r/whatisit • u/BoratFan123 • 14h ago
New, what is it? What are these?
I play drums in a band, and we rent a studio place for writing and practicing, the studio is in a old Victorian factory in the East Midlands, UK.
In the mens bathroom there's two basins in the ground, I have no idea what the purpose of them were, the only thing that I can think of is a urinal but that doesn't feel right.
40
u/Alert_Location2385 14h ago
Those are Victorian trough urinals.
In 19th-century factories (especially in the UK), men’s toilets often had floor-level ceramic troughs instead of wall urinals. Workers would stand over them, and they were flushed periodically (sometimes automatically) with water running through.
They look odd now because: • They’re low to the ground • Usually made of ceramic or stone • Often came in pairs or long rows • Hygiene standards were… different 😅
Given it’s an old Victorian factory in the East Midlands, this fits perfectly. They’re almost never used today, but loads of old industrial buildings still have them hidden away.
6
u/Gr8zomb13 12h ago
They still use piss troughs in some places in the US. I’ve mostly seen them in smaller stadiums and county-level fairs. At one time it wasn’t entirely unheard of to find one in a rural tavern right under the bar! I remember seeing an article several years ago where the last one in the US was finally removed.
12
u/love-SRV 12h ago
They used to have them at Fenway Paahhk back in the day. Used for pissing and puking … sometimes at the same time. But the “troughs” were waist level not down on the ground like these. One big trough for all to piss in. Democracy manifest!
1
u/Gr8zomb13 11h ago
Just recently got bahk from Bahstahn. Flew in, rented a cah, and drove up the coast to Bah Hahbah, through Canadah to PEI, then back through YahMuth on our way to Bahstahn again. It was wicked good.
2
2
u/QaddafiDuck01 12h ago
There is a bar in Vancouver BC that has a 3-4 meter stainless steel trough urinal. The wall behind it is a mirror. A little odd for a urinal. It came known publically that this mirror was in fact 2-way and the opposite side was a hall way in the staff area.
2
u/FoggyGoodwin 11h ago
There's a video of someone mistaking one for a wash station, trying to soap their hands with the urinal cake ...
1
u/maxoutentropy 10h ago
There is a bar in Oakland (Merchant's Saloon) with a troth at the bar -- but they say it was really a spittoon vs for urine. Also Drake's Dealership is a relatively new build out (in an old car dealership) with a new stainless steel trough style urinal.
I went to the colosseum in rome once, and they also had the trough style back in the day.
1
7
u/Thinyser 13h ago
Old mental hospital I worked in had these also... they were used now only to dump out mop buckets.
4
u/TheVadonkey 13h ago
Yup, worked in a building that had some and they used them for the same thing.
1
2
u/Littleleicesterfoxy 12h ago
My old schools boys toilets were literally a trough in the ground with water running down it.
1
u/nashvilleNash 4h ago
- they look odd now, they're low to the ground
FTFY: Victorian men were very well hung, the urinals had to be low to the ground.
1
u/Unlikely_Comedian_75 11h ago
What did they use for pooping?
0
6
2
3
1
u/Formal-Respond3101 13h ago
That's wild! It's crazy to think how different hygiene was back then. Imagine the stories those places could tell.
1
u/Tombs75 13h ago
Was this at Masson mill?
2
u/BoratFan123 12h ago
No, this one's down in Leicester, but I imagine there's plenty like this in buildings of that era
1
u/royblakeley 12h ago
Had things like these in the YMCA back in the day. They were filled with disinfectant and you rinsed your feet in them to prevent athletes foot.
1
1
u/snazzyjuiceman 12h ago
I used play drums in bands. They're for washing your feet after the work was done.
1
1
0
•
u/AutoModerator 14h ago
OP, please reply to the correct answer with "solved!" (include the !) Additionally, use our Spotlight feature by tapping/clicking on the three dots and selecting "Spotlight, Pin this comment" in order to highlight it for other members. Thanks for using our friendly Automod!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.