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The Rich and the Poor

Interior of the Van Horne Residence

McCord Museum, VIEW-19338

Carpet Brush

After 1876
Wood, iron, horse hair
L. 36 cm
W. 23 cm
Handle missing
This carpet-cleaning appliance was manufactured by Bissell, a specialist in floor maintenance products. It was developed in 1876 by Melville R. Bissell, who ran a crockery store with his wife Anna in Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A. The Bissells received most of their fragile stock in cases filled with sawdust, which ended up on the floor of their store. The wood dust also got in their carpets, and so Melville got himself a carpet brush, which had been available since 1858. Its brushes were on wheels to drive the dust out of the carpet. Having noted a number of features that could be improved on the brush he bought, Melville Bissell set about improving the design. Soon many other storekeepers were asking him where they could get a brush like his. Egged on by his wife, Bissell started out modestly, making his carpet brushes above his crockery store. With a Bissell still at the helm today, the business now distributes its products all over the world.
Seigneurie des Aulnaies Collection

In the city, the gap between rich and poor widened. Workers had only fruits of their labor—their wages—to provide for their needs. As tenants in poor neighborhoods, they lived in poorly constructed buildings, and their apartments, which were often too small, were cold and lacked sufficient plumbing.

As for employers, they owned the production facilities where workers labored. They lived in large homes in rich, tree-lined neighborhoods far from the city. With their frequent links to financial and political circles, they belonged to the dominant social group.