dipity

What's the evolution of the porcelain throne we use today?

Created by mak2209 on Aug 1, 2011

Last updated: 08/03/11 at 09:27 AM

• Lennon's Toilet sold
  2010

  A toilet once used by John Lennon is sold for £9,500, although it was expected to be sold at only £1,000.
  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/7969517/John-Lennons-toilet-sells-for-9500.html

• J.D. Salinger's Toilet
  2010

  A toilet from author J.D. Salinger's home is auctioned on Ebay for $1,000,000.
  http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/08/buy_jd_salingers_toilet.html

• Toilet themed restaurant
  2004

  Martan restaurant is founded in Taipei. It served feces like ice-cream in toilet-shaped bowls. By 2006, it changed its name to Modern Toilet Restaurant, and expanded to a full-service restaurant.

• Solid Gold Toilet
  2001

  Made out of 24k gold, the world's first and gold toiilet is built by Lam Sai Wing in Hong Kong. It is valued at about $29 million.

• Toto Toilet
  1997

  The ferrari of toilets, the Toto Washlet is introduced. It has heated seats, deodorization, and a cleansing jet of water.

• World's worst toilet
  1996

  In Danny Boyle's trainspotting, actor Ewan McGregor enters the "world's worst toilet." The scene has been lauded as one of the top ten bathroom scenes of all time.

• Duoset Cistern
  1980

  Bruce Thompson invents the duoset cistern. This used two button, each with a different flush volume.

• The Bidet
  1964

  The first bidet style toilet is introduced in America.

• Hitler's Toilet
  1952

  The toilet on De Fuhrer's yacht ends up in a bathroom at Greg's Auto Repair in Florence, New Jersey.
  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/22714

• Flushometer
  1906

  William Elvis Sloan invents the "flushometer" which used pressurized water directly from the supply line for faster recycle time between flushes.

• Ceramic toilet
  1885

  Thomas Twyford builds the first one piece ceramic toilet

• Thomas Crapper discovers the toilet
  Aug 1, 1880

  Thomas Crapper, widely given credit for the design of the flushing toilet, improves upon Harrington's designs. Crapper, a plumber popularized the modern toilet.

• America catches on
  1875

  James T. Henry and William Campbell become the first Americans awarded with a patent for a water closets

• Toilet Paper!
  1857

  Joseph Gayetty markets the first commecially available toilet paper. Advertisements for the product boasted that it was "the greatest necessity of the age!"

• The improved water closet
  1778

  Joseph Brahman obtained a patent for the improved water closer. The difference between his and Cummings model was the valve. Brahman opted for a hinge valve which sealed the bottom of the bowl.

• First toilet patent
  1775

  Alexander Cummings, a Scottish watchmaker obtains the patent for the toilet. His designs included a pan with a slide valve across the bottom. The bowl contained a few inches of water, held by the valve. When finished, the use pulled a lever to slide the valve open, and fill the bowl with more water. The contents of the pan were released in a trap below. This was the forerunner of the modern toilet.

• Sir John Harrington, the godson of Queen Elizabeth the 1st, invents the "water closet."
  1596

  Harrington writes the treatise "Metamorphosis of Ajax" a satirical look at the waste system. In it he describes his design of the flush, overflow pipe, and cistern. While used in the palace, the water closet was not widely used in Harrington's time because a sophisticated sewage system did not exist.