf.
The bathroom in question had been redone in the 1970s or 1980s — cultured “marble” vanity top, fluorescent tube lighting, curling yellowed vinyl floor. Except for the tub area, tucked into an alcove, all the walls were clad in raw, unfinished wood, laid on the diagonal. I was told that the wood came from an actual barn. There was no way to clean it at all except to brush the dust off.
I gutted the entire room — the only visible remainders were the ceilings, and the tub, which was reglazed.
I need advice on hanging a new curtain rod for the Cinderella tub. I ordered a new rod and attachment pieces. However it has two support poles that hang down from the ceiling and I am not sure where to hang them. My dIlemma is how the shower curtain will work as it can’t pass over the two hanging rods. I am a new owner of a fabulous 1950′s house and trying to keep it as original as possible so I have no doubt this is only the first of many questions! Thanks for whatever help you can give me!
hmmm. This is a good question. Where did you buy the rod from? I will go look at their website
Funny, but when I put “how to hang a shower curtain on a neo angle rod” in google, I get junk sites. hahahaha. However, this photo shows using only one support. I think this would be fine, as long as your shower curtain, liner and shower rings are not too heavy. Get ya two shower curtains – one will go left, the other will go right. How does that sound? If you look at the Cinderella bathtub on my site from a vintage ad, it seems like this was the way it was done — kind of like drawing drapes. Let me know if this helps! Send pics!