Cradles & Cots
Rocking cradles have been popular for centuries, and are found in many different cultures. The movement is soothing for babies. A cradle (or cot, or crib) is the first bed most of us have. Simple ones have been made or adapted from natural materials. Some of the earliest beds for babies were rushwork baskets and hollowed-out pieces of tree trunk.
Cherrywood Cradle
This cherrywood rocking cradle of 1780-99 is an example of 'Pennsylvanian Dutch' work, made by Protestant north European communities who migrated to the American State of Pennsylvania.
Folding Cot
This baby's portable folding cot, on castors, was made in about 1916. It was used by a family who were posted in Dagshai, India. Sadly, Patricia, the baby who the cot belonged to, died five days after birth due to spina bifida.
