Lecture: Washing boats

A unique conference presented by Ms. GICQUEL.

Until the mid-20th century, floating washhouses on rivers were essential for riverside communities. Their purpose? To allow for the washing of clothes, an arduous domestic task almost always relegated to women. This work, demanding strength and endurance, was carried out on knees on sloping planks, where washerwomen scrubbed, beat, and rinsed the laundry in cold, running water. In winter, the frost and dampness intensified their hardship; in summer, the stifling heat and stuffy air made every movement heavy. The clattering of washboards and the scents of soap and wet laundry punctuated life on the quays. Beyond their practical function, these boats were unique spaces for female social interaction. Amidst news, confidences, and rumors, they became local information hubs, where bonds of solidarity were forged… but also rivalries, for a place or water deemed purer. Located near bridges or mills, they structured community life and enlivened the riverbanks. Their decline, beginning in the 1950s, reflects a shift in lifestyles and women's roles. Today, they embody a social and human heritage ripe for rediscovery. Valérie Gicquel offers an immersion into this little-known world through a lecture focused on the wash-house boats of the Aube region, located in Arcis-sur-Aube, Mery-sur-Seine, Nogent-sur-Seine, and Troyes. Archives, photographs, and vintage postcards will illuminate the daily lives of the washerwomen and their key role in local life of yesteryear.

Last updated on 31/05/2026 - Office de Tourisme Intercommunal des Grands Lacs de Champagne