Vestiges of Vanishing Vespasiennes in Paris

The Vanishing Vespasiennes certainly has a catching ring to it, doesn’t it? Whether it be a boîte à sable, or a Vespasienne, when something is on the verge of disappearing, I just have to document it. Hence, my search for the last Vespasienne in Paris. Curiosity alone was enough to intrigue my husband so we arranged our daily walk to include this nearly extinct piece of Paris.

What are Vespasiennes?

What are Vespasiennes, you ask? A Vespasiennne provides both privacy and support for public urinals. Now I know it doesn’t rank as a tourist site but I feel it is important that vestiges of the past are documented before they disappear.

The last remaining Vespasienne in Paris’ 14th arrondissement

I remember my former father-in-law talking about his first experience with  Vespasiennes when he was in Paris during World War II. I still remember the incredulity that remained in his voice 50 years after his experience! As you can see from the pictures, nothing is seen but the feet of the man inside but I think my father-in-law was very bothered by the idea that someone would know what he was doing.

Where is it located?

Our day started with a visit to the Catacombs, which consumed the better part of the morning. We then headed over to the Gobelins tapestry museum. The Gobelins museum anchored one end of our walk while the Catacombs anchored the other end. In between was the Vespasienne, located in front of the Prison de la Santé wall  (one of three main prisons of the Paris area).

Blvd Arago

I wanted to document this almost extinct feature of Paris but just as I was about to take the first photo a taxi whipped in front of the Vespasienne, left its flasher lights on (there must be a joke in there somewhere) and the driver ducked into the Vespasienne. No, I did not take a photo while the Vespasienne was in use!

If you want to see it in person, you’ll find the Vespasienne on Boulevard Arago, between rue du Faubourg Saint-Jaques and rue de la Santé.

These cast-iron facilities have interesting designs.

A Bit of Vespasiennes History

Public urinals first appeared in Paris in 1840 when the government placed them along prominent boulevards, parks and train stations in the name of hygiene. There were approximately 400 facilities. Following up with this, Paris banned public urination in 1850 (except if using one of the public urinals). By 1893 the number of facilities had grown to 3500. [Ross] However, by 1877 the original urinals were deemed unseemly and were replaced by the Vespasiennes which provided the required privacy. [Pick]
(Please note, ladies, that no similar accommodation was made for the fairer sex.)

It is conjectured that the public urinals were named for the first century Roman Emporer Titus Flavus Vespasian. Urine collected from the urinoir in those days found its use in the tanning of leather. Vespasian placed a tax on this urine as a means of raising money. [Zoch] Today,  “Vespasiano in modern day Italian means ‘public urinal’.”

At their peak…..

At their peak ,in the 1930s, there were 1230 facilities but by 2006 the only one remaining is the one you see here on Boulevard Arago. The public urinals have been replaced by approximately 420 + public toilettes called Sanisettes, which are self-cleaning unisex toilets. To me these shiny stainless steel Sanisettes are a bit unnerving as the door closes electronically behind you with no visible latch. However, upon leaving you press a button, the door opens, then locks behind you as it goes into self-clean mode, and then unlocks for the next user….. and they are free! On the Offline Maps App page, one of the apps shows the locations of these toilets along with cafés, museums, etc.

Modern day conveniences – the Sanisette

If you want to see some of the historic Vespasiennes that have since disappeared from the streets of Paris, I suggest you head over to Paris en Image where they have a very nice historic collection.

Another disappearing piece of Paris architecture are the boîtes à sable. You can read about them here.

REFERENCES

Pike, David Lawrence. Subterranean Cities: The World Beneath Paris and London, 1800-1945. New York. Cornell University Press. 2005. Print.
Ross, Andrew Israel. “Dirty Desire: The Uses and Misuses of Public Urinals in Nineteenth-Century Paris.” Berkely Journal of Sociology. Vol 63. pp 62-88. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41035641
Zoch, Paul A. Ancient Rome, An Introductory History. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. 1962. E-book https://goo.gl/ekAQtk