The Material Culture of Poverty: Testimonies From a Nineteenth-Century Poorhouse

What shape does the material culture of poverty take? One might imagine it recognizable in a poorhouse at the turn of the nineteenth century, as an institution like that would be the last resort for anyone. Once you were in, the prospects of a self-sufficient life were gloomy, and personal and societal rights were gone as the threshold was crossed. However, an excavation conducted in the remains of Firgaarde Poorhouse yielded a surprisingly rich and varied material culture. The poorhouse consisted of large, well-maintained buildings, and the finds ranged from agricultural implements, kitchenware, handsome porcelain service, medicine bottles, and children’s toys. It might have been the material culture of a wealthy farm and probably would have been interpreted as such had it not been for old maps and written testimonies to the contrary. A multi-source investigation resulted in the disheartening discovery that poverty then—as well as now—owes to a deficit of personal rather than economic resources.