|
 Leather was a vital Victorian commodity and Tanners were highly skilled
workers, but they were forced to live on the fringes of society because of the
noxious stink that went with the job.
Raw hides were dipped in a sickly-sweet
smelling lime solution for a week before the Tanner scraped off the rotting
flesh and hair.
They were then soaked in 'bate', warm, steaming gravy made from
water and dog faeces, which removed the lime, softened the hides and stank the
yard out something terrible!
Over the next year, the hides would be soaked in various tanning solutions
before the rinsing and drying out process began. |
