{"id":830,"date":"2017-04-01T09:37:06","date_gmt":"2017-04-01T09:37:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/?p=830"},"modified":"2022-01-05T15:33:34","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T15:33:34","slug":"why-is-it-called-a-jenny-lind-bed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/why-is-it-called-a-jenny-lind-bed\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is it called a Jenny Lind Bed?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jenny Lind is used to describe cottage-style spindled furniture, like what you often see on baby furniture.<\/p>\n

This was some of the first mass produced furniture.<\/p>\n

Foot pedal powered lathes had been used to turn wood for furniture for years, but around 1820 steam and water powered factories began to turn out spool-turned cottage furniture. By 1840, automation made this furniture very affordable.<\/p>\n

\"Jenny<\/a>
Typical Spool Turned Bed with Simplified Turned Spindles for the Mass Market<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Who was Jenny Lind?<\/h2>\n

Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, the “Swedish Nightingale”.<\/p>\n

In 1850, P. T. Barnum coordinated a tour of the United States. Jenny Lind agreed, to earn money for charities she supported and to endow free education in Sweden.<\/p>\n

Although she was already popular throughout Europe, Jenny Lind was not well known in the States. Barnum pulled out all the stops in 6 months of advance publicity, pumping up her celebrity status. \u00a0Musical entertainment was not very popular in the States and was not at all classy. Barnum was going to change all this by promoting The Divine Jenny\u2019s innocence, benevolence and brilliant voice.<\/p>\n

As part of his promotion, he allowed her image to be used to market just about anything, without any payment, to increase her name recognition. By the time she arrived, 40,000 people showed up to greet the arrival of her ship. Appearances were so in demand, tickets were even auctioned to the highest bidder. The concert tour had more and more dates added across the United States and Canada. One concert was at Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. If you tour the cave they will point out various cave features named for her.<\/p>\n

The tour was extended to 93 concerts. Even after the amount to go to charity was renegotiated; Barnum profited by at least $500,000. Jenny Lind\u2019s charities received about $350,000. This was primarily to Swedish schools, but she was also generous to various local charities and artists wherever her concerts were presented. She gave $5,000 to a photographer, Poly Von Schneidau, which he used to purchase the camera that later took the earliest known image of Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n

So, why is it called a Jenny Lind bed?<\/h2>\n

I have found two explanations. Either could be correct.<\/p>\n

One:<\/strong> PT Barnum promoted the image of Jenny Lind using this modest furniture as part of his promotion.
\nIts use for baby and children\u2019s furniture further reinforced her innocent nature.<\/p>\n

Two:<\/strong> Jenny Lind\u2019s image was used to market this furniture (as well as anything else) to increase her name recognition.<\/p>\n

Probably both explanations are true.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jenny Lind is used to describe cottage-style spindled furniture, like what you often see on baby furniture. This was some of the first mass produced furniture. Foot pedal powered lathes had been used to turn wood for furniture for years, but around 1820 steam and …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":829,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/featured_image-bed.jpg?fit=1800%2C948&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":821,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/project-converting-a-baby-changing-table-into-a-bath-vanity\/","url_meta":{"origin":830,"position":0},"title":"Project: Converting a Jenny Lind Baby Changing Table into a Bath Vanity","author":"Carla","date":"April 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I wanted a bathroom vanity that would coordinate with my Jenny Lind bed. I looked at a lot of spool style dressers and tables and finally found a baby changing table that would give the same cottage style spindled look. I found a baby changing table that had the same\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Log Cabins"","block_context":{"text":"Log Cabins","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/log-cabin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/featured_image-bath.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/featured_image-bath.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/featured_image-bath.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/featured_image-bath.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/featured_image-bath.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3362,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/instant-hot-water-anywhere-in-the-cabin\/","url_meta":{"origin":830,"position":1},"title":"Instant Hot Water \u2013 Anywhere in the Cabin","author":"Carla","date":"July 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I came from Ft. Lauderdale when I moved into the log cabin in Hendersonville, NC. I was really really not acclimated to the cold. Every time I turned the water on to wash my hands I had to wait and wait for the water to be warm enough. Then I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Projects"","block_context":{"text":"Projects","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/projects\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Instant Hot Water \u2013 Anywhere in the Cabin","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/featured_image-instant-hot-water-anywhere-in-the-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/featured_image-instant-hot-water-anywhere-in-the-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/featured_image-instant-hot-water-anywhere-in-the-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/featured_image-instant-hot-water-anywhere-in-the-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16391,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2025\/11\/see-nordic-cabin-kits-assembled\/","url_meta":{"origin":830,"position":2},"title":"See Nordic Cabin Kits Assembled","author":"Carla","date":"November 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve been shown a lot of posts for these Nordic Cabin Kits. If you want to see what they look like in real life, these are in Sevierville, Tennessee, near Gatlinburg. This one, 15\u2019x11\u2019 with a 4\u2019x11\u2019 porch, is $6,500. Cabin (15x11ft plus porch 4x11ft) DIY Kit $6,500\u00a0 \u00b7 In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Log Cabins"","block_context":{"text":"Log Cabins","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/log-cabin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/featured_image-nordic_cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/featured_image-nordic_cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/featured_image-nordic_cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/featured_image-nordic_cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":510,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/project-building-a-king-sized-bed\/","url_meta":{"origin":830,"position":3},"title":"Project: Building a King Sized Bed","author":"Carla","date":"March 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I found a bed that I just loved. Except it was a Full and we needed a King. I had looked for a long time and I couldn't find a King-sized bed I liked. Or just didn't hate. I negotiated with Warren Morris of Mesa Custom to make it work.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Before & After"","block_context":{"text":"Before & After","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/before-after\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Project Small House: Turning a Single into a King-sized Bed","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/featured_image-bed.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/featured_image-bed.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/featured_image-bed.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/featured_image-bed.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/featured_image-bed.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13885,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/04\/nordic-garden-allotment-houses\/","url_meta":{"origin":830,"position":4},"title":"Nordic Garden Allotment Houses","author":"Carla","date":"April 22, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"This photo showed up on Facebook of houses surrounded by oval hedges with no roads. 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What is a Rice Carved Bed or Rice Bed? The motif carved onto the posts is rice sheaves. In the 1850s rice was a major crop in the south. 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