We Demand Our Servants

Sherill Tippins (February House), who's writing a history of the Chelsea Hotel, recently unearthed an original floor plan for the hotel.  She writes:

Your particular apartment was for rent in 1884, as the parlor room of a 2-BR-plus-servants' room with one bath--1200 square feet in all--renting for $1,200 per year.  The closet you had hoped Stanley would let you use was, if I remember correctly where it is, the windowless servant's room.  Anyway, that room, 9'x9', was on the left as one enters the hallway leading to your room.  Most apartments had a servants' [note the plural] room, and none of them had windows.

     So that's the origin of the little rooms that are generally used as trash rooms on some floors.  They used to actually stick people in there.  At least they used to open onto an air shaft, which was probably better than at some buildings.
     I doubt that I need to mention how annoying it is to note that we are paying more per month for one room than they paid in 1884 for four rooms and a bath.  But I'll mention it anyway.  And they had servants.  Can't we at least have servants? 
     Sherill's also found a photo of a bed appropriate to a dwelling such as the Chelsea in those days.    No doubt you can still find a few of these down in the basement.  For our silverware, you will have to look under the kitchen sink at the El Quixote.