INTRODUCTION
In the 1960s, the Cold War, and the threat of bombing, was part of everyday American life, as it had been for much of the last decade as well. Many average Americans were impatient with government plans for shelter, choosing instead to have their own backyard bomb shelters. These would cost between $100 and $5000, complete with basic necessities and furnishings. Along with these basic furnishings would, of course, be toilet facilities. Many designs existed, from cheap solutions to the top-of-the-line modern kinds. One of the latter kind of designs was the AGE Chemical Toilet. Many families purchased this for use in their personal fallout shelters.
In the 1960s, the Cold War, and the threat of bombing, was part of everyday American life, as it had been for much of the last decade as well. Many average Americans were impatient with government plans for shelter, choosing instead to have their own backyard bomb shelters. These would cost between $100 and $5000, complete with basic necessities and furnishings. Along with these basic furnishings would, of course, be toilet facilities. Many designs existed, from cheap solutions to the top-of-the-line modern kinds. One of the latter kind of designs was the AGE Chemical Toilet. Many families purchased this for use in their personal fallout shelters.
ORIGIN
PURPOSE
VALUE
LIMITATIONS
SOURCES
- This type of toilet originated as a design in the United States, from the consumer demand for modern, small toilets for use in many different situations, including in their fallout shelters.
- In the past, toilets were set in place and very regular looking. However, the 60s brought a new trend- various steps up the toilet ladder.
- As mentioned in the Introduction, the Cold War and fear of the bomb led to the construction of nuclear fallout shelters, which required new styles of toilet facilities.
PURPOSE
- This design of toilet was new at the time because chemical toilets had not been mainstream up until this point. However, it gained great influence during the decade.
- As mentioned above, the piece was created to cater to the needs of individual nuclear fallout shelter owners.
- Chemical toilets were designed to hold and treat waste with disinfectants. Some boasted higher capacity, odor reduction, etc.
VALUE
- The advertisement shown above of an AGE Chemical Toilet was probably very common, and highly bought.
- Its existence shows how some were able to capitalize on America's fear of Soviet Russia and the bomb.
- In their normal homes, many traditional styles continued to dominate, similar to the last two decades, so this toilet design expressed more clearly what was "needed" in America at the time.
LIMITATIONS
- However, this toilet ad cannot tell us the way people made space for furnishings in their new, cramped shelters
- Nor can it tell us what the very poor or very rich (or those in the military) were using at the time to prepare for nuclear fallout.
- Barring the outliers mentioned in the last bullet, this was a fairly mainstream product of the time.
SOURCES
- http://books.google.com/books?id=VzgZGsWpi3AC&pg=RA1-PT784&lpg=RA1-PT784&dq=AGE+chemical+toilets&source=bl&ots=BUo47t3eNo&sig=UfSz3_XSWs77OCWSrYwoygXCG3s&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Krd7U7iRO8uxyATqvoHIAg&ved=0CFsQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=AGE%20chemical%20toilets&f=false
- http://wardomatic.blogspot.com/2006/11/fallout-shelter-handbook-1962.html
- http://undergroundbombshelter.com/news/when-bomb-shelters-were-the-rage.htm