Toilets Since the Age of Thomas Crapper

Don't get us wrong, the indoor flush toilet was a great invention, but a lot has changed since the time of Thomas Crapper and the first water closets.

This advertisement dates to the late 1880s. It really does make the early toilets look like fascinating contraptions. What's also interesting is that although his name is commonly associated with the flush toilet, Thomas Crapper did not actually invent it. That honor goes to John Harrington, who invented it way back in 1596. And then Joseph Bramah, another Englishman, was the first to patent a practical verision of the toilet in 1778, and Edward Jennings patented the first flush toilet in 1852. What Thomas Crapper did was promote the daylights out of it and the whole idea of 'sanitary plumbing.'

According to his bio on wikipedia he also pioneered the concept of the bathroom fittings showroom, which makes sense, because besides a successful 'sanitary engineering' company, Thomas Crapper had his own brassworks and workshops where he could develop and manufacture his own inventions - one of which was the ballcock.

But that was then, this is now and toilets have advanced a bit. Designs are certainly more streamlined, and mechanisms simpler. The modern toilet also requires much less water to flush - definitely a good thing.

What hasn't changed so much is the concept of the bathroom fixture showroom. Printing catalogs is certainly easier these days, and we have the internet so we can look things up with a few keystrokes. But neither quite replaces being able to see fixtures in 3D and compare finishes side-by-side.

Which is why we re-organized our shop on Broadway to accommodate much more display space. We have some toilets set up (not sure Thomas Crapper would recognize what he was looking at) and lots of faucets and shower fixtures on display. There are even some sinks and vanities - and the famous Fish 'n Flush (for fun and the general feng shui).

Please stop by some time. If you're in Sonoma, we're right across from the high school, between the bike shop and doggie daycare. We've even got a copy of the advert pictured here on display - just for old times sake.