Look at these beautiful cast iron panels. The design is called 'Floral Adamish' and is one of three which the company Walter Macfarlane Saracen used on their 'Temples of Relief'. It's another one of those rather twee phrases which the Victorians used to disguise anything to do with bodily functions. As you might have guessed by now these are from a urinal. What a lot of trouble to go to decorating something which was intended to be purely functional. The concept of a public toilet originated in France and the first one opened in Paris in 1830. They nailed it the first time by simply calling it le pissoir....with a name like that there's no room for doubt about its purpose is there😆
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Here is this example from the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham. It dates from 1880 and is grade II listed. Regrettably it's not being maintained so its condition is rather poor. Let's hope someone picks up the baton and starts looking after it. I've seen many photos of these interesting pieces of social history, but this is my first encounter with an actual one.
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Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Arilx
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There were quite a few of those fancy loos when I was a child, I do remember using them, too. There's some lovely example near the arches By The Indian Brewery I often stop and admire. Municipal councils took so much more pride in how our cities looked back in the day. xxx
ReplyDeleteThere's one in Digbeth too I believe. Aril
DeleteI personally like 'temple of relief'. I need a plaque for my bathroom.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly sounds posher doesn't it. Arilx
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