This is an example of a dolly pin, a device used to launder clothes in the pre-washing machine era. Like with most laundry equipment from the depths of antiquity, the dolly pin was known by countless names across region and country. These included “dolly-legs”, “dolly-pegs”, “dolly”, or “maiden.” The basic operation of this device was simple: it would be used on clothes soaking in the wash tub to agitate the cloth and move it throughout the wash water. This was a tool that would have been universally familiar to all, especially women, before the widespread adoption of washing machine technology in the early 20th century. Washing was an extremely laborious task that had to be completed weekly, and usually took up the majority of that day’s work. It has been suggested by many that the time and labour freed up by washing machines was a major factor in the success of 20th century women’s liberation movements.