Toilet Museums throughout the World

The Aesthetics of Scatological Objects

Cappelli, MFA, JD, PhD
Digital Global Traveler

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Image by Author + DALL.E

My three youngest grandchildren, ages two to four, are fascinated with scatological humor — anything poop in this case. Recently, one of the four-year-olds has become interested in toilets — especially when outside, and we have to create one out of a tree trunk or bush.

I think humans are fascinated as well. After all, we certainly have many names for them: commode, bathroom, urinal, squatting pan, head, john, can, lady’s room, lavatory, can, pisser, sh**ter, outhouse, W. C. — to name a few. The etymology of toilet comes from “toile” (cloth), a Middle French word. Notice the variation of the word toilet in German, Modern French, and Swedish: toiletten, toilettes, toaletten.

Toilet talk, not just the domain of children, holds attraction for adults as well. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a scattering of Toilet Museums throughout the world.

Sulabh International Museum Of Toilets

Winner of the 2019 Experts’ Choice Awards and the 2013 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence, this quirky museum in Delhi, India, boasts a historical collection of artifacts and pictures about the disposal of poop. Dating back to 2500 BC (yes, even then, poop sanitation was an issue), the museum has an extensive array of…

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Cappelli, MFA, JD, PhD
Digital Global Traveler

Top Know Nothing Writer with way too many degrees who enjoys musing on life's absurdity.