Toothbrush

This toothbrush is made from polished animal bone with holes for 16 rows of bristles. The green staining on the brush head suggests the bristles were held in place with copper fittings. The handle is stamped with the words ‘Goodman, Dentist, Exeter’. Historical records from 1910 show three men named Goodman operating from 44 Southernhay West. It is not yet known for how long these men worked in Exeter, but this toothbrush is likely to have been bought by one of their customers, although the style of the toothbrush is more typical of the Victorian period. It was later found on a rubbish dump in Weston Super Mare.

Object Summary

Accession Loan No.
10/1994
Category
Antiquities
Collection Class
Social and industrial history
Collection Area Region
Northern Europe
Material
bone
Common Name
toothbrush
Simple Name
toothbrush
Period Classification
Victorian (1837-1901); Edwardian (1901-1914)

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toothbrush, ‘Goodman, Dentist, Exeter’