Decrottoir: a small artifact of a dirty era and a forgotten guardian of purity (11 photos)

In the days when city streets belonged to horses and carriages rather than cars, wading through mud and dirt was an inevitable part of city life.





However, even in those days, as now, entering a house with dirty shoes was considered unforgivable. A regular door brush was not enough to get rid of the mud stuck to the soles of your feet. Something more reliable was needed. Thus, shoe scrapers were born.



Vintage shoe scraper in Baden-Baden

These cast iron or wrought iron devices graced the entrances of respectable homes, churches and hospitals throughout Europe and America. Before crossing the threshold, guests were required to clean the soles of their shoes on a metal strip embedded in the wall or sidewalk. In France they were called décrottoir (decrottoir, "cleaner"), in other countries - simply boot scraper.

The Fashion for Walking and the Birth of Scrapers





At the end of the 18th century, high society suddenly discovered the pleasure of walking. Instead of carriages, city dwellers increasingly chose sidewalks, and cities began to change: wide boulevards with shady alleys, parks and covered galleries appeared. But the more people walked, the more acute the issue of cleanliness became.



An old shoe scraper in a German city

The first scrapers were built right into the pavement, but by the 1840s, the Belgian authorities demanded that they be moved closer to the houses, so they migrated to the walls at the entrance. This also changed everyday habits: now, before entering, it was necessary not only to clean the shoes, but also to take them off.

Art in detail



A shoe scraper at the entrance to a house in the West End of Edinburgh, Scotland

The design of the scrapers varied: most often it was a horizontal metal strip with a sharp edge, built into the wall or floor. Sometimes they were placed in special niches, turning a utilitarian object into an element of architectural decor.

The Decline of an Era



With the advent of automobiles, the streets became cleaner, and the need for scrapers disappeared. Many of them were sent to be melted down during World War II. But in some places, these silent witnesses of the past still stand guard, reminding us of the times when urban dirt was an integral part of everyday life.







Shoe scraper in Luxembourg



A boot scraper in Brussels



Unusual boot scraper design with boots on both ends