Sewer History: Photos and Graphics


For Reference	The New York Public Library has a large collection of digitized graphics, including several plumbing catalogs from the late 1800s and early 1900s. See the Cities and Buildings > Collection Guide > Contents for a list of links. See: Catalogue 'G,' Illustrating the Plumbing and Sanitary Department of the J.L. Mott Iron Works. (1888). See web pages 12, 16, 18, and 19 for some examples of public latrines and sinks: Demarest's Wash-out Water Closet Range, Mott's Cast Iron Sectional Wash Sink, several public wash stands, and Mott's Sectional Street or Park Urinals. Illustrated circular [advertisments from J.L. Mott Iron Works] (1877-1893). See Mott's patent square urinal and a number of public wash stands.
For Reference	For extensive information about Victorian London, see the comprehensive website at www.victorianlondon.org. There is a large section about Sewers and Sanitation under "Health and Hygiene." Information on baths and bathing is also found under "Health and Hygiene." A huge thanks goes to Lee Jackson, the creator of the website, for this impressive collection of original materials.
Indus River Civilization
	Public well, Harappa (Indus River Civilization, 2600-1900 BCE). A large public well and public bathing platforms were found in the southern part of Mound AB at Harappa. These public bathing areas may also have been used for washing clothes as is common in many traditional cities in Pakistan and India today. Photo by Jonathan Mark Kenoyer and/or Richard H. Meadow. Source: Courtesy of Professor Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, University of Wisconsin - Madison. See www.harappa.com
	View of the great bath, Mohenjo-daro. (Indus River Civilization, 2600-1900 BCE) Source: Courtesy of Professor Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, University of Wisconsin - Madison. See www.harappa.com
	The great bath and granary at Mohenjo-daro. (Indus River Civilization, 2600-1900 BCE) Source: Courtesy of Professor Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, University of Wisconsin - Madison. See www.harappa.com
Roman Era
For Reference	The Thermenmuseum in Heerlen, Netherlands, includes photographs and information about Roman baths in Coriovallum, a village on the road between Tongeren and Cologne. Additional information can be found at the Livius website.
For Reference	Reconstructions of the famous Roman baths of Zeuxippos in Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey)
For Reference	Wikipedia Articles: Sanitation in ancient Rome, Roman technology, Thermae
	Row of toilets from circa 100 CE, Sicily. Source: Joy Mehulka, Pima County Department of Transportation, Tucson, Arizona
	Roman Era public latrines in Corinth, Greece (near Athens). This and the following photo show latrine construction -- water ran in a channel under the seat openings to flush waste away, and an additional channel in front of the seats probably provided users a place to dip brushes (sea sponges on sticks or similar items) in order to clean themselves after using the latrine. Source: Keith Chapman, Laboratory Program Manager, Willow Lake Treatment Plant, Salem, Oregon.
	Roman Era public latrines in Corinth, Greece (near Athens). Source: Keith Chapman, Laboratory Program Manager, Willow Lake Treatment Plant, Salem, Oregon.
	Apodyterion (changing room) in the Stabian Baths at Pompeii in Italy. Source: AlMere/Wikimedia Commons.
	Latrine in the the ancient city of Minturno, Italy, showing both the channel that ran under the seats and the channel for washing in front of the seats. Source: AlMere/Wikimedia Commons.
	Women's caldarium (room with a bath) in the Terme Urbane in Herculaneum, Italy. Source: AlMere/Wikimedia Commons.
	Latrine in Ostia (port city at the mouth of the Tiber River), Rome. Source: AlMere/Wikimedia Commons.
	The Baths of Caracalla were Roman public baths, or thermae, built in Rome between 212 and 216 AD, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla. The extensive ruins of the baths have become a popular tourist attraction. The bath complex covered approximately 13 hectares (33 ac). The bath building was 228 meters (750 ft) long, 116 meters (380 ft) wide and 38.5 meters (125 ft) estimated height, and could hold an estimated 1,600 bathers. The Caracalla bath complex of buildings was more a leisure centre than just a series of baths. The "baths" were the second to have a public library within the complex. Like other public libraries in Rome, there were two separate and equal sized rooms or buildings; one for Greek language texts and one for Latin language texts.Also at the and outside of them were shopping centers sort of like a mall in current times. The baths consisted of a central 55.7 by 24 meter (183x79 ft) frigidarium (cold room) under three 32.9 meter (108 ft) high groin vaults, a double pool tepidarium (medium), and a 35 meter (115 ft) diameter caldarium (hot room), as well as two palaestras (gyms where wrestling and boxing was practiced). The north end of the bath building contained a natatio or swimming pool. The natatio was roofless with bronze mirrors mounted overhead to direct sunlight into the pool area. The entire bath building was on a 6 meter (20 ft) high raised platform to allow for storage and furnaces under the building. The libraries were located in exedrae on the east and west sides of the bath complex. The entire north wall of the complex was devoted to shops. The reservoirs on the south wall of the complex were fed with water from the Marcian Aqueduct. The building was heated by a hypocaust, a system of burning coal and wood underneath the ground to heat water provided by a dedicated aqueduct. It was in use up to the 19th century. (Wikipedia) Source: (Top) Rekonstruierter Grundriss der Caracalla-Thermen. Quelle: Wilhelm Lübke, Max Semrau: Grundriß der Kunstgeschichte. Paul Neff Verlag, Esslingen, 14. Auflage 1908. Wikimedia Commons. (Bottom) David Edgars/Wikimedia Commons.
	Artist's rendition of a public latrine that may have seated as many as 100 near the Theatre of Pompey in Rome. Water was often fed to latrines from adjacent public baths. The open water channel in front of the latrines was most likely used to wash hands or to dip sponges that were tied to the end of a stick and used for cleaning (see detail at right). The water basins in front of the latrines were probably used for washing faces and other general cleaning. The latrines were most often unisex; the type of clothing worn served to maintain modesty while on the latrine seats. Source: Illustration by Jan McDonald, Pima County Wastewater Management Dept., based on information in The Ancient City by Peter Connolly and Hazel Dodge (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998).
England
For Reference	The Roman occupation of England created a number of settlements built with Roman technology, including baths. Aquae Sulis, at the location of the modern city of Bath, included an extensive religious spa built around the natural springs. It is now one of the best preserved Roman ruins north of the Alps. See the Roman Baths Website.
	Caldarium from the Roman baths at Bath, England. The floor has been removed to reveal the empty space through which the hot air used to flow to heat the floor tiles. Source: Akajune/Wikimedia Commons.
	Great Bath at the Roman baths, Aquae Sulis (Bath). Source: Andrew Dunn/Wikimedia Commons.
	The 'sacred pool' of Sulis at the Roman baths of Aquae Sulis is the source of the geothermal spring where the hot water rises before being channelled to feed the other bathing rooms. Source: Andrew Dunn/Wikimedia Commons.
	Section of mosaic floor from the Roman baths at Aquae Sulis (Bath). The main figure is a sea horse. Source: Andrew Dunn/Wikimedia Commons.
	Roman brick channel for the overflow from the sacred spring of Aquea Sulis (Bath). Source: Andrew Dunn/Wikimedia Commons.
	The Great Bath at the Roman baths of Aquae Sulis (Bath). Source: Diliff/Wikimedia Commons.
	Lead pipe in Roman bath in Aquae Sulis (Bath). Source: Zureks/Wikimedia Commons.
	The remains of the Roman public baths in Leicester, England, at the site of Jewry Wall. At the right is the wall itself which used to be the entrance. The baths date from around 150 AD. The Roman city of Ratae Corieltauvorum was founded around AD 50 as a military settlement upon the Fosse Way Roman road. After the military departure, Ratae Corieltauvorum grew into an important trading and one of the largest towns in Roman Britain. The remains of the baths of Roman Leicester can be seen at the Jewry Wall and other Roman artefacts are displayed in the Jewry Wall Museum adjacent to the site. (Wikipedia) Source: Maksim/Wikimedia Commons
	Military bathhouse at Vindolanda, England. Vindolanda was a Roman auxiliary fort (castra) located at Chesterholm, just south of Hadrian's Wall in northern England, near the modern border with Scotland. (Wikipedia) Source: Tivedshambo/Wikimedia Commons.
	Ruin of the bath house at Cilurnum, a fort on Hadrian's Wall, now identified with the fort found at Chesters (also known as Walwick Chesters to distinguish it from other Chesters-es in the vicinity). It was built in 123, just after the Wall's completion, and is now the best preserved Roman cavalry fort in Britain. There is also a museum on the site housing finds from all along the Wall. (Wikipedia) Source: SeeSchloss/Wikimedia Commons.
	The Welwyn Roman baths are a small part of the Dicket Mead villa, a Roman ruin which was originally built in the 3rd century AD just north of modern-day Welwyn, Hertfordshire. The ruins were uncovered in 1960 by local archaeologist Tony Rook, and the baths were gradually uncovered over the following 10 years by excavation. (Wikipedia) Source: Legis/Wikimedia Commons.
Roman-era Israel
Ancient Beit She'an is located in the Jordan Valley south of Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) in a fertile valley with strategic importance. In 63 BCE, the Roman general Pompey established rule in Judea, and Beit She'an (then known as Scythopolis) became a major center. Significant Roman construction began in the 1st century CE and continued until the area came under Muslim control in 635 CE. See www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org for more detailed information.
	Ruin of a Roman latrine from the Byzantine era in Beit She'an, Israel. Source: "Beit She'an -- Capital of the Decapolis," brochure published by the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority, 1996.
	Latrine at Beit She'an, Israel, located between the theatre, a temple area and one of the baths of the town. In this latrine design, a person sat atop two adjacent stone seat segments (with a gap between them) cantilevered out from the wall. This design was easier to build than other Roman designs, with less carving of stone to create the latrine seats. Note the trough for water at floor level in front of the latrine seats. This was probably used to dip sea sponges attached to sticks, which were then used for cleaning. Source: Kay Axhausen, Zurich, Switzerland.