At Yogasleep, we’re really into beds. And having made more than 20,000 of them, we like to think we know a bit about the subject. So when the topic “famous beds” came up at the office, we all chimed in with our favorites.
Here is Yogabed’s official, indisputable list of The Most Interesting Beds in the History of the World.
The Hamburger Bed
Elvis wasn’t just a legendary singer, he was a style icon, which explains why his bed at Graceland was truly fit for a king. Oversized and round (his daughter Lisa Marie christened it the “hamburger bed” for its bun-like shape), it was fitted out with both a TV and stereo system in the headboard.
Van Gogh’s Bed at Arles
The artist’s paintings now fetch hundreds of millions at auction. But in 1888 when he first painted his bedroom at Arles, he was a penniless young Dutchman in the south of France. Three version of said painting survive (they were reunited in 2016 for the first time in Chicago), and they brilliantly capture van Gogh’s unique, masterly use of both color and perspective.
The “Princess and The Pea” Bed
We’re all in favor of nighttime comfort, but this is going a bit far. Twenty mattresses (according to the fairy tale) were piled one atop the other to make a bed suitable for “true” royalty—with one little pea placed at the bottom as a test. Sure enough, the princess detected the tiny annoyance and protested, proving her exquisite sensitivity and winning a prince’s hand.
The Bedknobs and Broomsticks Bed
In this 1971 musical, a young witch-in-training (Angela Landsbury, who would go on to greater Disney fame as the voice of Beauty and the Beast’s Mrs. Potts) casts a spell on the bed of three children who somehow end up helping defeat the Nazis in the Battle of Britain. (Interesting note: The children, like van Gogh’s three bedroom paintings, were also reunited in 2016.)
John & Yoko’s “Bed-In For Peace” Bed
This one tops our list of well-known beds. When former Beatle John Lennon and artist Yoko Ono were wed in 1969 they used the occasion of their honeymoon to stage a new kind of demonstration, aimed at ending the war in Vietnam. Hosting friends and the media at the Amsterdam Hilton, John and Yoko performed their version of a “sit-in”—a non-violent protest that included the recording of a song that would go on to become a classic: Give Peace A Chance.
Shakespeare’s Bed
William Shakespeare’s bed has a peculiar legacy as well. In his will, Shakespeare left his “second-best bed, along with the furniture,” to Anne Hathaway, his wife. This request was hastily added to his will about a month prior to his death and has spurred extensive speculation in biographical words, particularly regarding the seemingly derogatory nature of the bequest. Critics infer that Shakespeare might have harbored animosity towards his wife, who was eight years his senior, and possibly coerced him into wedlock at the age of 18 due to her pregnancy—though concrete proof is seemingly hard to come by. Traditionally, the primary inheritance would go to the firstborn, in this scenario, Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna, possibly rendering the gesture a sign of endearment. In the context of a 17th-century affluent home, the finest bed was typically allocated for guests, with the second-best bed being used for household members, suggesting this might have been the bed the couple shared.
King Tut’s Bed
According to one study, King Tutankhamun slept on the precursor to our modern camping bed. A British archaeologist named Howard Carter entered King Tut’s tomb in 1922 and discovered a unique three-fold bed made of lightweight hardwood. This bed was smaller and closer to the ground than the other, “regular” beds in the burial chamber, yet featured a significant amount of comfort, an elegant design, and rather sophisticated technology. This bed conveniently folded up into a Z shape due to an “ingenious mechanism,” according to the study.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Bed
The renowned book by Roald Dahl, which has inspired multiple film adaptations, features an array of captivating characters, among them the four grandparents of the protagonist, Charlie Bucket, who are confined to their bed. These elderly family members share a single bed, positioned at either end, within the cramped and dilapidated dwelling of the Bucket family.
However, upon discovering that Charlie has secured a ticket to explore Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, Grandpa Joe miraculously summons the strength to join him on the adventure. The allure of chocolate proves to be a powerful incentive.
Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about you or your family’s sleep, please contact your health provider.
Sources:
https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/1865/van-gogh-s-bedrooms
https://www.livescience.com/59999-king-tut-camping-bed-ancient-marvel.html
https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/cast-disney-classic-bedknobs-broomsticks-7891068
https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/cast-disney-classic-bedknobs-broomsticks-7891068