Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: toilets

Over 19 million people visited the St. Louis World's Fair (officially known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition), which was held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904. For one of the attractions at the fair, the Chicago House Wrecking Company bought the world's first Ferris Wheel , originally constructed in 1893 for the Chicago World's Fair , disassembled the wheel in Chicago, and then rebuilt it in St. Louis. After the St. Louis fair closed on December 1, 1904, the Chicago House Wrecking Company purchased many of the fair's buildings, which the company then dismantled and resold in parts and pieces (the Ferris Wheel, however, met a different fate--it was dynamited and scrapped in 1906). As this small advertisement demonstrates, all sorts of fixtures were available for sale. If you needed a toilet (or, I suppose, if you just wanted a unique souvenir from the fair), you could buy a "high-grade front washout closet" like the one above for $9.00. Or for a better bargain at only $8.00, you could turn the ad over and select a " hopper closet " (see image below) that was safe even in unheated bathrooms. Bargain Water Closets from World's Fair No. W.F. 100. 2,000 of these high grade Front Washout Closets. They are in first class condition. Outfit consists of porcelain front washout closet bowl, with a top supply closet tank all complete with best flushing devices; strong seat to fasten to wall. N.P. flush pipe and elbow coupling, floor screws, chain and pull, brackets, etc. Special price while they last, $9.00. Chicago House Wrecking Co., 35th and Iron Sts., Chicago. (Over).

For information regarding the Chicago House Wrecking Company and the world's fair toilets that the company sold, see Bargain Water Closets from the St. Louis World's Fair (1904): Front Washout Closets . Bargain Water Closets from the World's Fair No. W.F. 108. 500 of these Hopper Closets. Just the thing for bathrooms that are not heated--as they won't burst. Outfit consists of porcelain hopper bowl, top supply tank complete with best flushing devices, strong seat to fasten to the wall. N.P. flush pipe and elbow coupling, floor screws, chain and pull, brackets, etc. Special price while they last, $8.00. Chicago House Wrecking Co., 35th and Iron Sts., Chicago. (Over).

"Hold everything. Wish you were with us this Christmas just to enjoy the upholding of old traditions and customs."

"Mr. Santa Claus. Santa Claus, Ariz., on Hiway 93. Gallup Photo." Stamped on the back of this real photo postcard: "Santa Claus, Arizona, via Box 373, Kingman." See Wikipedia's Santa Claus, Arizona article for the story of what is now an "uninhabited desert town" and how it used to be a Santa-themed tourist attraction.

Part of the latrine area on display at the former barracks building that houses the Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum , located at Fort Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, near Annville, Pa. The signs on each of the toilets warn, "For Display Only, Do Not Use," and the blue-bordered sign on the wall repeats, "Do Not Use." For the Vintage Indoor Oddities group.