In December 2014, a Victorian public toilet in Bristol was awarded Grade II listed status by English Heritage, who noted that these ‘often humble structures’ were an integral part of ‘the streetscene of our cities’.
The origins of the modern public toilet can be traced to the Great Exhibition of 1851. On 1 May that year — a day described by Queen Victoria as ‘one of the greatest and most glorious of our lives’ — the exhibition opened at the Crystal Palace in London. However, for all its splendour, one of the most lasting legacies of this showcase of innovation from around the world was the humble public toilet. This common feature of everyday life was available for the use of visitors at the exhibition and later relocated into central London.
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