The concept of having a room in the house which contained both bathing facilities and a toilet is rather recent. While medieval European castles generally included an indoor latrine, the lower classes used outhouses until fairly recently.
The modern flush toilet was initially developed in England by Sir John Harrington in 1596. He referred to the device as “a privy in perfection.” His design had a high water tower with a hand-operated tap that allowed water to flow into the tank and a valve that releases the sewage into a cesspool. The problem with this device was that it was connected directly with the cesspool and allowed the fragrant fumes to flow freely into the bathroom. This fact discouraged people from using it.
In 1775, British mathematician and watchmaker Alexander Cumming patented a new toilet in which the soil pipe immediately under the bowl curved backwards to retain a small quantity of water which stopped the smell from the cesspool. He called this feature a “stink trap.” It would, however, take more than a century for this device to become popular in average homes and replace the outhouse and the chamber pot.
Shown below are a few museum bathroom exhibits.
Oasis Bordello Museum, Wallace, Idaho
The Oasis Bordello Museum in Wallace, Idaho is in a building which housed an active bordello until 1988 at which time the occupants quickly left town upon hearing about a possible federal raid. They left behind personal items, food in the cupboards, the remains of a meal on the table, and even groceries in a grocery bag on the kitchen counter. The building was purchased from the former madam in 1993 and open as a museum.
Lustron House, Ohio History Center, Columbus, Ohio
In response to the housing shortage following World War II, the Lustron Corporation in Columbus, Ohio produced prefabricated enameled steel houses. These low-maintenance, durable houses were designed for modern families who had little time or interest in repairing and maintaining conventional houses.
Naval Destroyer Museum, USS Turner Joy, Bremerton, Washington
Northern Pacific Depot Museum, Wallace, Idaho
Presby House Museum, Goldendale, Washington
Campbell House, Spokane, Washington
The Campbell House in Spokane, Washington, operates as a house museum, interpreting life at the turn of the 20th century. The house was designed by well-known Spokane architect Kirtland K. Cutter for Amasa B. Campbell (1845-1912) and his wife Grace Fox Campbell (1859-1924). The house is a picturesque English Tudor Revival exterior of stucco, sandstone, brick and heavy timbers.
Fort Steele Heritage Village, British Columbia
Wenatchee Valley Museum, Wenatchee, Washington
Riverside Heritage House, Riverside, California
Paugh Regional History Hall in the Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman, Montana
World Museum of Mining, Butte, Montana
Gordon House, Silverton, Oregon
Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) is generally considered the “Father of Modern Architecture.” He designed more than 1,100 houses, museums, churches, schools, office buildings, and hotels. Blending with the natural surroundings, his houses were designed with comfort and convenience in mind. The innovations he introduced changed the way Americans lived. The Gordon House, which was to be constructed in Wilsonville, Oregon with views of the Willamette River, was designed in 1957.
More museum exhibits
Museums 201/301/401 is a series which compares similar exhibits from several museums.
Museums 301: Telephones (photo diary)
Museums 301: Washing machines (photo diary)
Museums 301: Kitchens (photo diary)
Museums 201: Locomotives (photo diary)
Museums 201: Square pianos (photo diary)
Museums 201: Women's sidesaddles (photo diary)
Museums 201: Locomotives (photo diary)
Museums 401: Schools (photo diary)