ABSTRACT
During their century of cultural prominence, twin beds were much more than just somewhere to sleep. They were symptomatic of the reconfiguration of domestic, familial and marital notions of the modern home: its reach and influence, but also its responsibilities and dangers. At different moments, twin beds signalled a commitment to health and hygiene, to being modern or to a particular understanding of marriage. But in each instance, it was twin beds’ ability simultaneously to keep the couple in close proximity while also putting a boundary or space between them that was at the core of their acceptance or rejection. The capacity of twin beds to render fellow sleepers simultaneously together and apart is their most distinctive feature. Both terms are, of course, culturally loaded and contextually inflected.
