Tanner

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.

 

 

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