Friday, September 30, 2011

More Artifacts

The "squating" toilet. Used in other countries



3 artifacts

roman public toilets: these toilets used in ancient rome are completely different from the toilets that are used today. they are very open, very visible, and have no sense of privacy. instead of using toilet paper, there is a communal sponge that is rinsed out very well between uses. fear of diseases were not as prominent then as they are now.

squat toilet: these toilets are still being used in asia. the users in asia believe that these are a lot better with hygiene that the "western culture's" sitting down toilets. the main point of these kind of toilets is to squat so that your skin doesn't come in contact with any germs.

portapotties: these toilets are mainly designed for construction sites but are also used that events. they are easily made, and gender neutral. they are chemical toilets so that they don't have to flush. also otherwise known as "portable sanitation units".

photo credit 1
photo credit 2
photo credit 3

Thursday, September 29, 2011

3 Artifacts II

http://thestandard.org.nz/the-peer-goes-potty/
This wooden chamber pot shows one of the earliest forms of "indoor plumbing".  With careful binding and some ergonomic design this would be considered a higher end item. 

http://www.ehow.com/info_7995940_cost-effective-replace-old-toilet.html
This toilet is an old example of what we consider the standard today.  Although the general design hasn't changed too terribly much, there is obvious construction and material change.

http://walyou.com/toilet-designs-concepts-geeks/
This toilet dubbed "The Robotic Toilet" is supposedly the future of peoples bathroom needs.  With many high tech functions, but equally high price tags, these toilets may or may not change how we do things in the future.

3 artifacts

outhouse:  I chose an outhouse as my first image because it was one of the first structures that was used and shows the beginning development of the toilet.  in general, they were mainly made out of wood and had no plumbing system.  to use the outhouse, you had to travel outside in any weather, so it was very inconvenient.

asian toilet:  I chose this toilet because it shows something very different than what we are used to.  they are usually called squat toilets, and are regularly made out of porcelain.

modern toilet:  this toilet is decorative and unique in style and shape.  it has reflective qualities and is a different height than other toilets.  I chose this to show the advancement in toilets and how they are still continually changing.

3 Artifacts- Kristy Stroud

I love the fact we are doing our exhibit on bathrooms and in particular the evolution of toilets over history and spanning over different cultures. Here are some links to websites that i found that might be helpful:


A toilet bowl from Weald and Downland Museum
I choose this image because of the decoration of a now blank object.  In the 19th century inside toilets were a privileged that only the wealthy had so they were a symbol of class. The concept of adding adornment to a toilet if a concept that we have lost over time. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilets_in_Japan
The Japanese squat toilet is basically a urinal on floor level where both men and women use it. This toilet is well used and is easy to clean and more efficient since it uses less water. The only down side is it might be a little hard to use. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilets_in_Japan
The modern Japanese urnial is placed closer to the ground in hopes that both male and female would use it. However it did not catch on so this design was a little bit of a failure