Mel Williams, Visitor Services
We have a display in the museum here at Kiwi North showcasing artifacts from the RMS Niagara, which sunk in the Hauraki Gulf in 1940. She was a Transpacific Steam Ocean Liner, built in 1912 and used to transport people and products between New Zealand, Australia and Canada for 27 years. Her final journey was cut short however at the exit to the Hauraki Gulf after she hit mines left by a German Auxiliary Cruiser attempting to blockade Auckland.
I was looking at the relics on display, so perfectly preserved and imagining how they were used on the Niagara as she steamed elegantly across the Pacific Ocean. Some items clearly represented the opulence of the 281 first-class berths she once boasted, others told a visual tale of the fateful day she sank. But my favourite piece, the one that made me think, “where did they go”, is the chamber pot.
The chamber pot from the Niagara has a flag on the side incorporating a union jack, in recognition of the vessel being built in Glasgow and the acronym USSC which stands for “United Steam Ship Company”. It is ceramic and has rust marks, a souvenir from its time on the ocean floor.
As I researched the history of the chamber pot, I was surprised to learn of the similarities between historical methods and more recent ones. Archaeological excavations in northwest India have revealed 4000-year-old drainage systems which may have been rudimentary toilets and there have been examples of ceramic kettles used as chamber pots in ancient Greece as early as the 6th century.
For many of us, it's hard to imagine a world without being able to flush our woes away, but in reality it wasn’t so long ago that long drops and chamber pots were still the norm. The chamber pot that was found on the Niagara is an example of one being used just 83 years ago.
In homes, traipsing to an outdoor, un-plumbed toilet in the middle of the night was not only an inconvenience, heavily influenced by the weather, but it could also be dangerous at times. Having a chamber pot at the foot of your bed meant you didn’t have to venture into the darkness to find that overnight relief. You did however wake up to a pretty unpleasant chore.
Chamber pots were commonly emptied by throwing the contents out of the bedchamber window, often from a height. In France they would cry “gardez-l’eau” as a warning to people walking past. It means “beware of the water” and is where the phrase “loo” is thought to have come from.
The first modern flushable toilet is considered to have been invented by Sir John Harrington in 1596. He was a poet and the godson of Queen Elizabeth I, but he was banished for telling risqué stories. While in exile, he built himself a house and created a flushing lavatory which he called Ajax. The Queen was so impressed that she ordered one for herself.
In 1775, Alexander Cumming was awarded the first patent for a flushable toilet, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that Thomas Crapper developed the first successful line of flushing toilets. His contribution to the process was the ballcock, the plug within the tank that kept the bowl from overflowing. Both Sir John and Thomas Crappers names also became colloquial terms for the lavatory.
In the 1800’s, the long drop was commonplace in New Zealand, as was the chamber pot but as the population grew, especially in the cities, the need for better sewerage systems became apparent. In the late 19th century toilets were frequently installed on the back verandas of properties, often incorporated with the laundry. But it wasn’t until the early 1900’s that toilets were fully integrated into the building of new homes.
So, while the flushing toilet has taken the job from the humble chamber pot, if you ever hear someone yell “gardez-l’eau”, it might still pay to be aware of the water. Just in case.
(The chamber pot from the Niagara is currently on loan from Keith Gordon)
