[MassHistPres] Were there 19th C Iron Parisian Pissoirs a/k/a street urinals or Sanitaries in your city or town?

[Dennis De Witt]

As I noted recently (in the context of privies), during the second half of the 19th C Boston deployed over 20 iron, Parisian type Pissoirs, a/k/a  street urinals or Sanitaries, of at least four different designs. 

Beginning in 1882 McLauthlin & Co. who made Boston pissoirs at that time, advertised them for sale.  So far, I know that between 1888 and 1895 these cities bought the following: 
— Manchester, New Hampshire, Haverhill, and Newburyport each bought at least one.  
— Lawrence bought two
— Cambridge bought three, which they called “sanitaries.”  They were described as “wrought-iron and after the style of the smaller sized Boston sanitaries.” (See 2nd and 3d photos.)  Cambridge also had a “cast-iron sanitary,” of unspecified design and source, installed in Central Square. 
— Lawrence, like Cambridge, also bought an additional unit of cast iron from an unknown source.  It was described as “brittle and quickly vandalized and broken.”  (Note: cast iron is inherently brittle and, especially when cast in thin sections, is more easily broken, whereas wrought iron can be as strong as steel.)

Did your city or town every have any such iron structures?

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Boston type III pissoir, in Haymarket Square.  When Cambridge referred to the "smaller sized Boston sanitaries,” this probably was be the implied larger Boston type.  Only one may have been erected in Boston.

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Boston type IV pissoir, probably originally a McLauthlin & Co. catalog illustration.

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A Boston type IV pissoir in Brattle Square.  At the far right is the still extant Brattle Theater.  (Note the five men in this obviously “staged” photo.)

Thanks,

Dennis De Witt
Metropolitan Waterworks Museum