Joseph Constantine was born in Keighley in 1823 and died some time around the turn of the century. Constantine had already been running vapour baths in Manchester's Oxford Street for several years before William Potter opened England's first Turkish bath in Broughton Lane in 1857.
Constantine, a long-standing hydropathist, immediately added Turkish baths to his establishment and ran them successfully till his death. They were continued by a son, and remained open until at least 1927.
Constantine and Thomas Whittaker invented and patented the Convoluted Stove in 1866. This was extremely successful and virtually became the 'industry standard' for heating Turkish baths.
Constantine wrote a book on heating and ventilation, and several on hydropathy, all of which treated the Turkish bath to a greater or lesser degree.
This page last modified 20 November 2023
© Malcolm Shifrin, 1991-2023