19th and early 20th century–world history and facts
19th and early 20th century Recent developments in creating urinals for females and for use by both sexes are not a new revolution in sanitation, as some manufacturers suggest. Rather, it is the renaissance of a concept whose roots lie in the 19th century. During the 19th century, in the early days of public toilet development, female urinals were installed and urinals were not thought of as being exclusively for males. For example, the 1897 German Handbuch der Architektur ( Handbook of architecture ) shows "women's urinals with automatic rinsing"; at that time the advantages featured were less costly installation and water savings: Pissoirs for the female sex have even been successfully used in recent years. These consist of so-called "urinettes" or porcelain sitting basins with automatic flushing and are set up especially in the waiting halls of railway stations, in shops where many girls are employed, in theatres where there is a large choir or ba...